County to look into water resources for future development

If all goes as planned, within three years, Morgan County will have accurate information about the amount of water flowing under it.

During its meeting Monday, Oct. 17, the Morgan County Board of Commissioners approved a contact with Texas-based Intera, Inc., an environmental and water resource consulting firm, to conduct a 3-year study on the water supply under the county.

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Commissioner Bryan Collier said it is important to know how much water is available underground and where it is currently being used.

Collier said there are places around the nation where life has been disrupted due to a shortage of water. He said there are places where development has been slowed or stopped due to the shortage.

For Morgan County, Collier said, neighboring counties have come in to tap into the county's water supply

Collier added the county needs to know how much water there is under it and where it is going.

Failure to find out answers could impact future development plans.

Per the contract, the cost will not exceed $1.257 million. The money will come from the funds the county received from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Grant requested for Martinsville Youth Center

The commissioners approved applying for a $500,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs for the Martinsville Youth Center. Before filing for the grant, several reports had to be completed.

One report was the Four Factor Analysis for Limited English Proficiency Persons. The results of that report would determine if the county must establish a program for people who have limited English proficiency (LEP)

The results showed that out of the 53,290 county residents who are over 18 years of age, 34 speak another language.

The threshold for requiring LEP compliance is at least 5 percent of the population or more than 1,000 people. Because of those results, the county will not be required to develop a language access plan.

The county will continue to find translators when needed.

If the youth center does receive the funds, they will go to update the building on Morton Avenue.

Rezone requests

Following objections of several residents, the commissioners voted to deny a rezoning request for Terry Johnson and Randall Adkins for property on North Kitchen Road in Madison Township.

The commissioners did approve a rezoning request for Scott and dawn Phillips and Vernon and Donald Swigert for property located on East Watson Road in Madison Township.

Other business

The commissioners approved a contract with Baker Tilly financial advisors for assistance on the bond process that will be used for county construction projects.

The board also approved a contract with Banning Engineering for GIS support work for the county.

Only two bids were received for snow removal by private companies in the county. They were taken under advisement and will be discussed at the November meeting.

The board also approved its 2023 meeting schedule.

The next scheduled meeting of the Morgan County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 7, at the Morgan County Administration Building, 180 S. Main St., Martinsville.

Redevelopment Commission

The Morgan County Redevelopment Commission held a short meeting on Monday, Oct. 17, to pay bills and update members on several ongoing projects.

The public meeting began around 15 minutes late due to the commission's executive meeting.

RDC consultant Chelsey Manns said updates to the Waverly Sanitary Sewer Plant are progressing, and there would be an update at the next meeting.

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RDC attorney Dakota VanLeeuwen gave the board an updated offer sheet for property located in Madison Township. Several years ago, the commission purchased the property with the thought it would be used at a later date for a sanitation plant. Now the plant is built and operational, the commission is planning to sell the unused section of the land.

Manns told commission members she is still working on updating the county's Tax Increment Financing map.

The next scheduled meeting of the Morgan County Redevelopment Commission is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 14, at the Morgan County Administration Building, 180 S. Main St., Martinsville.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Morgan County to look into water resources for future development