Eagle Scout to Bring New Monument to Courthouse Square

Samuel Osterman gave an update on his Eagle Scout project, addressing previous inquiries regarding his proposed Missing in Action and Prisoners of War monument. Commissioner Blessinger provided some feedback that he has received as well regarding location choice and construction, and the board ultimately decided to approve the addition of the monument to the Courthouse Square. 

Highway Superintendent Steve Berg updated the Commissioners on the progress of the dump truck replacement that was approved by the Country Council. The 4H Fairgrounds is in need of a dump truck, and their needs are not as demanding as that of the Highway Department. The board agreed to pursue the possibility of repurposing the truck for the fairgrounds rather than selling it as part of the new purchase. In an update on mowing season, Berg said keeping up with the weed growth has been a challenge but successful with the addition of their additional part-time mower position. This Wednesday, the department will also be conducting their annual sticker audits at the sanitation sites. Berg said that the turnaround for County Road 750 West will require more area to complete, and property owners have been reluctant to release more property. The department would like to accommodate the wishes of residents, so alternatives are being discussed. 

Houchens Insurance introduced one of their vendor partners, Thrive, which presented their healthcare product to the board. Thrive’s stated mission is to help those with type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, and hypertension to gain better control over those conditions with their diet. It is a scoring system that takes information about an individual and provides a score to use as a guide for mealtimes. Their extensive food database helps to score grocery store items menus for about 800 national chain restaurants, and is designed to make it easier for users to identify how their dietary choices align with their health goals. 

County Highway Engineer Brent Wendholdt gave a brief overview to the Commissioners, addressing a funding gap that will need solutions at a later time. He also discussed some information that he received at a conference this Spring, which evaluated three of the most commonly used road paving products. The asphalt-based product that the county currently uses, which is the second most expensive, was found to perform the worst. The polymer-based product, which is the least expensive, was described as being eco-friendly and performing very well. Quotes were obtained from two vendors of this product, and a sample will be applied to see how it performs on 650 South between State Road 161 and 585 West in the Holland area. If it performs well, this could result in a substantial savings for the county. 

 Commissioner Blessinger introduced a motion to the board regarding the Dogwood Animal Clinic. He said that when the Sheriff’s Department finds a stray animal, they take them to Dogwood where they stay for a few days until they are adoptable. Then the Dubois County Humane Society picks them up to prepare for adoption, and they has pay for additional boarding nights when necessary, as well as flea and tick treatments as needed. Since the Human Society’s funding will no longer cover these charges, the board voted to use county funds to pay Dogwood Animal Clinic directly for flea and tick service and up to ten days of boarding. The Council has agreed to increase the budget item for this expense up to $10,000. 

In other business, resident Debra Utterback voiced a concern regarding a Strassenfest display with images of various stages of pregnancy that she felt was inappropriate in a family atmosphere. In addition, resident Dave Schroeder expressed his view that a product being used on the road, which is a binder coat for the chip and seal surface to adhere to the base, is not drying properly and left the roadway on 820 East almost undrivable. He further recommended to the board that there should be better direct communication with residents who may be impacted by this work. -