New highway superintendent takes the road
Nov. 23—GREENSBURG — As Decatur County Highway Superintendent Mark Mohr steps away from his post of 27 years for some much deserved rest and recreation, local management veteran Todd Houk has assumed his responsibilities. And he seems up for the challenge.
"I actually ended up in Greensburg back when my dad took a job as the manager of Burger Chef," Houk said.
After graduating from Greensburg Community High School in 1980, he took a job at American Lifts, and then, after buying a car, was laid off. Taking advantage of the family move, he accepted a position working construction in Florida.
"I just couldn't do that, so Dad offered me a position as a night manager in one of his restaurants," he said.
Todd married Vicki Manlief and the young couple moved to Florida to start their family, but with childcare at a premium the new couple (and their two infant children) decided to return to Greensburg and raise their young family near their hometown of Greensburg.
Houk spent time in local industrial production with factories in Greensburg, but because the benefits were good and the work agreed with him he ended up on a bridge crew for the county.
When Mohr was preparing to retire, he asked Houk if he'd interested in the job. Houk asked for a job description and that's where this story begins.
Not much has been mentioned about the work Mohr and Tim Ortman have put into the acquisition of the Community Crossings Grants the county has received since the grant came into existence in 2016. Their efforts have afforded this county road improvements it could never have afforded otherwise.
Launched in 2016, the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program provides funding to cities, towns, and counties across Indiana to make improvements to local roads and bridges.
Community Crossings is a partnership between INDOT and Hoosier communities, both urban and rural, to invest in infrastructure projects that catalyze economic development, create jobs, and strengthen local transportation networks.
Since 2016, the state has awarded more than $1 billion in state funds to support local road and bridge projects throughout Indiana.
Most counties have an engineer hired specifically for the task of writing these grants, and Mohr and Ortman have made that position moot by doing the work of an engineer.
"I don't think that people realize how much they have been doing for so long, and I hope I can continue to navigate my way through those grants with their help," Houk said.
Houk has a good view of what's coming next, and per his view the department is at the end of the Community Crossing grant process for 2022, and in process for Bridge 236 at the Greensburg Junior High School and the vintage blue steel bridge in Burney.
Decatur County has a bridge crew, and this is noteworthy because surrounding counties must hire outside consultants and bridge crews to do something that Decatur County can do much cheaper.
"For the most part, it's phenomenal what Mark and Tim have done and I don't think folks know that," Houk said.
This is just a small part of Houk's responsibilities moving forward. Ortman will remain as assistant superintendent, and Mohr has generously agreed to ease Houk into the position.
This is all well and good. Getting things done and done correctly remains the mission at the Decatur County Highway Department.
"After it's all said and done, we do good work here, and the person at the top of our chain here at the County Highway Department is the taxpayers," Houk said.
The Decatur County Highway Department is located at 781 E. Base Road, and is hiring. Interested applicants are welcome to stop by for an application or with questions.
Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-651-0876 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com
