Heritage Lake residents request funds for roads

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Residents from Heritage Lake appeared in front of Putnam County Commissioners Monday asking for help in getting the nearly 30 miles of roads paved and repaired.

The group presented an option for the county to take out a bond to pay for approximately $3 million which is the cost estimate given to pave the roads in second largest populated area in Putnam County.

The cost for that bond spread out over 20 years would be $222,000 a year for the county.

"This is just one option. We would like you to contact the person listed on this proposal and secondly want you to consider our offer to work with you to get a bond," said Dan Antico.

"We've got to do something. Put some kind of plan together and look at what funding opportunities are available," he continued.

Commissioner Gene Beck told the group that the county has concentrated on keeping Heritage Drive, the main road in the area in A-one shape.

"There are other roads in our county that have to be resurfaced. This year we'll be lucky just to get all our roads patched," said Beck.

"That amount is about the money we have to spend for the whole county. We have to pay salaries, trucks and stones out of that fund. We can't spend all our money in one area," continued Beck.

Antico reminded the board about a meeting last year when they asked the commissioners to start looking "outside the box" for solutions to repairing the roads in Heritage Lake.

"We're just asking you consider our request, contact this person. We've got to do something," insisted Antico.

Kristina Warren noted that in the bond proposal, part of the money would come from the CAGET fund and that money is controlled by the County Council and already in use.

Beck also talked about a recent meeting about the bridges in the county and noted that the county is being forced to preserve some iron and covered bridges to the tune of at least $200,000 to $300,000.

"We have to take down the bridge and store it at the highway garage for 15 years or bypass one of the covered bridges. We have to pay a lot of money for that and don't have a choice about it," he said.

Bridge 146 is one of the bridges that will cost the county $120,000.

"That's our share of the cost," said Beck.

He noted that a bypass for the covered bridge would cost $1,940,000 and the steel bridge south of Barnard built in 1910 will cost $1,926,000 with the county being liable for a portion of the cost.

He added that a recent meeting with INDOT in Crawfordsville showed that approximately $7 million would be available for the region that includes Putnam County from stimulus funds for bridges. This area also includes 16 counties that will all vie for the money.

"Stimulus money is going to the larger counties. We just don't get the kind of money they get," added Beck.

In other business, the commissioners discussed an ongoing problem in the courthouse with the phone lines that were hit by lightning a few weeks ago.

Some phones don't ring at all. Intercoms come on for no reason.

"We don't know our phones are even ringing unless the answering machine comes on," said one worker.

Another problem appears to be with software being outdated. The problems are being dealt with and courthouse workers hope they will soon be resolved.

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  • Maybe its time for the folks at Heritage Lake to "think outside the box" and actually incorporate and take care of their own problems. Instead of having the county do a bond for $3,000,000 to fix their roads, possibly they could step up and care for it. As the second most populous area in the county, maybe its time to take your place as a city/town.

    -- Posted by hoosierpete on Wed, Apr 22, 2009, at 6:13 AM
  • PEOPLE NEED TO THINK BEFORE THEY SPEAK. HERITAGE LAKE HOMEOWNERS ARE TAX PAYERS JUST LIKE THE REST OF YOU. WHAT DO YOU MEAN THINK INSIDE THE BOX. ? THE WHOLE COUNTY REFLECTS ON ALL OF US. GREENCASTLE SURE HAS NICE ROADS. WHERE ARE THEY GETTING THEIR FUNDS. YES THATS WHAT I THOUGHT, USING TAX MONEY!!!

    -- Posted by skittlebug on Wed, Apr 22, 2009, at 8:10 AM
  • As a resident of Heritage Lake for 15 years and Heritage Lake being the 2nd most populous area and in turn being the 2nd highest contributor in tax dollars to the county I can attest we are the most ignored area in the county as far as road repair and even snow plowing. The road to my house in nothing but large pot holes that have existed for years. I have had so much trouble getting snow plowed I have had to pay out of my pocket to get my street plowed, so don't tell me about being more responsible for our needs. Except for our $ Mr. Beck wishes we did not exist.

    -- Posted by jakedog1 on Wed, Apr 22, 2009, at 9:37 AM
  • If anyone pays attention to the paper they have said that roads are not funded by tax dollars!! If you look at your tax bill the majority of tax dollars goes towards schools.

    -- Posted by trackrunner on Wed, Apr 22, 2009, at 8:22 PM
  • Trackrunner seems to have it right. Roads are funded by gas tax, excise taxes, wheel taxes, etc. (all taxes paid by us) but little or no property taxes.

    Greencastle has pretty good streets because they pay taxes, from the city, to pay for their streets, not from the county highway department.

    However, the county does need to fix county roads that lead into our cities & towns. It is a reflection on all of us if visitors can't get to us without falling into deep potholes.

    We need to quit coming up with the same old excuses and blame and get about doing something. Action and activity speak louder than words, but let's do it right so we aren't redoing it a few months later because the "fix" was done quickly, but not properly.

    -- Posted by hoosierpete on Thu, Apr 23, 2009, at 6:14 AM
  • If Beck doesn't take any action lets get rid of him and anyone remotely like him. Too much of our tax money is going to other causes and he knows it.

    -- Posted by Harmony Church on Fri, Apr 24, 2009, at 4:08 PM
  • The roads at heritage lake ARE county roads. They were built by the developer and donated to the county, and the county accepted them. Unfortunately they are not unique. Drive anywhere in Putnam County and the roads are horrible. Have been all my life. There is no excuse, in 2009, to be driving on unsafe, gravel or destroyed roadways. I have not voted for an incumbent Co comm. for years because of this. The first one who actually floats and idea to fix and maintain the roads will get my vote. They are deplorable and there is NO excuse for them.

    -- Posted by countyboy on Tue, Apr 28, 2009, at 9:15 AM
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