Daviess County Commissioners increased the cost of buggy licenses at their Monday meeting and agreed to put a new septic system at the Lighthouse Recovery Center, with the stipulation that the center take over maintenance of the system.

The buggy ordinance came up for consideration and it was suggested by Commissioner Tony Wichman that the $25 buggy license was too low.

Commissioner Jim Truelove agreed saying it takes $47,000 to fix 3-foot wide grooves in a county road and “we do this every year and we don’t make $47,000 (off the licenses).”

Auditor Gail Doades suggested a late fee after the May 10 deadline would help as the county is having a problem knowing how many licenses to order.

“That makes it seem like we’re penalizing someone who purchases a new buggy or makes one,” Commission Steve Myers said.

“You’re not penalizing anyone,” Truelove said. “I guarantee that they’re going to take the plate off one and put it on another.”

Myers disagreed with the increase and voted no, while Wichman and Truelove approved the increase which will take affect for 2009.

Doades said the county sells about 2,000 plates a year and they can be purchased at the auditor’s office, the highway department, Raber’s Buggy Shop or Peoples Bank branch on the Odon-Cannelburg Road.

Tom Schroeder with Schroeder and Associates presented the commissioners with plans for a new septic system at the Lighthouse Recovery Center. He said they had studied the feasibility of connecting with the Washington sewer system through a series of small pump lines, but learned the city did not want additional small pumps connecting to its system.

The current septic system at the Lighthouse is illegal and has to be replaced, according to Schroeder. The proposed mound system, built in two phases, would handle the existing building which houses 40 men and a possible industrial park with up to 200 workers. Phase one would handle the Lighthouse and includes replacing the current tank, building a wetland cell and one mound. The wetland cell would retain water for five to seven days. The only pumps would be in the mound itself and the cost would be about $100,000.

Wichman said the bills to clean out the current tank are mounting as the county has already paid about $12,000 in claims. “We have to do something,” Wichman said. “They’ve got 40 people out there. They’re full.”

Schroeder said the load (on a septic system) in summer is reduced to about half, otherwise they would need four mounds. “It’s a longevity thing,” he said. “This will last a long time.”

The system will take up about 2.3 acres.

Truelove questioned where they would find $100,000 and the commissioners agreed to ask the county council at its Thursday meeting for an additional appropriation.

“We’ve got to do something or close it,” Truelove said.