Clinton County Commissioners on July 21 gave conditional approval to a $222,333 plan to digitize decades of land records, marking a major step toward preserving historic documents and improving public access. County Recorder Kialee Mitchell said the proposal would convert deed and miscellaneous records dating back to the county’s founding in the early 1830s. The project, to be completed in stages by US Imaging, focuses initially on scanning and organizing approximately 440 record books.
“I believe it’s an investment in the county and it’s beneficial to all the landowners to have our essential records preserved and protected for the years to come,” Mitchell said. The approval is contingent on funding support from the County Council. Logistics for providing secure, around-the-clock access to contractors during the on-site scanning process was also addressed.
The Recorder position focuses mainly on the recording, filing, and preservation of documentation in the realm of property records. Instruments recorded in the Recorder’s office include Deeds, Mortgages, Assignments, Releases, Powers of Attorney, Real Estate Contracts, Annexations, Trustee Elections, Affidavits, Surveys, Federal Tax Liens, Mechanics Liens, Military Discharges, Articles of Incorporation, Cemetery Deeds, Bonds, Plats, Condominiums, Firms Doing Business Under Assumed Names, Delinquent Sewer Liens, and Miscellaneous Instruments.
Resident Urges More Traffic Controls
Public safety concerns also dominated the meeting with a rural resident urging further action along County Road 1100 East despite recent speed limit reductions. Mike Bray, who has lived along the road since 1978, thanked commissioners for lowering speed limits earlier this month but said enforcement and additional controls are still needed. “We have a dangerous increase in that traffic flow out there on 1100 East,” Bray said. “In the last couple years, that’s become increasingly dangerous.” Bray cited multiple serious crashes near the intersections of 1100 East with 400 South and 600 South, including one fatal accident and another involving a child who was ejected from a vehicle. He asked commissioners to consider converting both intersections to four-way stops. “I think that making those four-way stops would maybe control that flow a little bit,” he said.
Commissioners acknowledged the concerns and noted that enforcement has increased since the speed limit change. One commissioner said deputies recently stopped nine vehicles in a single afternoon along the corridor.
In other business:
The board approved several planning and infrastructure items, including closing code enforcement cases on two properties that recently achieved compliance after extended remediation efforts. A new condemnation process was initiated for a property on County Road 200 North that has remained uninhabitable since 2019 due to a failed septic system and lack of owner response. “We felt that this one from 2019 to now has been long enough,” Area Plan Commission Director Liz Stitzel said. “There’s been no plan submitted or communication of any kind to try to resolve it.”
Commissioners also approved road funding plans for 2027, including a proposal to pave more than six miles of County Road 200 East using Community Crossings Matching Grant funds.
In a less typical request, commissioners agreed to waive local inspection fees for a Federal Aviation Administration project to install a generator at a county site. Officials said federal representatives argued they do not budget for such local fees. “So, let me get this straight — they’re asking for us to waive a $50 fee that the federal government doesn’t have to pay us,” one commissioner said during discussion. The board ultimately approved waiving its portion of the fees, citing the project’s role in supporting aviation safety.
Separately, commissioners approved updated financing paperwork for previously authorized John Deere tractor purchases after the financing arrangement shifted to a different provider.
Commissioners also heard complaints about the quality of fiber optic installation work across the county, including open holes, unattended equipment, and debris left on properties. “It’s not just county roads — I’ve seen them on state roads where they’ve left open holes,” one official said. County leaders said they have contacted AT&T and are working on a new ordinance to strengthen oversight and enforcement.
The meeting concluded with routine approvals, including payroll and claims. The next commissioners meeting is scheduled for Aug. 4.