Commissioners call for do-over on wage hearing

The Harrison County Board of Commissioners, at the request of legal counsel Chris Byrd, unanimously agreed Monday morning to rescind its vote on the wage board hearing at its previous meeting (Sept. 15) and start the process again at its next regularly scheduled meeting (Oct. 22).
The wage board hearing concerns the work for the construction of the Harrison County Highway Garage and facilities.
Highway garage bids were collected for Monday’s meeting but will be distributed back to the bidders, unopened, since the wage process will now be restarted.
Representatives from Associated Builders and Contractors were not present at the last wage hearing and, fearing a lawsuit as a result of the hearing, the board decided to rescind the previous vote.
The delay will set construction time back a few weeks on the project, which will be built on an 18-1/2-acre parcel located on the northeast corner of S.R. 135 and Shiloh Road and the west side of Old S.R. 135 between Shiloh and Heidelberg roads.
The county’s goal was to have a salt dome or building constructed by the end of the year.
The county plans to model the garage after those in Perry County and Huntingburg.
In other business, Harrison County Advisory Plan Commission member Lance Dunbar approached the board to see if it would support an ordinance to give structure to confined animal feeding operations in the county.
A CAFO is defined as the raising of animals for food, fur or recreation in lots, pens, ponds, sheds or buildings where animals are confined, fed and maintained for at least 45 days during any year and where there is no ground cover or vegetation present over at least half of the animals’ confinement area.
Dunbar said he wants to protect residents and farmers.
He said, as of now, there’s no regulations regarding CAFOs in Harrison County.
‘We just don’t think that makes good sense,’ he said.
Dunbar suggested creating a new zone for heavy agriculture with restrictions on how close such a facility could be placed to a residential home and property, among other minimum standards and regulations.
Dunbar said he’d like to see a committee formed to look into the matter and suggested he be on it, as well as someone from the Day family, who operates a large hog operation in the southern part of the county.
The board advised Dunbar to return to the commissioners’ next meeting, Monday, Oct. 20, after the board has a chance to look at the presented document.
In the engineer’s report section of the meeting, the board approved a 30-mph speed limit for Corydon Junction Road between Lost Creek Road and Old S.R. 64; a four-way stop for Gleitz-Blank Road and Woody Lane (currently a two-way stop on Woody Lane); a three-way stop on Lotticks Corner Road and Seven Springs Road; and a bid from E & B Paving for $70,270 for the resurfacing of Coen Tush Road between Nadorff and East Bradford roads.