The main topic of interest for this March 4, 2015 meeting is File 4 the Darke/Preble Rural Transportation Planning meeting with officials from the MVRPC.  This meeting covers multiple transportation issues but I am going to focus on the bike trail issue.  For many people riding a bike conjures up memories of youth and spending the day carefree, they want that feeling back and to share it with their children.  I have nothing against bike trails and agree they can create some economic opportunity. The Tour De Donut in Arcanum comes to mind for attracting bicyclists, I have had customers who make an annual trip to Iowa for the RAGBRAI and others use the Cardinal Greenway Trail in Wayne County.  In Preble we have had the Buckeye Bridge Bike Ride for a dozen years – I did the website for the first few years of the event. I commented on the U.S. Bicycle Rt. 50 last July on the basis of economic impact or lack of it with the route chosen. I get it.

The issue is that one person’s right to enjoy bicycling should not infringe on another person’s property rights.

It is not uncommon for eminent domain to be used to acquire the land for use as bike paths.  Those that have clicked the links above have seen that many of these “bike events” use roads and not bike paths, that is fine, even preferable.   There have been some reassurances that the Preble Trails Linking Communities effort plans to use rural roads and if that is the case then fine.  Historically that has not been the case and this meeting does not reflect that stance.  If the “Linking” is to be rural roads then the PTLC effort begs the question of why not just let people use a map, their cell phone or a GPS devise?  

Here is an audio clip (just a couple minutes long) taken from this meeting around the 1 hr. 16.75 minute mark that reflects the historic plan to use railroad right-of-way.  Commissioner Robinson asks if they are using existing roadways and is immediately told “railroads”.  This is not a new issue with regard to the MVRPC and Preble County as reflected in the email posted below and obtained years ago by William Yorke III as his family spent time and money on a court battle to obtain back the rail bed on their property.  The railroad sold their right-of-way to DP&L, DP&L sold whatever right they had the Preble County Engineer who has used it for gravel and whatever right he had was eventually transferred to the Preble County Park District.  The reason that at least three families have won court cases is that the right-of-way was only valid as long as there was a railroad. No railroad and the property reverted back to the landowner. A Park District has the right by ORC to “appropriate” when acquiring lands and levy taxes.  Clearly the comments made in this meeting raise the intent of using railroad as there was opportunity given to say existing roadway.

The County and the country have infrastucture needs without taking on the additional expense of building, maintaining, policing and picking up garbage on bike trails. This is a country of roughly 42,000 people and the March 2, 2015 commission meeting shows that Preble County maintains 255.344 miles of county roads.

 

 

Preble County, Ohio

County Commissioners

March 4, 2015

Meeting audio and review

Two Commissioners in attendance

Rodney Creech absent

File 1

I. OPEN MEETING

II. CALL OF ROLL

III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

IV. PRAYER

V. PUBLIC COMMENTS

VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

NOTE RECEIPT OF & CONSIDER APPROVAL BY SIGNING THE JOURNALIZATION & NOTE RECEIPT OF THE CD RECORDATION BOTH AS THE OFFICIAL MINUTES FOR THE MARCH 2, 2015 REGULAR SESSION MEETING

4.03 minutes – 949 KB

File 2

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

A. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RES. #188-15-169

RE: MORAL OBLIGATION – VARIOUS DEPTS.

B. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RES. #189-15-169

RE: TRANSFER OF FUNDS – VARIOUS DEPTS.

C. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RES. #192-15-169

RE: AUTH. PAYMENT – CSEA ($2,744.92)

D. NOTE RECEIPT OF A COURT ORDER FROM JUDGE JENIFER K. OVERMYER

RE: CHECK ISSUANCE – AILEEN ERBACHER ($594.00) – CLINICAL SUPERVISION & JAN SPITLER ($78.00) – URINALYSIS COLLECTION

CORRESPONDENCE & REPORTS

A. NOTE RECEIPT OF AN EXECUTED DIRECTOR’S FINAL FINDINGS & ORDERS FROM THE OHIO E.P.A.

RE: GLENWOOD AREA

AGREEMENTS & CONTRACTS

A. NOTE RECEIPT OF & CONSIDER APPROVAL BY SIGNING AN AMENDMENT

RE: AMENDMENT #3 TO THE PHASE 2B, CONTRACT G, PROJECT NO.001 AGREEMENT W/ KING ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP – INCREASE AMT. $5,498.98 – LANDFILL CONSTRUCTION

