County to lease 3 new sheriff’s vehicles

As car makers already look toward the next model year, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department is looking to cash in on the incentives of buying late in the current model year.

On Monday, PCSD officials presented the Putnam County Commissioners with a lease on three 2018 Ford Explorers from Andy Mohr Ford in Plainfield.

Obtaining financing through First National Bank, PCSD will purchase the new vehicles for $121,194.99 at a 2.19 fixed interest rate.

The incentives of buying new 2018s right now outweigh those of waiting for the 2019s.

The commissioners approved the lease, which still has to go before the Putnam County Council.

The commissioners are also reviewing bids for another big expenditure for PCSD — a new control panel for the air handling system at the Putnam County Jail.

A request for bids on the project returned three — $72,000 from Enviromax, $104,000 from JMI Mechanical Services and $109,000 from Peine Engineering.

While the Enviromax comes in far below the others, the sheriff’s department and commissioners are reviewing the bids to make sure they are apples-to-apples comparisons.

In other business:

• Local resident Ty Sutherlin inquired about the possibility of the county imposing a rock tax.

The idea is that each year, tons and tons of rock are hauled out of Putnam County quarries for use elsewhere.

Sutherlin proposed to the commissioners that when rock is headed out of the county, it be taxed at a low rate and the money captured to fund maintenance of county roads.

Sutherlin compared the concept to an innkeepers tax.

The commissioners took the matter under advisement.

• The commissioners chose Dave O’Mara Contractor for the county’s hot mix asphalt road paving this year.

At the June 4 meeting, the commissioners opened two bids for the 13 miles work, $1,695,937 from O’Mara and $1,825,550 from Wabash Valley Asphalt.

The final number will come in at less that $1.695 million, as County Highway Supervisor Mike Ricketts said one of the roads in question will not be resurfaced until next year.

O’Mara is based in North Vernon but has a plant in Brazil.

• Ricketts also said the highway department will start wedging work that precedes chip and seal projects next week.

Unfortunately, the department is down five drivers, as another recently quit for a better paying job.

“The county has the same issue as everyone else. All the qualified people who want a job, have a job,” Commissioner Rick Woodall told the Banner Graphic.

• The Putnam County Commissioners will meet in special public session at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, June 22 in the Commissioners Room of the Putnam County Courthouse.