Big developments are coming in county government. But it may take some time.
That was an assessment after three Bartholomew County commissioners — Larry Kleinhenz, Carl Lienhoop and Rick Flohr — sat down with The Republic to outline the biggest projects coming up for 2019.
For the commissioners, one of the year’s biggest achievements will be the June groundbreaking for the new Bartholomew County Highway Garage on East 25th Street, next to the Clay Township Volunteer Fire Department.
Up to $6 million in bonds will be issued for the garage east of Petersville, which will replace a 66-year-old dilapidated and obsolete facility at State Street and Gladstone Avenue in Columbus.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
But since county officials won’t know the entire cost for the garage until after bids are opened on April 22, the commissioners said they will be approving only low or moderate-priced projects, Kleinhenz said.
About $300,000 in income tax revenue has already been earmarked to fix structural damage at the 22-year-old Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans this summer.
And inside the courthouse, workers will go ahead and install enclosed waiting areas designed to keep defendants and witnesses apart for safety reasons.
However, it appears far more expensive exterior work on the courthouse will be postponed for at least one or two years, Lienhoop said.
“At some point, we are going to have to invest some major dollars back into the courthouse,” Lienhoop said. “When that occurs, it will be a $1 million expense. But it’s really the type of thing you can do today or wait four or five years.”
The county has also decided to postpone the installation of a new $1 million heating and air conditioning system at the jail for at least another year, he said.
But there are big ticket projects that can move ahead this year because they were budgeted last year.
One of the biggest undertakings of 2019 will be the installation of a $1.07 million surveillance system that covers the entire block occupied by the Bartholomew County Jail.
The project includes new audio and visual components, improved intercoms and door locks, Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers said.
But Lienhoop said all the major decisions on this project were made five months ago, when Security Automation Systems of Indianapolis was chosen to upgrade the system.
“The upgrades at the jail are pretty much set in stone,” said Lienhoop.
Until the new security system is operational, the jail staff remains limited in its ability to handle overcrowding or offer new programs, the commissioners said.
That includes the Recovery Enables a Life for Men (REALM) program that will provide comprehensive, evidence-based residential treatment focusing on the substance abuse needs of up to 40 male offenders each year.
It will likely be sometime this summer before all the new security equipment is installed and the training of jail staff is completed, jail commander Maj. John Martoccia told the commissioners last fall.
In addition to the security upgrades, development of a new five-year master plan for the dozen Bartholomew County parks has already begin stirring up some public controversy, Lienhoop said.
In December, master plan developer Ed Curtin suggested that the county park board consider closing two of their park facilities — one on the far east side of Clifford and the other in Elizabethtown, Lienhoop said.
“We’ve received several calls, and the reaction has not been positive,” Lienhoop said. “People are passionate about the parks in their home towns.”
The commissioners acknowledged that recent social media postings show strong resentment against local governments hiring consultants.
When the county hires consultants such as DLZ Indiana Inc., they are following state regulations requiring local governments to have construction documents prepared by professional architects or engineers, county attorney Grant Tucker said.
Kleinhenz said many complaints have been about city-hired consultants hired as freelance thinkers who issue “fuzzy, warm reports that sit on a shelf for years,” he said.
Tucker said Curtin’s five-year master plan for the parks may have also stirred up negative feelings about county consultants, his plan isn’t costing taxpayers anything, Tucker said.
Instead, Curtin is being paid through a grant issued by the Heritage Fund — the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County.
This year is also when the commissioners are hoping to hire an parks administrator. However, Lienhoop said he doesn’t expect any park-related decisions to be made until budget discussions begin late this summer.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”County budgeted expenses” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Projects listed below remain in the Bartholomew County commissioner’s 2019 budget.
The projects, as well as their initial estimated costs, include:
- Highway Facility Debt Service ($600,000)
- Veteran’s Memorial repairs ($300,000)
- Improvements other than buildings ($300,000)
- Contribution to the State Road 46 overpass project ($250,000)
- Road improvements on Georgetown Road, Baker Holler Road and Hartman Drive ($200,000)
- Machinery and equipment ($90,000)
- Courthouse Roof Analysis ($50,000)
- Two seats with the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp. ($15,000)
[sc:pullout-text-end]