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TRAVEL

NOTE RECEIPT OF & CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING TRAVEL REQUESTS:

A. RES. #190-15-169 – KIM THUMA – CSEA Cost not to exceed $20

B. RES. #191-15-169 – LAVON WRIGHT – AUDITOR Cost not to exceed $77

12.5 Minute mark  Commissioner Day – Connie do you have any additional items at this time?

Connie – No

Commissioner Robertson – Cougars vs. Generals basket ball game Saturday – 11:00 a.m..

Commissioner Day has a flight early Saturday. Has a nephew that plays on the team and would have liked to play.

16.5 Minute mark   Senior Center Cafe name change.

Short discussions on various subjects.

RECESS UNTIL 10:00

21 minute mark on cd  

17 minutes – 3.88 MB

File 3

JAMES SIMMONS – 6 YR. DITCH REVIEW OF CABANISS #847 & SWAIN #834 COUNTY MAINTENANCE DITCHES

RE: NOTE RECEIPT OF & CONSIDER APPROVAL BY ADOPTING THE NEW BASES OF ASSESSMENTS FOR CABANISS #847 & SWAIN #834 COUNTY DITCHES AS SUBMITTED BY THE COUNTY ENGINEER, AND FURTHER CONSIDER SETTING MARCH 25TH AT 10:30 A.M. AS THE DATE & TIME FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING

Not reviewed – Listen to the audio

30.5 Minute mark   Brad Kramer also in room.

RECESS

33.25 minute mark on cd  

12.14 minutes – 2.8 MB

File 4

DARKE/PREBLE RURAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Listen to the audio

Multiple transportation issues are covered but I have posted some of the mentions of bike paths as that is an issue of concern to some of my friends. This meeting pertains to the creation of a Rural Transportation Planning Organization. This could include among other County Commission representatives, Economic Development officials, Park District representatives, Chambers and others to be determined. The Preble County Park District has control of the old rail bed in North Preble County and previous moves for a regional bike path have centered on that route.

35 Minute mark   Meeting begins – Brian Martin of MVRPC.

42.5 Minute mark   Mention of Bikeways.

48 Minute mark   Mention of bike maps.

55.5 Minute mark   Commissioner Robertson asks if this fully funded by the state and is told that the planning is but there is mention of 10% local matching funds (5% Preble & 5% Darke or 56% for Darke & 44% Preble based on population).

1 hr.  13.5  Minute mark   12 to 1 return mentioned on investment. Prove it – this return ratio must be a standard threshold figure to sell politicians on spending and raising taxes.

1 hr.  16.75  Minute mark   Someone mentions there Park District has just about their whole county connected by Bike Trails now. A person mentions that the Preble County Park District Director came down for a meeting about this time last year on bike trails.  

1 hr.  17.75  Minute mark   Commissioner Robertson asks if they are using existing roadways and is immediately told "railroads".

1 hr.  18.25  Minute mark   Commissioner Day mentions that Preble is just getting started with a "Land Use Strategic Plan" and this would be one piece of it. He is told we could connect Darke, Preble and Miami and the rest of the region.

1 hr.  36.5 Minute mark    Need for full service truck stops and places to park trucks.

1 hr.  37.5 Minute mark    Want Rt. 127 to be four lane.

1 hr.  39.5 Minute mark    Indiana Rt. 27 and four lanes.

1 hr.  43.5 Minute mark    Need to know by May if Darke & Preble want to move ahead.

1 hr.  49 Minute mark   Funding available for the next five years….

1 hr.  49.75 Minute mark   Commissioner Robertson asks what data is used to determine the 12 to 1 return and is told the member dues vs. grants. Tax dollars vs. tax dollars.

ADJOURN

1 hr.   54.6 minute mark on cd  

1 hr.   21.26 minutes – 18.6 MB