Kosciusko County Commissioners approved a recommendation Tuesday by the Area Plan Commission concerning the vacation of a road.
At a plan commission meeting earlier this month, the commission voted 8-0 to recommend that a road in Long's First Addition, located off James Lake, not be vacated.
During Tuesday's meeting, the commissioners heard from attorney Steve Snyder, representing petitioner Marty Long, and Plan Commission Director Dan Richard.Long told the board during the meeting that 150 boats are at times tied up in his swim area, and his property is used as a public bathroom during the summer. He attributed that to the use of the access road he was asking to be vacated.
Richard said the plan commission was hesitant to vacate lakefront property being as its such a commodity.
"Can't we just keep the road and put restrictions on it?" asked Commissioner Ron Truex.
Richard said that would be something he could look into it.
After a lengthy discussion, the board decided to approve the plan commission's decision not to vacate the road.
The matter can be brought up again in two years or sooner if there is evidence enough to sway the plan commission.
"Document it," said Richard to Long and Snyder. "If there is this armada of boats there and used diapers around, then document that and we'll put that on record."
Tom Brindle, Kosciusko Central Dispatch director, presented 2008 statistics to the commissioners.
There was a 1.9 percent increase in 911 calls from 2007 to 2008. Brindle said 65.1 percent of the calls came from cell phones.
Overall calls of service to dispatch increased 12.5 percent from 66,449 calls to 75,931 in 2008. Brindle accounted that part of the increase was due to dispatch taking on all of Syracuse's calls.
County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell presented a 2008 investment report, which the commissioners approved.
County Administrator Ron Robinson told the commissioners that two agreements were drawn up. One was with Claypool to put radio antennae on the town's water tower as well as placing equipment inside a town building. The other was with CJ Technology to move cameras from the old courthouse to the justice building to allow for 24-hour monitoring of the area around the courthouse.
Dennis Pletcher, Kosciusko County Highway Department, told the board the highway department is currently repairing broken equipment.
Pletcher also complimented Brindle and dispatch for their work during severe weather.
Truex complimented Pletcher and the rest of the highway department for their work during this winter's inclement weather.
