Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
At first, Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent and Engineer Rob Ladson was not in favor of roundabouts to handle intersections.
But after some consideration, he told the Kosciusko County commissioners Tuesday, he decided a roundabout may be a good idea for the intersection of Fox Farm Road and Old Road 30, Warsaw.
For his 2005 budget, he said, he put some money in for consulting engineers to look at a roundabout for the intersection.
County commissioner Ron Truex said Indianapolis and Fort Wayne have roundabouts and they have become an efficient way of handling traffic. The Fox Farm Road and Old Road 30 intersection could be a good place for one, he said.
A roundabout is a road junction at which traffic streams circularly around a central island.
Ladson also told the commissioners a drainage tile at the intersection of CRs 100E and 1000S failed. He had a contractor fix the problem, now completed, for a cost of $10,331.07. He asked the commissioners to approve the work as an official emergency, which they unanimously did.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Opened the bids for the Flagstone Terrace subdivision drainage and paving project. The engineer's estimate for the project is $146,538 and the bids included: LDP Excavating, $149,990; Craig Excavating, $165,740.74; Phend & Brown, $267,778.10; First Brooks Construction, $245,938.05; and Hammond Excavating, $133,750. Since Hammond Excavating did not include a bid bond as required, their bid will not be considered.
Ladson will review the bids and make a recommendation to the commissioners in two weeks.
• Approved The Troyer Group's final invoice of $18,192 for their work on the Western Alternative Route Corridor study.
• Approved the bid from Morton Salt for the highway department's salt purchase at $39.38 per ton. Morton was the lowest bidder.
• Approved the annual Bovine Brucellosis and Tuberculosis eradication contract with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health.
• Approved for county assessor Laurie Renier and her chief deputy to travel to Portland, Ore., for a conference meeting later this year.
Kosciusko County Commissioners are Brad Jackson, northern district; Ron Truex, middle district; and Avis Gunter, southern district. They meet at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse every other Tuesday.
