The Daviess County Commissioners met Tuesday morning and heard an update on the courthouse project. Window work is underway along with interior work on all three floors. The commissioners also learned that delays in receiving electrical components might delay the completion date two weeks beyond the original April 17th projection.
In regular business, the commissioners gave Highway Supervisor Chris Winkler permission to advertise for bids for projects covered by the State’s Community Crossings Matching Grant program, approved a contract with Purdue University for extension services, and heard a report from Andrea Brown on the Health Department’s Baby and Me tobacco-free program. The commissioners also heard an update from Jennifer Emmons on the Community Health Center.
The commissioners also discussed the fees for buggy permits. Commissioner Nathan Gabhart said the highway department had compiled data related to horseshoe damage to paved county roads. Gabhart said the data pointed to a jump in fees to $300 per buggy permit. After meeting with the Amish Safety Committee, Gabhart said a compromise was worked out setting this year’s fees at $175 per buggy permit, with projected hikes of $50 per year until the $300 goal is reached. Pony cart permits were set at $125.
The most contentious part of the meeting came when the Carnegie Public Library asked the commissioners to allow the library’s taxing area to expand its service area to surrounding townships to mirror the plan the commissioners approved for the Odon-Winklepleck Library expanding to Steele, Bogard, Elmore, and Madison Townships in the northern Daviess County area. The Carnegie Public Library proposed expanding its service area to all of southern Daviess County, including Barr, Harrison, Reeve, Veale, and Washington Townships. The library’s service area is currently limited to the City of Washington. The commissioners were unwilling to support the expansion due to the opposition of all the trustees of the townships involved. Rick Chambon and Mary Lou Gotwald expressed their disappointment with the commissioners decision, pointing to the important educational and economic impact of general library access by the County’s residents. Veale Township Trustee Bill Killion supported the commissioners decision, saying that currently only 3% of Veale Township’s 1100 residents used the Carnegie library. Currently, residents of the City of Washington can use the library for free. Anyone living outside the Washington city limits must pay $40 per library card to have access to the library’s services.
