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Middagh resigns from county board seat  Share
The resignation of Jesse ''Jake'' Middagh from the Lawrence County Board was announced at the board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16. In a letter of resignation, read by board member Kerry Emmons, Middagh stated that service on the board ''demands more of my time and effort than I wish to give.'' Board Chairman Charlie Gillespie commended Middagh for his service throughout the past nine months, saying ''I always appreciated his attitude.'' The Republican Precinct Committee will be consulted for a new selection to represent District 3 which will be announced at the October 21 meeting. Gillespie said that he would take Middagh's place on the Lawrence County Emergency Management Agency committee. Gillespie appointed Ryan Curtis to serve on the county board finance committee, a post held by Middagh. An E-911 ordinance was amended by the board to designate that numerals and letters be posted on buildings for proper addressing identification. Three-inch reflective white letters should be placed on the following backgrounds according to specific areas such as: Lawrenceville - red, Bridgeport - blue, Denison Township - orange, and Christy Township - green. While the attention of the Board has been focused on the budget lately, Chairman Gillespie took note of Charlie Klein's suggestions to consider zoning in the aftermath of the June 2008 flood and the rescission of the county's involvement in the National Flood Insurance Program. ''It is a no-win situation,'' Klein said. However, he suggested that citizens could benefit from zoning in the flood plain to prevent or protect new construction in the event of another flood. He stressed that citizens needed to ''take responsibility'' for their property.To take another step further in attracting businesses to the area, the board approved a collective group of four ordinances associated with extension of the Enterprise Zone for an additional ten years. Tax abatement is among the benefits to encourage the establishment of new businesses in the area. The extension of U.S. Route 50 into a four-lane expressway is a project that Gillespie and other Lawrence Countians are pursuing in hopes of an economic boost for the county. Last week, Gillespie, along with Ann Emken, Industrial Development Council/ U of I Executive Director; Joe Weger, Democratic party president, and Roger Kull, representing the Chamber of Commerce, attended a meeting in Flora for an update on the progress of the coalition.
In other business, the board: - appointed the following: Chuck Daugherty to the Lawrence Consolidated Drainage District; Nicholas Benson to a three-year term on the Russell-Allison Ambraw Drainage District; Jim Mahrenholtz to the Allison Mutual Drainage District, and Brett Parker to the Birds Drainage District. - approved a resolution to obtain the property at 806 Washington St., Lawrenceville, for delinquent taxes. - approved a resolution for the $90,525 salary of county engineer Dick Trowbridge. Portions of the amount are paid through the state motor/fuel tax fund and the county transportation fund. The next meeting of the County Board will be at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 21. Barbara E. Allender is editor of the Bridgeport Leader.
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