A long public comment period at the Dubois County Council meeting focused on the proposed 'Mid States Quarter' roadway project and its potential impacts on the county.

Chris Tinn, who identified himself as a long‑time Jasper resident and a landowner with family farm operations in the route, told the council his research and attendance at local meetings left him concerned about routing, public outreach and local impacts. “My family does own a farm that is affected,” Tinn said, and he described local organizing including groups calling themselves Stop the Mid States Quarter and Property Rights Alliance.

Tinn and several council members and residents raised specific objections: the project would affect roughly 1,500+ acres including productive farmland and more than 100 structures, create new ‘J‑turn’ intersections that could cut the county in two east–west and potentially complicate emergency access, and deliver modest travel‑time savings (he cited one‑to‑three minute benefits to some trips) while imposing significant local fiscal responsibilities. Tinn also noted a Lockheed report and Indot outreach he had reviewed.

Council members voiced a range of concerns. Several said the immediate issue is fiscal — they do not see how county government could absorb the local contribution, especially in a changing legislative environment, and cautioned against raising taxes to meet project costs. Others raised safety and connectivity questions (for some residents, access to hospitals and services could be degraded) and said that the project as currently presented does not justify the tradeoffs.

At least one council member noted that some businesses and sponsors, including entities in Indianapolis and local companies, have publicly expressed support for the project and that the county should keep listening. Multiple speakers urged the council to collect broader public feedback; a councilor noted the county’s comprehensive plan and ongoing public‑feedback channels as avenues for comment.

The council did not take a formal position during the meeting; members said they would continue to gather information, and residents were encouraged to submit feedback through existing planning channels. The matter is expected to return in some form for further discussion as project details and funding commitments evolve.