By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — Marshall County will begin to develop a disaster recovery plan.
County Auditor Penny Lukenbill requested the Marshall County Commissioners to begin the process of putting together a plan that has been requested by the State Board of Accounts. It would act as a guideline in case some sort of disaster would strike county offices, to insure that all records would remain intact and county government could continue to function.

Marshall County would arrange for an inter-governmental agreement with another county to allow use of its computer systems to download backups to another system set up by Marshall County to continue day-to-day operations.
Emergency Management Agency Director Clyde Avery informed the board that a group of non-profit agencies and churches had begun the creation of a long term recovery group to help those impacted by the winter’s floods in the area. A similar group was formed after the tornado in October.
The group would utilize agencies during the recovery process to help with un-met needs of flood victims, such as automobiles and possible mental health problems caused by the floods.
Avery also mentioned that he and Highway Superintendent Neal Haeck had begun the process of applying for public assistance for reimbursement of costs associated with the floods and cleanup. The county could be eligible for up to 75 percent reimbursement.
Terry Greene of the EMA Advisory Board also asked that the commissioners consider a raise for the position of EMA director as part of the coming budget. Greene said that most EMA directors in surrounding counties make approximately $46,000 a year. Currently, the Marshall County director makes approximately $36,000. Half of the EMA director’s salary is provided by federal funding.
In other business, Marshall County Assessor Debbie Dunning came before the board to ask for additional money for services contracted for from Indiana Assessment Service. Dunning had budgeted for 90 hours worth of services devoted to mostly legal processes involved in tax assessment and hearings resulting from challenges of those assessments.
Increased attention to property taxes have caused her office to be flooded with 380 petitions for a hearing. She estimated that the county needed to contract for a little over 100 more hours of consulting services for the year.
Haeck reported that it was hoped that traffic lanes would be switching on the reconstruction of the South Michigan Street Bridge in Plymouth so that work could begin on the other half of the bridge. Work on the current side was nearly complete and was hoped to be wrapped up by the end of the week.
The new water main for the city of Plymouth was reportedly in place on the bridge and operational.
The town of LaPaz may be annexing a section of property around Thumper Trail. The town had asked that the county bring the road up to standards with a chip and seal of the area. The Commissioners voted to undertake the project with the stipulation that the town then annex the property.