Public Input Sought On Justice Bldg. Plan
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Want to give input on the Justice Building expansion project?
The 9 a.m. June 8 meeting of the Kosciusko County Commissioners is the time and date set for a public hearing on the project.
Tuesday, the commissioners set the public hearing and passed the resolution offering to pay Focus Inc. of Valparaiso $2.2 million for Lake City Inn which will become home to the work release program. Commissioner Brad Jackson asked that the building be inspected by an engineer before the county offers the contract to Focus Inc.
Also passed was a resolution specifying that the money earned on bonds sold for the Justice Building expansion will be used to pay the county general fund back for money used on construction material costs.
Including construction, soft costs, a million-dollar financial cushion and capital interest, the project will cost an estimated $24.3 million through lease financing. After completion of the project, the county will pay the debt with an estimated $1.4 million a year for 20 years.
In comparison, the current Justice Building cost $5 million and was paid off in eight years.
In other news, the commissioners approved setting the vacation day for county employees for Independence Day as July 5. Previously, the holiday was set for July 2, but because banks will be closed July 5 - an undue hardship to the county clerk's office - the vacation day was switched to July 5.
Commissioner attorney Mike Miner said the commissioners may want to check with the judges on switching the holiday vacation days because their court schedules for those days may already be set. County administrator Ron Robinson said he would do so.
County Highway Superintendent and Engineer Rob Ladson brought several highway matters to the commissioners.
First, Ladson said he plans to request a $500,000 additional appropriation from the county council for paving projects. If the county council approves, the Old Road 30 project will be completed from Ind. 13 to U.S. 30. If the appropriation is not approved, the project will extend only from Ind. 13 to CR 300E.
Also, if approved, resurfacing will be completed from CR 100E in Warsaw to CR 450N.
Ladson said the highway department wants to complete the entire project this summer.
"What has happened is the cost of asphalt has decreased," he said.
Another reason, Ladson said, is the Indiana General Assembly approved an additional appropriation of $200 million for the next two state fiscal years for local roads and streets. Kosciusko County will receive $70,000 a month for the next two state fiscal years for local roads and streets. The money the county receives from the state appropriations will go back into the account that was used to pay for the Old Road 30 project.
Last year, the state approved an appropriation for $100 million for a year and the county received $35,000 a month. That appropriation ends soon.
Also, Ladson said, the Pierceton and Packerton roads projects have come in under cost, saving the county additional money.
The highway department will receive the $70,000 a month for local street and road projects regardless of whether or not the county council approves the funds to be used for the Old Road 30 project.
Commissioners recommended Ladson approach the county council with the request for additional appropriations.
Commissioners also approved a request to place a stop sign at CR 200W and the railroad tracks south of Ind. 14.
In rezoning business, the commissioners approved Mathew Heiman's petition to rezone 40 acres from a commercial and agricultural district to a residential district. The property is on the north side of Old Road 30W and west of Hartzler Street in Wayne Township.
The property is the current site of the Warsaw Drive-In. It is the last season for the drive-in, as the Heiman family plans to tear it down and, possibly, build multi-family condominiums.
"We're looking for the best use of the property right now. Everything around us is residential," Heiman said.
A remonstrator said he was concerned about access to and from the possible structures.
"It's a very congested area out there," he said.
Area Plan Commission Director Dan Richard said the access issue was discussed at the Plan Commission's May 5 meeting. There are possible solutions, with the best answer being only one access from the condominiums to Old Road 30, Richard said. The property owners may also have to build their own egress and ingress, he said.
The remonstrator also said he was concerned about sewers, and Warsaw sewers are already at capacity.
Richard said he did not know if the new residential buildings will be on the Warsaw system or have their own individual septic systems, and that will be determined later. [[In-content Ad]]
Want to give input on the Justice Building expansion project?
The 9 a.m. June 8 meeting of the Kosciusko County Commissioners is the time and date set for a public hearing on the project.
Tuesday, the commissioners set the public hearing and passed the resolution offering to pay Focus Inc. of Valparaiso $2.2 million for Lake City Inn which will become home to the work release program. Commissioner Brad Jackson asked that the building be inspected by an engineer before the county offers the contract to Focus Inc.
Also passed was a resolution specifying that the money earned on bonds sold for the Justice Building expansion will be used to pay the county general fund back for money used on construction material costs.
Including construction, soft costs, a million-dollar financial cushion and capital interest, the project will cost an estimated $24.3 million through lease financing. After completion of the project, the county will pay the debt with an estimated $1.4 million a year for 20 years.
In comparison, the current Justice Building cost $5 million and was paid off in eight years.
In other news, the commissioners approved setting the vacation day for county employees for Independence Day as July 5. Previously, the holiday was set for July 2, but because banks will be closed July 5 - an undue hardship to the county clerk's office - the vacation day was switched to July 5.
Commissioner attorney Mike Miner said the commissioners may want to check with the judges on switching the holiday vacation days because their court schedules for those days may already be set. County administrator Ron Robinson said he would do so.
County Highway Superintendent and Engineer Rob Ladson brought several highway matters to the commissioners.
First, Ladson said he plans to request a $500,000 additional appropriation from the county council for paving projects. If the county council approves, the Old Road 30 project will be completed from Ind. 13 to U.S. 30. If the appropriation is not approved, the project will extend only from Ind. 13 to CR 300E.
Also, if approved, resurfacing will be completed from CR 100E in Warsaw to CR 450N.
Ladson said the highway department wants to complete the entire project this summer.
"What has happened is the cost of asphalt has decreased," he said.
Another reason, Ladson said, is the Indiana General Assembly approved an additional appropriation of $200 million for the next two state fiscal years for local roads and streets. Kosciusko County will receive $70,000 a month for the next two state fiscal years for local roads and streets. The money the county receives from the state appropriations will go back into the account that was used to pay for the Old Road 30 project.
Last year, the state approved an appropriation for $100 million for a year and the county received $35,000 a month. That appropriation ends soon.
Also, Ladson said, the Pierceton and Packerton roads projects have come in under cost, saving the county additional money.
The highway department will receive the $70,000 a month for local street and road projects regardless of whether or not the county council approves the funds to be used for the Old Road 30 project.
Commissioners recommended Ladson approach the county council with the request for additional appropriations.
Commissioners also approved a request to place a stop sign at CR 200W and the railroad tracks south of Ind. 14.
In rezoning business, the commissioners approved Mathew Heiman's petition to rezone 40 acres from a commercial and agricultural district to a residential district. The property is on the north side of Old Road 30W and west of Hartzler Street in Wayne Township.
The property is the current site of the Warsaw Drive-In. It is the last season for the drive-in, as the Heiman family plans to tear it down and, possibly, build multi-family condominiums.
"We're looking for the best use of the property right now. Everything around us is residential," Heiman said.
A remonstrator said he was concerned about access to and from the possible structures.
"It's a very congested area out there," he said.
Area Plan Commission Director Dan Richard said the access issue was discussed at the Plan Commission's May 5 meeting. There are possible solutions, with the best answer being only one access from the condominiums to Old Road 30, Richard said. The property owners may also have to build their own egress and ingress, he said.
The remonstrator also said he was concerned about sewers, and Warsaw sewers are already at capacity.
Richard said he did not know if the new residential buildings will be on the Warsaw system or have their own individual septic systems, and that will be determined later. [[In-content Ad]]