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Public commenters raise Ash Road closure jurisdiction and library board dispute at Elkhart County meeting
Summary
During public comment the county received a request to close Ash Road for a benefit walk and heard criticism about a Middlebury Public Library statement; county staff clarified which county is responsible for the road.
At the Dec. 9 Elkhart County Commissioners meeting, public commenters asked the board about permitting a temporary closure of Ash Road for a benefit walk and raised concerns about a Middlebury Public Library statement they said contained inaccurate claims.
Ross Galbring, who identified himself as a Concord Township resident, asked the county to close Ash Road from County Road 6 to the Michigan state line on March 1 for a benefit walk. "This is not a noise variation. This is to have Ash Road closed from County Road 6 to the state line on March 1st for a benefit walk," Galbring said.
County staff advised Galbring that Ash Road falls under Saint Joseph County jurisdiction. A county official explained that, "Indiana state statute...each county is responsible in totality for their East County Line Road," and clarified the maintenance and permit responsibilities differ by county; the speaker said Elkhart County maintains and issues permits for its county line roads but that Ash Road is managed by Saint Joseph County.
Pam Kiser of Middlebury addressed the commissioners about a library controversy. She said the Middlebury Public Library board's published statement contained an incorrect factual claim about when challenged books were added to the collection. "The dates that the book was put on the shelves leads you to say that this individual did not have individual integrity?" Kiser said, pressing the board to correct what she described as a misleading statement.
During the exchange that followed, other speakers urged civility and noted that disagreements about library materials can have community effects. One speaker said attacking a librarian personally was inappropriate and urged critics to focus on the books rather than the staff.
Ending: Commissioners took the comments under advisement. No formal county action on the Ash Road or the library matter was recorded in the meeting minutes; staff offered to help the walk applicant contact the appropriate county and suggested the applicant could follow up with county staff.
