MOUNT VERNON — Thursday morning the Knox County Board of Commissioners met with representatives of the Knox County Engineer’s Office and had a meeting regarding the parking lot near the baseball field of the Howard Youth League.

Chris Horton and Larry Bechtel of the engineer’s office had three items to present to the commissioners, the first of which was the construction of a fence around the county engineer’s department building on Columbus Road. Having a fence around the property, said Horton, would reduce vandalism and the liability of the county if a trespasser was to injure themselves.

Horton and Bechtel brought three estimates to the meeting, and each estimate included projected costs for an 8-foot high fence, as well as a 6-foot high fence with three strands of barbed wire along the top. The estimates ranged from approximately $32,000 to $66,000, depending on various options. A third option was also proposed during the course of the meeting, which would be an 8-foot fence, and also three strands of barbed wire at the top of the fence at the back of the property, in order for the fence to be more aesthetically pleasing to a viewer from the front.

Commissioner Allen Stockberger put forth the option of funding 50 percent of the cost of the project as a gesture of goodwill toward the engineering office. Commissioners Tom McLarnan and Bob Wise agreed with him in this regard.

Bechtel then presented the second item on his agenda, which was a letter from County Engineer Jim Henry, requesting the Board of Commissioners to declare an emergency in order to begin repairs on county roads without accepting bids. The commissioners said they would have to check with the prosecutor first, but said that they would work with the engineer’s office on the matter. Bechtel said if an emergency was declared, work on the roads would begin next week. Roads that would be covered with asphalt in their entirety include Jelloway Road, Valley Ridge Drive, Apple Valley Road, North Ridge Heights Road, Lock Road, Bloomfield Road and Sparta Road. Many additional county roads are also on track to be repaired in certain spots.

The last item that was discussed in the meeting was the possibility of a new building for the engineer’s office. Bechtel said that previously he and the commissioners had discussed the possibility of a new office building. Wise said that this was an issue that he’d like to address before his term in office expired. Stockberger said that the plans that were suggested in the past weren’t as practical for the needs of the office. The issue wasn’t addressed further, with Bechtel asking the commissioners to think about a time frame for proceeding with the project in the future.

In the commissioner’s second meeting of the morning, the parking lot for the Howard Youth League was the item discussed. Jim Friel and Kyle Johnson represented the Howard Youth League, and Kim Marshall, director of the Knox County Park District, was also present.

Friel and Johnson approached the commissioners after securing donated catch basins and labor, and requested approximately $10,500 to purchase gravel to improve the parking lot. Johnson, the treasurer of the Howard Youth League, said that the league would pay for the fuel costs of the construction process.

The estimate of $10,500 for gravel was quoted from United Aggregate, and Stockberger asked if the youth league could approach Small’s Sand and Gravel for perhaps a lower estimate. Friel and Johnson agreed to do so and then to meet with the commissioners at a later date.

In the afternoon, the commissioners participated in a DKMM Solid Waste District Policy Committee meeting. The topic concerned the part-time drop off sites for recyclables in the county. Linda Montgomery, recycling coordinator, presented information about the drop off locations in Berlin, Brown, Harrison, Liberty, Miller, Monroe and Pike townships.

Keith Bailey, district director for DKMM, then asked for recommendations from all those present. McLarnan suggested having a recycling trailer in Berlin and Brown every third and fourth weekend, respectively, each month. Wise then suggested altering the landscaping at the Monroe Township House so that the recycling trailer was more easily accessible from both sides. The three commissioners had to leave the meeting early because of another commitment.