By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — Just when and if local governments will be able to start spending federal “stimulus” money is anybody’s guess right now.
While local government agencies spent the spring scrambling to meet the demands of the federal government on applications for infrastructure money, none of that federal money has actually been doled out. Officials hope that the waiting game is worth it and will end soon.

“I’ve heard that INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) will be doing the bid letting in August,” said Marshall County Highway Superin-tendent Neal Haeck. “Just how that’s going to work nobody really knows. We’ve never done this before. I’ve heard that it could be bid out as just normal INDOT projects, or they might do just stimulus projects. Nobody is sure.”
One thing they are sure of is the need for speed in the application process. All paperwork was time dated and money will be awarded and bid out on a first-come, first-served basis.
“When it’ gone it’s gone,” said Haeck, who put in $2.3 million worth of road projects for Marshall County. “We don’t know how much — if any — money we’ll actually get.”
He does feel good about the timeliness of the county application.
“From what I’ve heard people say, we seem to be a little ahead of the crowd as far as that goes,” he said. “You’re not just competing with other counties, you’re competing with everyone — other cities, everybody — for the same money. We feel like we got it in in good shape, but you never know until they start bidding.”
The process was very difficult and time consuming for officials seeking grants. More than 80 miles of Marshall County roadway was eligible for funds.
“I drove every inch of those 80 miles and took more than 1,400 photographs as evidence,” said Haeck of putting together the application. “We’ve never had to do anything quite like this ever before.”
The information and project specifications were then submitted to an engineer for review — Haeck had the help of St. Joseph County Engineer Jessica Clark — and then had to be submitted in official INDOT bid packets that were prepared for the county by the Troyer Group.
If the county can cash out on federal help, a “mill-and-pave” project would be undertaken from the Plymouth city limits to Bourbon on old U.S. 30. Then, 9A Road from the city limits to U.S. 31 would receive the same facelift.
The rest of the projects would be “chip-and-seal” repairs to county highways.
“Hopefully we’ll get in before all the money runs out,” said Haeck.