Bonding for the Kosciusko County Justice Building expansion project took another step forward Tuesday when the Kosciusko County commissioners approved a resolution regarding the approval of the issuance of the bonds.

Rich Hill, of Baker & Daniels, Plymouth, presented the resolution to the commissioners. Baker & Daniels is serving as bond counsel to the commissioners.

The resolution states the commissioners approve the issuance, sale and delivery by the Justice Building Corp. of its first mortgage bonds for an amount not to exceed $23.5 million to finance the construction and equipment for the project.

The title to the project will be approved and accepted by the commissioners, under the resolution, from the building corporation once the bonds are redeemed and retired.

John Shively and Paul Reith were approved as appraisers for the property. The property will be encumbered by the building corporation for the purpose of financing the project and to enter into contracts for the sale of the bonds and the construction and equipping of the project.

County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell said the bids for the Justice Building expansion project construction will be opened April 19 at 2 p.m. in the county courthouse.

In other business:

• Bob Momeyer, county computer administrator, returned to the commissioners regarding the recorder's office request to upgrade their imaging system, which allows documents to be scanned.

The contract with Manatron will cost $34,000 with additional expenses of $30,000 for hardware. The money will come from one of the recorder's funds and the commissioners' computer fund.

LaShawn Brumfield, recorder's office, said Marshall County has 60 documents a day they scan and it takes one person a half-hour to an hour. Kosciusko County, she said, has 100 documents a day they will scan. Time will be saved with the program, however, when they want to retrieve documents.

The contract with Manatron for the system upgrade was approved.

• The commissioners approved a de-obligation agreement for KABS. KABS received a grant, finished the project the grant was for and had approximately $64 remaining. The de-obligation agreement will allow for the money to return to the grant provider.

• Two single-axle chassis trucks will be purchased by the county highway department for approximately $83,000 apiece. The commissioners approved the trucks to be purchased from Whiteford Ford Truck Center, Fort Wayne.

• County Administrator Ron Robinson said the county jail is experiencing problems with interior jail cell locks. The cost to fix them, he said, would be approximately $7,000 and he didn't know if the jail could wait two years for them to be fixed. However, he said, he wants to discuss the problem with Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine more before the county does anything.

• Mitchell said tax bills will probably go out in the mail by today. By law, they are due to go out by April 25. An informational letter will be sent with the tax bills.

"Hopefully," she said, "people will take the time to read them."

Kosciusko County Commissioners are: Avis Gunter, Eddie Creighton and Brad Jackson. [[In-content Ad]]