Skeptical of setting a precedent, the Kosciusko County Commissioners did not take action Monday on a request by Pam Kennedy for Housing Opportunities of Warsaw.

Instead, the commissioners decided to consult their attorney, Mike Miner, on the matter.

Kennedy told the commissioners HOW is starting two new programs to help low-income mobile home owners and low-income homeowners with emergency home repairs. She said they have not advertised the program because they want the money to go where it needs to go, but even so, 18 applications have been received. They are working with local contractors to get costs as low as possible. Money for the program comes from local donations.

Another way they want to keep costs low, Kennedy said, is where her request Monday came in. Kennedy asked the county to waive permit fees for the two programs, which could include permit fees from the health department for wells and septics and variance/exception permit fees from the county area plan commission.

Commissioner chairman Ron Truex questioned if waiving the permit fees might be setting a precedent and said they needed to check with Miner. He said it seemed obvious it was something the commissioners could help with, but nothing is as easy as it seems on the surface. Only the commissioners can waive permit fees.

Through other programs, Kennedy said, they have had permit fees waived through Warsaw, Winona Lake and once from the county in the past.

Avis Gunter, commissioner, said she had mixed feelings. The county has to pay for its permits and filing fees. Kennedy had three permits she wanted to get Monday, a total cost of about $30. Gunter offered to pay the $30 for this week and find out from Miner by the next meeting if the county was setting a precedent.

Instead, commissioner Brad Jackson said they could temporarily waive the permit fees until they discussed the issue with Miner, and then tell Kennedy later whether or not she had to pay for the permits.

How much the county will have to pay for a kitchen for the work release center is undetermined at this time, county administrator Ron Robinson told the commissioners. He presented them with preliminary drawings on a kitchen for the work release center as it doesn't have a kitchen now.

Robinson said the drawings indicate the kitchen will be a 60-foot-by-60-foot concrete slab and steel building. It will seat 98 people at a time. The capacity at the work release center is "a couple hundred people" and the work release center now holds 54 to 60 people.

He said they don't have a price yet, but the drawings are based on plans they believe are "workable and realistic." Equipment for the kitchen will include equipment out of the old jail as well as donated equipment. Some new equipment will have to be purchased.

Truex said, "I feel the work release center is one of the more efficient uses of our tax dollars."

The commissioners gave their consensus for Robinson to go ahead with the kitchen planning.

In other business, the county commissioners:

• Heard 39 local law enforcement officers completed the emergency driving training course. Along with Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department officers, agents from the Warsaw and Winona Lake police departments participated.

Bliss McKnight Risk Management Services representative Bo Collins and local insurance agent Jerry Clevenger presented the county commissioners with certificates for the officers for Truex to sign.

Also, Bliss McKnight is providing deer whistles for the county officers to try out on their vehicles. Collins said they will be tracked over the next year and see how effective they are.

"With the deer population in Kosciusko County, we thought this was a great place for that," said Collins.

The commissioners approved for Truex to sign the certificates.

"I really appreciate your efforts," Truex said.

• Approved the recommendation by the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission to rezone John Mahnken's 24.592 acres from an agricultural district to a residential district. The property is on the east side of Kern Road and 200 feet west of Hillside Lane in Turkey Creek Township.

On rezonings, the plan commission is only a recommending board to the county commissioners, who have final approval on rezonings.

• Approved for the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department to purchase new rifles for the drug unit.

• Approved reducing the speed on CR 1350N from West County Line Road to Ind. 19 from 55 to 45 miles per hour.

• Tabled Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent and Engineer Rob Ladson's request to reduce the speed limit on CR 1250N (that becomes CRs 1290N and then 1300N), north of the railroad tracks, to 45 mph before the curves and then 35 mph through the curves. Jackson requested Ladson study making the entire road 45 mph.

• Approved letting Ladson make decisions on tree trimming around power lines on property the county owns.

• Approved signing the Kosciusko Area Bus Service contracts with the Indiana Department of Transportation for next year for operations and capital funds.

County commissioners are Brad Jackson, northern district; Ron Truex, middle district; and Avis Gunter, southern district. They meet at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse every other Tuesday. Their next meeting is Nov. 16. [[In-content Ad]]