Wednesday, September 16th, 2015
Legal action possible
Counties' officials unhappy with slow logjam removal
By Jared Mauch
WAPAKONETA - Officials from Auglaize, Shelby and Allen counties may pursue legal action against a contractor if the Auglaize River log removal project is not completed by Oct. 15.
Rahrig Tree Co., of Forest, started the project in June 2013 and was originally scheduled to finish it in April 2014, Auglaize County Commissioner Doug Spencer said Tuesday.
Inclement weather has delayed the project, Auglaize County engineer Doug Reinhart said this morning. One or two inches of rain can postpone the removal by a couple of weeks due to rapidly moving water. This year's wet spring and summer slowed the project.
The company will receive no further extensions past October, Spencer said after the meeting.
Spencer will draft a letter notifying Rahrig officials that they have until Oct. 15 to complete the removal across the three counties.
Officials from the three counties held an executive session for an hour and 16 minutes Tuesday concerning pending litigation over the project.
Rahrig started the project in June 2013 in Allen County. It had been in the planning stage for about 10 years.
The contract includes legal action county officials may take if the project is not completed by the deadline, Auglaize County prosecuting attorney Edwin Pierce said this morning. He did not elaborate on what action could be taken.
The project is nearly complete, Spencer said.
The project covered 55 miles of the river and seven and a half miles of Two Mile Creek.
About 4.25 miles of the Auglaize River remain to be cleared, Reinhart said. The creek portion of the project is complete.
The company submitted a low bid of $294,000 in 2012 for the project. The project had been estimated to cost $770,000.
Auglaize County property owners along the river paid a minimum fee of $25; costs increased with the size of the property.
