Hylton takes charge
Commissioners change leadership
By Debbie Lowe

Newly elected Carroll County Commissioners President Loren Hylton took the reigns at the first meeting of the year Tuesday morning.

Hylton began the meeting by thanking past commissioners’ president Bill Brown for his three years of leadership. Brown was not present for the meeting.

Hylton also praised county auditor Beth Myers for her contributions to past meetings.

“Please bear with me this year,” he said. “I hope and pray for the best for this county.”

Highway department

County highway supervisor Ramzi Awwad advised the roads in the Delmont Farms subdivision, located west of the intersection of SR18 and US421, were built without successfully passing a proof roll on the base. He said the developers notified the highway department, approximately two weeks ago, they expected the county to induct the roads into the county road system.

Awwad said the options available to the commissioners were to either accept the roads as is or to require a $25,000 two-year bond in case repairs would be needed. Awwad said the roadbase of a 1,000-foot section failed the test on more than one occasion but that overall, the roads were built better than other county roads.

Mears provided a motion to require the developer to post the bond, Hylton gave the second and the measure passed unanimously.

The county uniform road ordinance was tabled to allow Awwad to confer with sheriff Tony Burns.

Choosing an engineer to address the rehabilitation for bridge #36 was delayed until the Jan. 16 meeting. A decision about whether or not to pay county employees, who are volunteer emergency workers, when they are not at their jobs due to their volunteer activities, will also be addressed.

Other business

Developer Greg Jacobs presented updated plans for a project in Jefferson Township and White County. He suggested commissioners consider making the area a tax incremental financing district to help maintain roads in the area.

A contract with the Burlington Volunteer Fire Department to provide emergency medical services to that area, prepared by county attorney Barry Emerson, was approved.

The agreement calls for the county to lease the building for $1/year, pay the utilities, provide interior upkeep of the building and keep an ambulance and appropriate staff on site. Burlington will sign the ambulance title to the county, provide equipment, rescue and extrication services, building insurance and use of the telephone and Internet system.

A request for the commissioners to issue a proclamation concerning Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday received no action. “If we are going to recognize

Dr. King in this way,” Hylton said, “we should recognize all of the great leaders of our country. That we are honoring him with a national holiday seems like enough.”

Clayton Hutson was appointed to the Alcoholic Beverage Board. Krista Watson and Dr. Alvan Eller were appointed to the Carroll County Board of Health, and George Wallace was appointed to the board of zoning appeals.

The Delphi Lions Club will post a sign on the courthouse lawn Jan. 22 through Feb. 3. Habitat for Humanity will have sign on the lawn from Jan. 10 through Feb. 7.

The next meeting will be Jan. 16 at 9 a.m.