The Daviess County Commissioners agreed to contribute $5,000 toward an early warning system for the town of Odon, one of the few towns in the area without a storm warning siren.

Commissioner and Washington Township Volunteer Fire Chief Tony Wichman could not attend the meeting Monday as he was busy helping coordinate flood relief efforts in Elnora.

Sue Myers, siren committee co-chair, asked commissioners to contribute the money from the Emergency 911 Fund, which consists of fees from telephone and cell phone usage. The auditor’s office found the E-911 fund contains $199,869.98 and the wireless E-911 fund has $503,227.21.

The total cost of the project is $17,000, and the fund raising committee has raised more than $7,000 in private funds, including $1,000 from Daviess Community Hospital, according to a letter from Myers and her co-chair Dr. Scott Manis.

The system would help protect citizens of the area, stated the letter, including residents of Ketchem Memorial Center, Capehart Manor, Maplewood Apartments, Odon Housing complex and Parkview Assisted Living Center.

Commissioner Jim Truelove worried that Montgomery residents would be upset because they did not receive county money for the siren they recently installed, but Myers said if they wanted county money, they could have asked.

Commissioners approved the $5,000 contribution pending Sheriff Steve Cox’s blessing.

In other business

HIGHWAY

DEPARTMENT

Commissioners opened paving and bridge bids. They accepted all the paving bids they received and will figure which company is cheapest to use depending on where they are paving and transportation costs. Rogers Group bid $67.25 per ton to lay pavement and $56.75 per ton for the county to pick up the asphalt and lay it themselves. Tri-County Paving bid $60.95 per ton to lay asphalt and $48.85 per ton for the county to lay it themselves. Asphalt Materials bid $1.9535 for chip and seal oil.

The commissioners received three bids for Bridge 281 and accepted the lowest bid from E&H; Building and Grating of Bedford for $93,729, provided the bid meets specifications.

Highway Superintendent Larry McLin mentioned that the price for dust control oil would go up Tuesday. He also told commissioners the state has advised him to decrease his budget for 2009 by 1 percent. He said he has already spent as much this year on fuel as he did in all of 2004.

Commissioners approved a request for a stop sign on Cpt. W.J. Nelson Drive at the WestGate @ Crane technology park.

Commissioner Steve Myers said a resident has requested the county close an alley in Epsom to keep the 12-foot grader from going through the eight-foot alley. County Attorney Jeff Hayes will file a petition to close the alley.

Louise Freyberger, who lives near the Portersville Bridge, asked commissioners if she can get some gravel on CR 950S from the extra $200,000 the council appropriated at their last meeting. Truelove said he drove the road Sunday and thought it was in excellent shape, but he would have Highway Department workers keep an eye on it.

Myers commented that with the flooding in Elnora, the county will probably lose some roads in the area.

PARKING LOT

Myers said the lot catty-corner from the courthouse which commissioners purchased recently intending to make it a parking lot is starting to cost more than planned. To follow city code, they will have to get an engineer to draw up plans with proper drainage, which could cost $6,800, he said.

Hayes reminded commissioners they got a good deal when they purchased the property, and they voted to continue with the parking lot project. Hayes is working on getting the property rezoned.

LIGHTHOUSE SEWAGE

County Sanitarian Geoff Stoner said he is still working on fixing sewage problems at the former county home, which Lighthouse is leasing. He said the current plan is to install a mound system with a wetland that the airport and other future development can tie into. The city of Washington won’t allow the county to run sewer lines from the building into the city’s sewer system, he said.

DISTRIBUTION ANNEX

Tim Wright of the Daviess County Health Department told commissioners they needed to agree to a plan to determine how pandemic influenza antiviral medication will be distributed and where it will be stored if needed.

APPOINTMENTS

Commissioners appointed North Daviess school board member Darren Holder to the Daviess County Redevelopment Commission.

They appointed Tanya Shaw to the Community Corrections Advisory Board.

FINANCES

Commissioners read and approved an annual mortgage compliance report from Umbaugh and Associates. Hayes said the rail refinancing to save interest money should be finished in the next three weeks.

Commissioners approved a PERF resolution authorizing Auditor Gail Doades to accept pension liability on behalf of Daviess County.

They also signed an agreement for Community Corrections to receive its yearly state grant.

ELECTRONIC MAP

Commissioners agreed to sell information from the county’s electronic mapping system to Group 1 Software Inc.