The Ripley County Commissioners met on Friday, October 5 due to their regular meeting day being on Columbus Day, which is a holiday for county employees.

The public can now access information from Ripley County Planning and the Building Department on the Internet. Just go to the Ripley County website and click on Area Planning. There are commonly asked questions on building codes and a list of permit fees. There is also an application form for Improvement Location/Building Permits, which can be downloaded. The public can now have this form completed and filled out before coming to the office. There is also an example of a site plan.

Courthouse Maintenance Supervisor Johnnie Lohrum said he was closing the courthouse at 4:00 p.m. on Monday to get a water leak in the men’s restroom repaired. Lohrum was also concerned because several trees around the courthouse are dying. The commissioners advised him to get a free expert in to check the trees.

County Clerk Ginger Bradford asked the commissioners to move the Johnson 1, 2, and 3 polling place from the Tyson United Methodist Church to the Masonic Lodge. Bradford said the state gives the county $53.11 for each precinct, which amounts to about $1,400. She would like to use the funds to place more gravel at Elrod, for four new handicapped signs at Morris and Delaware, door knobs at Morris and Stumpke’s Corner and a ramp at Milan. The commissioners approved her requests.

Wayne Peace was called to the meeting regarding the burn ban. There had been some questions about burning at the Versailles State Park. Peace was to meet with Ted Tapp at the park to clarify any issues.
The commissioners approved two rezones, which had come to them from the Ripley County Area Planning Commission with favorable recommendations. The first was 3.92 acres as part of the Industrial Park in Versailles and the other was from Eugene and Elene Gunter, property in Batesville to be used for storage buildings for RVs and boats. The Gunters will now have to go to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a Special Exception.

Tad Brinson, planning director, said they are making a change to the Planning Code with regard to not building an accessory building before a primary building. Now, if the property is ten acres or more, the property owner will be able to build a barn without a house.

Deputy David Pippin of the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office was asked about a Rising Sun Regional Foundation grant. The grant was for 800 mg radios. Pippin explained the grant is for mobile units for each sheriff’s vehicle.

Head paramedic Scott Huffman said that Margaret Mary Community Hospital was only charging $275 for basic EMT classes. That is the lowest in the area. MMCH does that as a way to give back to the community.

All three commissioners were in attendance: Bob Reiners, Chuck Folz and Lawrence Nickell. County Auditor Mary Ann McCoy was present to advise the commissioners. The next meeting of the Ripley County Commissioners will be held on Monday, October 22 at 8:00 a.m. at the Commissioners' Room of the Ripley County Annex.

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