Cass County commissioners adopt speed-limit ordinance, approve clean-up contract and engineering addendum; vehicle-abandonment ordinance tabled

The Cass County Commissioners took several procedural and contract votes at their Sept. 15 meeting, adopting a local speed-limit ordinance, tabling an ordinance on abandoned and operable vehicles for public review, approving a hazardous-property clean-up contract, and approving an engineering agreement addendum for right-of-way work on a bridge project.

Speed limit ordinance adopted Jeff Smith, speaking for the county, described traffic concerns on an L-shaped road near Galveston constituted by two road segments — 1150 South from U.S. 35 to 950 East, and 950 East from 1150 South back to U.S. 35. He said the segment is an unposted residential area where the posted default speed would be 55 mph and that county staff used earlier speed-study data to recommend a 35 mph limit. The commission voted to adopt Ordinance 2025-10 establishing the 35 mph limit on the described segment.

Vehicle-abandonment ordinance tabled The commission discussed Ordinance 2025-11, a multi-page draft setting rules and procedures for abandoned and operable vehicles on public and private property, defining “abandoned” and “operable,” and outlining notice, ticketing and towing procedures to be enforced by the planning department and the sheriff’s office. Because the ordinance is lengthy and staff and commissioners wanted the public to review it, a motion to table Ordinance 2025-11 passed; commissioners asked that the draft be posted for public review and that comments be sent to county officials.

Property clean-up contract approved The commission approved a contract with Williams Excavating for property clean-up at 2210 South Capitol Street and 2220 South 20th Street in Logansport. The contract was described as removal of concrete piles, vehicle frames, construction debris, trailers, trash and tires; it expressly excludes demolition of buildings. The work will be paid from the county’s unsafe-property fund for $8,500.

Engineering agreement addendum approved County staff described an addendum to an existing design agreement with Crossroad Engineers for a new bridge on Southeast River Road. Upon reviewing the right-of-way the county determined additional acquisition services are needed; the addendum would include up to $414,565 for right-of-way acquisition services. Meeting discussion also referenced an additional $7,760 to the contract budget and a figure read as $22,003.25; the meeting record did not make clear how those amounts relate to the $414,565 figure. The commission voted to approve the addendum and the added contract scope.

Aim High Park funding: authorization to request county allocation Economic development staff described progress on Aim High Park and said invoices have consumed project contingency and township funds, creating a shortfall. Christie (economic development) asked for permission to go to the council to request allocation of roughly $300,000 to complete the project; the commission authorized her to approach the council to seek the funds.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 2025-10 (speed limit posting on an L-shaped segment near Galveston): adopted (voice vote). - Ordinance 2025-11 (abandoned/operable vehicles): tabled for public review. - Williams Excavating contract (clean-up at 2210 S. Capitol St. and 2220 S. 20th St., Logansport): approved; amount $8,500; fund: unsafe-property fund. - Crossroad Engineers addendum (right-of-way acquisition services for Southeast River Road bridge): approved; addendum includes up to $414,565 for right-of-way services; additional budget references were discussed but not fully clarified in the meeting record. - Authorization for Christie to request up to about $300,000 from the council for Aim High Park shortfall: approved.

Many motions were passed by voice vote; detailed individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the public transcript.