By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
BREMEN — Some residents of Lake of the Woods in Bremen came before the Marshall County Commissioners hoping to pay more taxes.
A group of residents from the Pleasant Point Beach area of the lake asked the commissioners to have several neighborhood easements deeded to the residents and therefore added to the county property tax roll. The property has been maintained over the years by the residents who want to now have control over the area.

William Harner and Lowell Michaels spoke to the commissioners, asking that the easement property be deeded to the residents of the area, who would then take over the taxes on the property as well as maintaining control there.
The residents were willing to take over the taxes in order to maintain control over the area, making sure that all residents have lake access at the site.
Another interested resident — Joseph Toth — was present at the meeting hoping to do the same with easement property in his area of Lake of the Woods.
Toth told the commissioners that police are constantly called to the easement property on the lake near his home for late-night parties and many boats are docked in the area that do not belong to anyone who resides there.
Homeowners near his residence are watching the decision of the commissioners to see if they could do the same to gain control of the property near them, he said.
Action was tabled for more research on the issue — specifically the question of who exactly owns the easement property.
If the property is owned by Marshall County, then by state of Indiana statute a very specific series of events must take place before the property can be turned over to the residents. In that case, the property would have to be appraised and then sold according to that statute.
In other business:
• The grant application process continues in the hopes of bringing the metronet — fiber optic computer connection — to the county. The Michiana Area Council of Governments and the Marshall County Commissioners continue to work on a grant for around $5.8 million to lay the conduit for the fiber optics.
The 33-page grant application document is due Aug. 12.
• Recent legislation on golf carts will be enforced by the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, but in an attempt to educate first.
Sheriff Jon VanVactor said his officers would issue warnings for first offenders to try to spread the word that driving golf carts on Marshall County roads is no longer legal by state statute.
The legislation was enacted by state assembly and allowed cities to override it with their own legislation.
Counties, however, are unable to enact any ordinance to allow golf cart use by state statute.
“I guarantee you this wasn’t my idea,” said VanVactor of the legislation.