On Monday night at a meeting of the Pike County Commission, Mrs. Debra Davis provided a voice to Pike County residents who have suffered property damage from trucks and ATVs tearing up pubic dirt roads while mud riding.

Davis lives on CR 1123 in the Shellhorn Community, and she has suffered damage from to her private property when trucks illegally damage the public road she lives on. “I’m not here to complain to the commission,” Davis said. “I’m here to make you aware of a problem that has not been punished. These trucks vandalize my property, my daughter’s property and my neighbor’s property.”

Davis said trucks driving on her road have destroyed three of her mailboxes, four of her daughter’s mailboxes and three of her neighbor’s mailboxes. “It’s just meanness is what it is,” Davis said. “I don’t take it personally against me. I take it personally for every person in the community.”

This is a problem that affects the entire county, not just private property holders. The roads that these trucks use are roads maintained by the county. Every time a truck damages a road while mud riding, the county must spend money repair the road. “I don’t know what I have to do to get this stopped,” Davis said. “The county must have spent thousands of dollars in repairing the roads.”

On Oct. 17, Davis said she recorded three trucks destroying CR 1123 on her cell phone. She also said she had registered a formal complaint to the Pike County Sheriff’s office against the offending drivers. As of now, the incident is still under investigation.

Davis asked the commissioner’s for their help in ending the matter. “I want each of you to give me your word and say that this activity isn’t tolerated,” Davis said. “I need you to assist the District Attorney if this is prosecuted by providing a dollar amount of damage caused during the incident. To me, this behavior is no different than driving to the courthouse and throwing a brick through the window. It’s costing the county money.”

Commission chairman Homer Wright spoke for all of the commission in giving his support. “As commissioners, we should be behind you,” Wright said. “We can back you 100 percent on this because it is our responsibility to take care of county roads.”

During its regular meeting, the commission approved seven pieces of business.

• The commission accepted a resolution to allow resurfacing projects on CR 6600 and CR 7702 to be let for bidding.

• The commission approved the maintenance of a fuel system at the Road Department for roughly $1800.

• The commission approved a contract with the Lee County Youth Development Center.

• The commission approved the use of a new form in reporting accidents that happen on county property.

• The commission approved the advertisement of the position of Personal Property Appraiser/Administrative Assistant III.

• The commission approved the advertisement of the position of Emergency Management Operations Specialist.

• The commission accepted changes to the Coffee County Water Authority’s bylaws.