By David Fenker
david@nmpaper.com
WABASH COUNTY, Ind. – The Wabash County Sheriff’s department is looking to purchase two new Ford Explorers for its new K9 units.
Sheriff Bob Land presented the county commissioners with a request to purchase the vehicles from City Ford in Columbia City at their Monday, Feb. 20 meeting.
“I think we have decided that, with our K9 program… we’re going to work on getting SUVs as K9 patrol cars. We will probably not be purchasing a regular patrol car this year,” Land said.
“So, my request is to go ahead and order two Ford Explorer SUVs at a price of $26,134.25 apiece. That is the base price; that does not include equipment. After we get equipment in there, it’ll be somewhere around $33-34,000.”
He noted that one K9 unit began working Feb. 20, and that the other is expected to start in March.
“I think it’s a good idea. We’ve had an easy winter this year, but there are a lot of times when you could use a four-wheel drive vehicle. We’ve had that problem,” Chairman Scott Givens said.
Once the two new vehicles are equipped, Land said the Sheriff’s Department will sell three of its current vehicles, one Jeep and two patrol cars. Givens asked that Land look into trade-in values in addition to planning on selling the vehicles.
In other news, the commissioners passed an ordinance to prohibit commercial vehicles from driving on certain county roads in response to anticipated detours on State Road 15 due to construction planned by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
The ordinance prohibits commercial motor vehicles from driving on:
– 400 West between SR 15 and 300 North
– 300 North between SR 15 and 400 West
– 200 North between SR 15 and 400 West
– Old SR 15 between its intersection with SR 15 north of 200 North and its intersection with SR 15 south of 300 North.
Defined by Indiana Code 9-13-2-31, the term “commercial motor vehicle” refers to motor vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of at least 26,001 pounds, including a trailer or towed unit with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds; is designed to transport 16 or more passengers; or is of any size and used to transport hazardous materials, as defined by the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act.
In other news, County Attorney Steve Downs presented a memorandum regarding the use of the Roann Covered Bridge by Indiana Landmarks for the Historic Preservation Conference, which was approved by the commissioners. County Coordinator Jim Dils presented two agreements regarding the use of the covered bridge for weddings, which were also approved.
Land delivered the weekly jail report, informing the commissioners that there are 80 inmates being held in the Wabash County Jail, with 51 being held in Miami County and six in Elkhart County.