Farmer claims county roadwork damaged his property

Bart Meyer appeared before the Dubois County Commissioners near the end of Monday’s meeting to discuss road work that had impacted his property.

Meyer told commissioners that county crews removed a concrete block drop box and top from his property while replacing a collapsed culvert on County Road 675 North. The work left a large hole approximately 15 feet off the county right-of-way on his private land.

“I don’t come to somebody’s house and take their sidewalk out or take their front door off,” Meyer told commissioners.

The drainage structure dates back to road work completed in the 1970s or 1980s when the county straightened a curve on 675 North. Meyer said his grandfather worked with the county to install the drop box system, which collected drainage from field tiles and the previous road configuration.

Meyer added a concrete top measuring about 6 feet by 8 feet over the opening, allowing him to farm across it safely.

“I put that over there so nobody could fall in there,” Meyer said. “So if somebody runs off the road, nobody could sue me.”

County Highway Superintendent Donnie Lueken confirmed that crews had to remove the existing structure because their replacement pipe extended into Sanders’ drop box.

Lueken said the concrete structure installed more than 40 years ago had deteriorated over the years, with blocks held in place by two-by-fours.

The county replaced a collapsed 30-inch pipe with a 36-inch pipe, extending it one foot beyond the right-of-way onto Meyer’s property. Meyer had notified them of the issue that was causing the roadway to collapse across the road from the box.

Lueken explained that the original pipe collapsed after heavy rains caused water to overflow when the deteriorating blocks couldn’t handle the drainage volume. The overflow broke down the pipe on the opposite side of the road, necessitating the replacement.

“We had to get that existing pipe out,” Lueken said. “That pipe was in his box, so we had to replace it. We had no choice but to replace it.”

The county installed riprap around the opening and left it as an open hole along the side of the road, but Meyer wants the drop box restored with either concrete blocks or poured concrete, similar to its original construction.

“I don’t want riprap, I want it fixed,” Meyer said. “If you want to put it back with concrete block, that’s fine. If you want to pour concrete, that’s fine.”

Meyer said that in consulting an unnamed Perry County attorney, he was told he had a strong legal case since the damage occurred on private property rather than within the county right-of-way. The attorney, who has practiced in the area for 40 years, indicated he would be willing to represent Meyer in court.

The dispute comes amid broader frustrations Meyer expressed about county road maintenance. He complained that county roads aren’t being mowed regularly, forcing him to mow sections himself, which has led to complaints from residents about grass clippings on the roadway.

“Every year I try to mow what I can,” Meyer said. “This year it’s ridiculous. I can show you stuff on Facebook where people call me out. People have showed up at my house, people cussed me out.”

He explained in a subsequent interview with the Dubois County Free Press that he mowed those right-of-ways so drivers have a clear line of sight. He stated that in the past, crews would mow those areas at least three times by August annually, but this year, he said it has only been done once and only in a six-foot section along the roadway.

Regarding being accosted online for mowing, Meyer clarified that he used a bushhog to mow, and it left grass on the roadway.

Commissioner Chad Blessinger, who is the District 1 representative in which Meyer lives, said he would come out and look at the issue with highway personnel before the next meeting — Meyer confirmed they had visited Tuesday morning — with plans to address it at the next commissioner’s meeting.

Blessinger indicated that if the county were in the wrong, they would take steps to repair the situation.

“All I want is I want to be treated fair,” Meyer said. “Nobody on this board, nobody in this county would want somebody to come do something on their property and have to deal with it.”