Last November, E & B Paving worked on fixing Old 30 East.
According to Kosciusko County Highway Superintendent Dennis Pletcher, the project needs to be redone.
Pletcher appeared before the Kosciusko County Commissioners this morning to note that the project needs to be redone and E & B Paving will have to submit a plan to redo the project to the Indiana Department of Transportation.The project, which took place last fall, was a $1.4 million project paid for through stimulus money.
Pletcher said E & B Paving's bid was $40,000 lower than the next lowest bid of Phend & Brown.
Pletcher said that Phend & Brown did a stimulus project in Fulton County that was "quite nice."
Pletcher said that when the bids for the project first came in there was no reason to pass E & B Paving over because they had "done good work in the past."
Pletcher said he is waiting on E & B Paving to submit a plan to fix Old 30 East to INDOT.
When asked if he thought there'd be any reason E & B Paving's rehab of a project they did less than five months ago would be any better, Pletcher said no.
Pletcher encouraged residents to contact their state representatives to complain about the project.
"Maybe we can make a trip to Indianapolis," said Commissioner Ron Truex."
"I'm very disappointed with receiving stimulus funds and ending up with a road that's a lower quality than the road they tore up," said Truex.
Pletcher also said that a project to fix Old 30 West is on tap but there is no timetable set.
Attorney Mike Miner said that since the county has a vested interest in a safe, reliable road that the highway department shouldn't simply accept what INDOT decides to do.
Pletcher said that he is willing to go to the statehouse and the governor's office to air his grievances with the project.
In other business, the commissioners received word that Mike Stetzel resigned as the County Visitors Bureau board president.
The commissioners also voted to sign a new contract that would replace the county's current phone system and save the county about $150.
The new phone system will cost $40,000 to put in, but will cut the annual contract for the next four years in half.
Emergency Management Director Ed Rock told the commissioners that March 14-20 is Severe Weather Awareness Week.
There will be a statewide tornado drill March 17 unless there is bad weather. The tornado siren in Warsaw is set to go off between 10:15 and 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 and 7:45 p.m. March 17.
