County seeks flood relief

By ADAM COATES

Assistant Editor

The Putnam County Highway Department is hoping to recover some of the cost of dealing with flooding earlier this year.

Heavy rains in June caused high water that washed out culverts and roadways across the county.

On Monday night, Supt. Dave Sutherlin presented the Putnam County Board of Commissioners with a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) seeking partial reimbursement.

Sutherlin said that if approved, Putnam County could get back 75 percent of the cost associated with responding to the June floods.

The county submitted costs of about $511,000 and if approved, could possibly get reimbursed for about $443,000. It could take several months before FEMA makes its decision.

In other business, the commissioners:

-- Approved a single-lot subdivision for Doug Stewart, located on the south side of S.R. 236 a couple of miles east of U.S. 231

-- Approved an ordinance passed down from the county plan commission in September to vacate several rights-of-way in Fincastle. Gene Beck explained that there were a number of old easements and rights-of-way between properties in the northern Putnam County town and that the owners are seeking to have the county vacate them. Ownership of the rights-of-way will be split between the properties located on either side.

-- Learned that work to replace the Putnam County Courthouse roof are ongoing. County planning director Kim Hyten said that by the time the project is completed, there will be 14,000 to 15,000 pounds of copper that will be removed. The county is hoping to make money off the old copper.