County donates properties to housing organizations

Bridges for Life and Good News Habitat for Humanity will receive property donations from Wayne County’s commissioners.

During their April 10 meeting, commissioners unanimously voted to give each organization two properties that were slated for the deed sale. Bridges for Life prioritized — and will receive — properties on Crosshall and Butler streets, while Habitat for Humanity will receive properties on Sheridan and Hunt streets.

Commissioners recently heard a Bridges for Life presentation about its forming Building Together program. That will provide housing and employment to individuals struggling to secure both, while teaching marketable construction trade skills.

The two properties would be the first renovated by the program’s initial participants.

Habitat for Humanity builds and renovates homes and turns over ownership to individuals and families needing decent, affordable housing.

Commissioners also voted to pull a North 15th Street property out of the deed sale for Richmond Housing Authority. The property could be used as part of a Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program housing project.

The decisions left 18 properties in the deed sale, which will be 10 a.m. April 25 in the Wayne County Administration Building’s chambers.

Other actions

• B&T Construction of Liberty was awarded the bid to replace the horse barn’s roof at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. Commissioners approved $61,000 for the project, which includes the $55,429.87 bid and a 10% contingency.
• The county will donate a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicle to Milton’s police department. The former K-9 vehicle has more than 118,000 miles and was taken out of service by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
• The county will put a 40 miles per hour speed limit on Fountain City Pike east of Fountain City. The 40 mph limit will be between Boundary Road and the 30 mph limit at the town limits.
• Commissioners approved adding the county’s long distance telephone service to its Frontier service for $135 a month. That makes the monthly telephone cost $2,322.52. Changes to the Lumen long distance service made Frontier the cheaper choice.