By Amanda Bridgman
WABASH COUNTY, Ind. – Wabash County Board of Commissioners met for the last time of the year Monday, Dec. 17, bidding farewell to longtime Commissioner Scott Givens, and also to Wabash County Sheriff Bob Land.
Givens has been on the board since 2007 and will be replaced by Jeff Dawes. Commissioners Barry Eppley and Brian Haupertpresented Givens with a plaque, thanking him for his service, along with a wooden clock and a map of Wabash County.
The sheriff said he has 94 inmates in the Wabash County jail currently, is holding 43 in Miami County Jail, 10 in Elkhart County jail and one for Department of Corrections. Last week’s inmate average was 93, with 23 new bookings, 26 transports and peak population of 93, including holding 34 Level 6 felonies. Land said he has 73 waiting for some type of court appearance and is pending to send six to DOC this week, for an average between all three facilities equally 145.
Land also told commissioners the new transport van is in, and the insert created for the van is also finished. He will present commissioners with invoices and paperwork as soon as he receives them, he said.
Land thanked the commissioners for all of their work and working together with the Sheriff’s Department and said he expects the new sheriff Ryan Baker will do just as well. Baker was present at the commissioners meeting.
Commissioners also fulfilled obligations to appointments of the following county seats, effective Jan. 2, 2019:
Eric Reichenbach, member of the Wabash Board of Health, ending Dec. 31, 2022
Keith Walters, member of the Wabash Board of Health, effective Jan. 2, 2019 until Dec. 31, 2022
Jeff Dawes, Plan Commission Advisory Board for a term of four years, commencing Jan. 1, 2019
Jon Rosen, Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals for a term of one year, commencing Jan. 1, 2019
Terry Knee, Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals for a term of one year, commencing Jan. 1, 2019
Robert Lundquist, Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals for a term of one year, commencing Jan. 1, 2019.
The next Wabash County Board of Commissioners meets 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in the Wabash County Courthouse.