County surveyor discusses drainage issues, possible fixes for Martinsville-area ditch
Morgan County Surveyor Terry Brock told members of the county drainage board he had met with representatives from the Indiana Department of Transportation to discuss problems with the Hilldale Cemetery Ditch.
That ditch is on the south side of Martinsville and, in the past, had been used to drain stormwater from farm fields.
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Over the years, stormwater from development has been drained into the ditch.
With the construction of Artesian Avenue by the state, the ditch is no longer moving water as it was intended.
The road has expanded the area considered flood plain into a subdivision.
Brock said the estimated cost of fixing the ditch is around $1.5 million. He said the state is working to find funding for the project.
Brock said the county had asked for quotes to do ditch spraying this year.
Only one company, Hoss Spray Solutions, gave the county a quote.
That quote was for spraying for six ditches in the county.
The company quoted a cost of 18 cents per foot per ditch.
The spraying is to be done on both sides of the ditch.
Lake Ditch has 127,000 feet of ditch that will be sprayed at a cost of $22,860, while Sartor Ditch has 27,690 feet of ditch which will cost around $5,000.
Other costs are Nutter Ditch, around $4,000; Bayliss Ditch, $3,384; Hilldale Cemetery Ditch, $2,628 and Sedwick Ditch, $688.
The company will have to follow the county's requirements in spraying.
Brock said around 50 to 60 people took part in the White River Cleanup event.
He said they were at three locations, Three Rivers, Henderson Ford Public Access site and the Paragon Public Access Site where cleaning took place.
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Brock said they nearly filled a 15-yard dumpster of trash and a trailer full of tires was sent to be disposed of. He considered the event a success.
The board gave approval for the City of Martinsville to run a water and sewer line under Hilldale Cemetery Ditch. The new lines are intended to help develop a new subdivision in the area. The lines must be a minimum of five feet below the bottom of the ditch.
The next meeting of the Morgan County Drainage Board is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Monday, June 6 at the Morgan County Administration Building.
County Commissioners
The Morgan County Board of Commissioners tabled several agenda items during its meeting Monday morning.
A request to loan county property to the Morgan County History Museum was tabled to allow more time to determine what items would be involved.
A lease agreement from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for a boat ramp near the Old Town Waverly Park was tabled until the agreement can be reviewed.
A review of fees charged at county parks was tabled until a later date,
A request to appoint a new member for the Morgan County Rural Water board was tabled.
The commissioners tabled a bulk user agreement for private companies to access county records until it could be reviewed by Morgan County Attorney Jim Wisco.
The commissioners tabled a discussion on amending the ordinance concerning the county's emergency management agency.
The commissioners did approve allowing the county health department to apply for a $1,000 grant from the state.
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They approved a $16 million bond ordinance that will allow the county to do several public works projects.
The commissioners approved allowing the highway department to advertise for the Waverly Road paving project.
Finally, the commissioners gave approval for a Morgantown business to hold a job fair/downtown event this Saturday on the Morgan County Courthouse Square..
The next meeting of the Morgan County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 16, at the Morgan County Administration Building, 180 S. Main St., Martinsville.
Solid Waste
If all goes as planned, Martinville may soon have a second location to take recycling materials.
During its meeting Monday morning, Morgan County Solid Waste Director Erick Kivett told solid waste board members he has met with school officials who are favorable to placing recycling bins on school property.
He is hopeful later this year to have the location begin construction of the site.
Kivett proposed a plan to update the existing site at the county jail.
He feels adding a new fence to help screen the site and the addition of an additional space to drop off containers would be a help.
Currently, new containers are dropped off at the city transfer station.
Then the company comes to the recycle site, picks up a full container, then takes it back to the transfer station.
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The company then picks up the empty container and takes it to the recycling site.
After dropping it off, they return to the transfer station at picks up the full container.
Kivett said it can take time to switch out all four containers.
He said with the addition of a pad, the empty container can be dropped off at the recycling site and a full trailer picked up.
Kivett said the next county Tox-Away day is set for June 25 at Mooresville High School.
Kivett said the need for the county to put in place a plan for the recycling of old computer equipment is growing.
The next meeting of the Morgan County Solid Waste Board is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Monday, July 5.
This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Morgan County Surveyor Terry Brack talks drainage issues
