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Commissioners approve surveying for jail property swap; landfill parcel excluded
Summary
The Owen County commissioners authorized Tri County Survey to survey roughly 96 acres proposed in a property swap related to a jail project and directed staking of a 9.5‑acre portion of a quarry property. Owners of the quarry told the board they do not want the landfill parcel included in the swap.
The Owen County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize surveying related to a proposed property swap tied to a jail project. The board approved hiring Tri County Survey to survey approximately 96 acres and asked David Meyer to pin and stake about 9.5 acres of an adjacent quarry parcel.
County staff and commissioners said a small portion of the 96‑acre parcel includes a landfill of roughly 6.7 acres; quarry owners Michael O'Neil and Brett Franklin told the board they do not want to accept the landfill parcel as part of any swap. Commissioners said the final resolution would reflect an acreage adjustment (reducing the traded acreage to approximately 89 acres once the landfill and buffer were excluded) and noted a planned 50‑foot buffer around the landfill to allow safe access by county staff and surveyors.
The board also instructed the county attorney to draft a resolution formalizing the swap language and the adjusted acreage to be exchanged. Commissioners discussed the long history of the jail project and said survey work and formal resolution are steps needed to move the project forward.
Why this matters: The surveying and resolution are steps toward completing a multi‑year jail site project and involve private landowners and an environmentally sensitive landfill parcel. Excluding the landfill from the swap reduces owner objections but also changes the acreage available for the swap.
What’s next: County attorney to prepare a resolution reflecting the surveyed acreage and landfill exclusion; survey work to proceed under the Tri County Survey quote of about $3,500 for the 96‑acre survey.
