by Olivia P. Tucker
Times Reporter
The Scott County Council turned down a county commissioner approved request for federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to purchase equipment for the Scott County Highway Department at their special meeting on Tuesday, May 30.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 allocated $1.9 trillion to speed up the country’s recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highway Department Superintendent Kevin Hall said that the Board of Commissioners approved new road preservation equipment, which included a chip and seal with a roller that would allow for the maintenance of the roads of Scott County. The commissioners also approved an update of mowing equipment for the roads of Scott County.
Chip seal is a process that sprays paved county roads with an asphalt sealing oil followed by a fine gravel coating. The Indiana Department of Transportation uses the process to prolong the useful life of state highways.
“We are trying to be proactive instead of reactive,” said Hall, he said that he is trying to think ahead for the next 10 to 20 years for the issues that need to be resolved by the highway department.
Council President Lyndi Hughbanks said that the highway department was asking to appropriate additional funding of $42,000 from ARPA to purchase the chip and seal equipment.
Council member John Miller asked Hall about the concerns with the new equipment and the highway department not having the employment to support the equipment.
“I don’t think we have a choice but to go in this direction,” said Hall, “for me it’s almost a must for the county to stretch what (paved roads) they have to last longer.”
The mowing equipment that was requested to be purchased was to appropriate $224,920 from the ARPA funding, said Hughbanks.
Council member JR Ward said, “I think you guys have a need for some mowing equipment, but a prior commitment to this board that I have agreed on not spending the ARPA fund until we have an agreement with the judges that’s been pending since 2017.”
The Council voted 2 to 3 against the chip and seal with Jonathan White, John Collins, and Eric Gillespie voting no and 2 to 4 against the mowing equipment with White, Collins, Gillespie and Ward voting no. Councilwoman Diane Mullins was not physically present at the meeting.
Hall asked White, Collins and Gillespie, “Are you guys “no” on chip and seal or are you “no” on money from ARPA going into chip and seal?”
“I’m not against the chip and seal,” said Collins, “I am against the amount of funding needed to spend on the equipment.”
Ward said he wasn’t opposed to purchasing equipment but the Highway Department would have to look into where the funding would come from to get the equipment.
The Council did approve $34,960 for a side mower for the current equipment that the highway department uses to mow with a 4-2 vote with White and Gillespie opposed.