Commissioners approve bridge replacement

County Bridge 90 in Clinton Township will be rebuilt in the near future.

Putnam County Commissioners voted unanimously on Monday to replace the bridge, which is located at C.R. 250 North and C.R. 550 West.

"It's shot," highway director Dave Sutherlin said. "It's had it."

Materials for the project will cost $142,659.21, and will be procured from E & H Bridge Inc., Bedford.

The installation work will be done by Greencastle-based Huber Construction for a cost of $49,911.19.

Sutherlin said no major work has been done on the bridge in his tenure at the highway department, and he has been there for 15 years.

Sutherlin said it would likely be a couple of months before work on the bridge commences. He estimated the project would take three weeks to complete once it starts.

In other business, Assessor Wanda O'Neal presented the commissioners with a proposal from Government Utilities Technology Service, Thorntown, for a new software system. O'Neal said the current software system is out-of-date and difficult to get assistance with.

"If we could get (the new software) tomorrow, that would be good," O'Neal said. "We've needed a new program for a long time."

Set-up, conversion and 10 days worth of training for county staff would carry a price tag of $125,895. Yearly support services and maintenance would cost $25,179.

Eric Goodnight of Govern-ment Utilities Technology Service said if given the go-ahead relatively soon, the new software could be up and running by late June or early July.

The commissioners took the matter under advisement, and a decision may be made on the measure at their next meeting.

Also at the meeting, Brian Holsapple of the DePauw University Nature Park said the park was interested in purchasing one or both of the Dodge Intrepids formerly used by the Putnam County Sheriff's Department.

"We've gotten mixed reports on how good they are," Holsapple said. "If we had to buy both so we could have one good vehicle, we would do that."

Commission President Gene Beck told Holsapple estimates would have to be done on the vehicles before they could be sold to make sure they weren't required by law to be disposed of by public sale.

"We'll do that for you and let you know at the next meeting," Beck said.

Harold Preton approached the commissioners about the condition of roads in the Heritage Lake area.

"They're gravelly and dusty," he said.

Preton said having the road completely redone instead of just chip and sealed might be the way to remedy the problem.

Beck said money was tight for roads, and that others needed immediate attention.

"There are two roads in Jackson Township there's hardly anything left of," he said. "I don't know where we're going to get anymore money. It's not just Putnam County … it's every county.