By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — The Darke County Commissioners met Monday to discuss mortgages, padded jail cells, and legal advertisement. Commissioners Matt Aultman, Mike Stegall, and Larry Holmes were present.

The commissioners discussed and approved a subordination of mortgage for George Messer. As of September 2004, the commissioners have been the owner and holder of the mortgage for the mortgager, Messer.

“When we rehab a house, we take the mortgage out on a property, and we’re the subordinate mortgage holder,” Aultman said. “Whenever we get down to the end of it, we pay X amount of dollars when they pay off their subordinate mortgage to us.”

After everything is paid out and costs are crunched, the commissioners then pay off the remaining cost to the bank itself. When the mortgage was taken in 2004, the mortgage was $24,545. Today, the commissioners have agreed to pay the remaining balance of $3,681.75.

By paying the balance, the commissioners will be able to take themselves off as the mortgage holders to the individual.

“I’m just glad to get this done for Mr. Messer,” Stegall said.

The commissioners approved the acceptance of a recommendation and contract for padded jail cells at the Sheriff’s Office Jail. There were three companies considered for bids: Marathon Engineering Corp., Padded Surfaces by B&E, and Sport System. The Sheriff’s Office received two of the quotes, but did not obtain one from Sport System.

The commissioners approved and accepted the recommendation from the sheriff to accept the quote from the lowest bidder, Marathon Engineering, for $46,573 instead of Padded Surfaces by B&E for $83,250. Holmes did question if enough research was done to ensure the significantly lower quote will cover all the amenities needed for the project.

“The notes the sheriff put on here was that Brown County Jail recently used this vendor for their padded jail cells. They visited the facility to see first hand the quality of the products,” Aultman said.

The commissioners also approved the contract and transfer the proper amount of $46,573 into the contract services account to ensure the assets are in the proper place.

The commissioners approved the legal advertisement for a hearing to be Thursday, April, 14 at 1:30 p.m. for the Weitzell Group Ditch Improvements. Landowners will be notified via mail, and the hearing will be advertised in at least one newspaper as well.

“This is ongoing maintenance beyond the point of getting the ditch up to specs for our ditch department to accept it,” Aultman said. “This is just the formal hearing under the new state rules which gives us the power to access a ditch without having to do all the extra stuff if all the landowners are agreeable.”

Stegall added it simplifies the process. A formal advertisement will be posted and letters will be sent out at a later date.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].