Conley Gives 'State Of County' Address
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Tim [email protected]
Conley reviewed several areas of progress and also some challenges the county faces in the coming year.
Conley said the county's state-of-the-art 911 dispatch center has helped raise the quality and effectiveness of law enforcement, fire and medical emergency response. "The dispatch center is a crown jewel, not just in our county, but in the entire U.S.," Conley said. He said emergency personnel from throughout the nation visit Kosciusko County to tour the dispatch center with its enhanced 911 system.[[In-content Ad]]Conley said the dispatch center handled more than 63,000 calls for service through 911 in 2008.
The county took a step forward regarding a major road project. After more than four years, the county's plans for what was known as the Western Route took a new form. The Western Route was a plan to make a route that stretched the entire length of the county from north to south using existing and new stretches of road. The route was going to make it possible for truck traffic to bypass Warsaw and ease the traffic situation at some of the city's intersections. But the Indiana Department of Transportation found the project to be too costly. So, the county began to pursue the idea of roundabouts at three intersections along Old Road 30. In 2008, the county announced that construction on the first roundabout could begin as early as this year.
Friday, Conley said the roundabouts will be a major benefit for the county in terms of safety, traffic flow and maintenance costs. He said studies have shown that roundabouts can reduce injuries and fatalities from accidents at intersections by as much as 50 to 90 percent. They reduce stopping time 80 percent and can be maintained for 25 percent of the cost of maintaining a conventional intersection for 10 years.
Conley also said steps have been taken to improve sewer infrastructure around some of the county's lake communities. The Lakeland Regional Sewer District was formed to begin planning for a sewer system around the Barbee Lake chain this year. Also, in recent months, residents of the Tippecanoe and Chapman lakes communities have requested that the county commissioners petition to include them in the LRSD. Conley said the new sewers will have a positive impact on the local lake environments.
Conley said the county's financial situation is in good shape. He said the county's savings account has about $36 million in it, $22 million of which are invested and $13.8 million in cash.
Conley said the county is also facing some challenges. He said the county highway department is facing a combination of rising cost of materials and reduced annual budgets. Conley said the department faced a 6.5 percent decrease in state funding in 2008 and were told to prepare for a 10 percent reduction this year.
Conley also said proposals that will come from the Kernan Shepard Report, may be harmful to the county. The report is the result of a state panel led by former Gov. Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard. Several of the report's proposals are aimed at changing the structure of county government.
Conley said some of the changes would be harmful, including a proposal to replace elected county commissioners with one county administrator. He said such a change would take county residents' voices out of local government. "Two heads are better than one and three are better than two," Conley said. "You'd be taking local government from an elected democracy to an appointed bureaucracy."
Conley said, despite the challenges ahead, he feels the diverse people and industries that make up the county will continue to make strides forward in the coming year. "This is the neatest county in the state of Indiana," he said.
Conley reviewed several areas of progress and also some challenges the county faces in the coming year.
Conley said the county's state-of-the-art 911 dispatch center has helped raise the quality and effectiveness of law enforcement, fire and medical emergency response. "The dispatch center is a crown jewel, not just in our county, but in the entire U.S.," Conley said. He said emergency personnel from throughout the nation visit Kosciusko County to tour the dispatch center with its enhanced 911 system.[[In-content Ad]]Conley said the dispatch center handled more than 63,000 calls for service through 911 in 2008.
The county took a step forward regarding a major road project. After more than four years, the county's plans for what was known as the Western Route took a new form. The Western Route was a plan to make a route that stretched the entire length of the county from north to south using existing and new stretches of road. The route was going to make it possible for truck traffic to bypass Warsaw and ease the traffic situation at some of the city's intersections. But the Indiana Department of Transportation found the project to be too costly. So, the county began to pursue the idea of roundabouts at three intersections along Old Road 30. In 2008, the county announced that construction on the first roundabout could begin as early as this year.
Friday, Conley said the roundabouts will be a major benefit for the county in terms of safety, traffic flow and maintenance costs. He said studies have shown that roundabouts can reduce injuries and fatalities from accidents at intersections by as much as 50 to 90 percent. They reduce stopping time 80 percent and can be maintained for 25 percent of the cost of maintaining a conventional intersection for 10 years.
Conley also said steps have been taken to improve sewer infrastructure around some of the county's lake communities. The Lakeland Regional Sewer District was formed to begin planning for a sewer system around the Barbee Lake chain this year. Also, in recent months, residents of the Tippecanoe and Chapman lakes communities have requested that the county commissioners petition to include them in the LRSD. Conley said the new sewers will have a positive impact on the local lake environments.
Conley said the county's financial situation is in good shape. He said the county's savings account has about $36 million in it, $22 million of which are invested and $13.8 million in cash.
Conley said the county is also facing some challenges. He said the county highway department is facing a combination of rising cost of materials and reduced annual budgets. Conley said the department faced a 6.5 percent decrease in state funding in 2008 and were told to prepare for a 10 percent reduction this year.
Conley also said proposals that will come from the Kernan Shepard Report, may be harmful to the county. The report is the result of a state panel led by former Gov. Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard. Several of the report's proposals are aimed at changing the structure of county government.
Conley said some of the changes would be harmful, including a proposal to replace elected county commissioners with one county administrator. He said such a change would take county residents' voices out of local government. "Two heads are better than one and three are better than two," Conley said. "You'd be taking local government from an elected democracy to an appointed bureaucracy."
Conley said, despite the challenges ahead, he feels the diverse people and industries that make up the county will continue to make strides forward in the coming year. "This is the neatest county in the state of Indiana," he said.
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