Waste District Board Hears Update From State Rep. Wolkins
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
State Rep. Dave Wolkins spoke briefly about upcoming legislative topics at the Kosciusko County Solid Waste District joint city advisory committee and board meeting Wednesday.
In the last year, the Indiana Legislature passed a bill that basically let a mobile home owner not pay property taxes on the mobile home up to $12,500. It cost the state $200 million, Wolkins said.
Wolkins said property reassessment will have to be addressed because a tax court judge said it is time for the Legislature "to do something about it." He said he expects changes in the reassessment to cause taxes on private property to go up but taxes for businesses to go down.
"We will be spending a lot of time on that issue," Wolkins said.
All-day kindergarten will be back before the Legislature, he said. He said they are thinking of making educational money available, probably in the form of a grant, for those communities who want all-day kindergarten.
A new topic before the legislature will be "riding in the back of pickup trucks." Wolkins said he has not supported bills regarding that issue in the years past and probably will not this year. Most accidents involving people riding in the backs of pickups are a result of drinking and driving, he said, not the fact that there are passengers in the back of the pickup.
Gas sales tax goes into the state's general fund. Wolkins said the Legislature may take the sales tax off but raise the gas tax itself, with the money going to local maintenance.
"Daylight savings time will be back again," Wolkins said. Police agencies and newspapers favor it, he said. "There's a lot of good reasons why," he said and those who aren't in favor of it is because it would require them to change their clocks.
As for Indiana's electoral college, Wolkins said, he doesn't think any reform has a chance of passing.
To meet federal requirements, Wolkins said, he expects Indiana's legal limit for being intoxicated to be changed to 0.08 percent blood alcohol, but may be set so it doesn't go into effect until "2006 or something like that so we can say we passed it," he said.
Other items Wolkins said the Legislature will address include septic systems, wetlands, brownfield programs, the Cleanwater Indiana project, manufacturing dust, illegal dumping and other items.
In regular business, officers for the district board were named. Warsaw councilman Joe Thallemer will serve as district board president with Winona Lake councilman Dave Delp as vice president and Kosciusko County Commissioner Brad Jackson as secretary.
District Director Marsha Eikenberry gave a year-end report on the activities the district participated in during 2000.
The year began with the addition of paper recycling containers at all 12 drop-off recycling stations around the county.
She said signing the community host agreement with Allied Waste Industries and the Kosciusko Landfill took place in April. The district now receives $1.20 per ton of waste disposed that originates in the county; $1.30 per ton of waste disposed that originates from outside of the county but within the state; and $1.50 per ton from out-of-state waste. Additionally, she reported, the Kosciusko County Highway Department received an agreement for $15,000 per year for road maintenance with $45,000 in advance for the first three years.
The district began talking about establishing a permanent household hazardous waste drop-off site shortly after the first of the year. As of Nov. 29, the district and Jerry Buchan reached an agreement for the district to buy property from Buchan at 225 S. Union St., Warsaw, for the site.
More than 18 months ago, Eikenberry reported, the district began working with Superior Excavating to establish a site for countywide composting. The program will now begin early in 2001.
In conclusion, Eikenberry said, "As the director of the Solid Waste District, I am proud of the accomplishments that have been made toward increased diversion and recycling in Kosciusko County. I am also proud of the tremendous increase in awareness about recycling and disposal options in the county, which is a direct result of the work done by the district educator.
"It is paramount to me personally that recycling, resource reduction, increased diversion and public education be meaningful. I do not feel these endeavors are trivial or not worthwhile. I encourage everyone associated with the Solid Waste District and the general public to become involved and educated about environmental issues. I also challenge everyone to find meaning and significance in the purpose of the Solid Waste District and to help create a vision for the future of solid waste management and environmental responsibility in Kosciusko County."
Tara Stills, city advisory committee chairwoman, also was recognized by Eikenberry for her contributions to the district.
Members of the district include Delp, Thallemer, Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins, county councilwoman Kathryn Teel and county commissioners Brad Jackson, Avis Gunter and Eddie Creighton. [[In-content Ad]]
State Rep. Dave Wolkins spoke briefly about upcoming legislative topics at the Kosciusko County Solid Waste District joint city advisory committee and board meeting Wednesday.
In the last year, the Indiana Legislature passed a bill that basically let a mobile home owner not pay property taxes on the mobile home up to $12,500. It cost the state $200 million, Wolkins said.
Wolkins said property reassessment will have to be addressed because a tax court judge said it is time for the Legislature "to do something about it." He said he expects changes in the reassessment to cause taxes on private property to go up but taxes for businesses to go down.
"We will be spending a lot of time on that issue," Wolkins said.
All-day kindergarten will be back before the Legislature, he said. He said they are thinking of making educational money available, probably in the form of a grant, for those communities who want all-day kindergarten.
A new topic before the legislature will be "riding in the back of pickup trucks." Wolkins said he has not supported bills regarding that issue in the years past and probably will not this year. Most accidents involving people riding in the backs of pickups are a result of drinking and driving, he said, not the fact that there are passengers in the back of the pickup.
Gas sales tax goes into the state's general fund. Wolkins said the Legislature may take the sales tax off but raise the gas tax itself, with the money going to local maintenance.
"Daylight savings time will be back again," Wolkins said. Police agencies and newspapers favor it, he said. "There's a lot of good reasons why," he said and those who aren't in favor of it is because it would require them to change their clocks.
As for Indiana's electoral college, Wolkins said, he doesn't think any reform has a chance of passing.
To meet federal requirements, Wolkins said, he expects Indiana's legal limit for being intoxicated to be changed to 0.08 percent blood alcohol, but may be set so it doesn't go into effect until "2006 or something like that so we can say we passed it," he said.
Other items Wolkins said the Legislature will address include septic systems, wetlands, brownfield programs, the Cleanwater Indiana project, manufacturing dust, illegal dumping and other items.
In regular business, officers for the district board were named. Warsaw councilman Joe Thallemer will serve as district board president with Winona Lake councilman Dave Delp as vice president and Kosciusko County Commissioner Brad Jackson as secretary.
District Director Marsha Eikenberry gave a year-end report on the activities the district participated in during 2000.
The year began with the addition of paper recycling containers at all 12 drop-off recycling stations around the county.
She said signing the community host agreement with Allied Waste Industries and the Kosciusko Landfill took place in April. The district now receives $1.20 per ton of waste disposed that originates in the county; $1.30 per ton of waste disposed that originates from outside of the county but within the state; and $1.50 per ton from out-of-state waste. Additionally, she reported, the Kosciusko County Highway Department received an agreement for $15,000 per year for road maintenance with $45,000 in advance for the first three years.
The district began talking about establishing a permanent household hazardous waste drop-off site shortly after the first of the year. As of Nov. 29, the district and Jerry Buchan reached an agreement for the district to buy property from Buchan at 225 S. Union St., Warsaw, for the site.
More than 18 months ago, Eikenberry reported, the district began working with Superior Excavating to establish a site for countywide composting. The program will now begin early in 2001.
In conclusion, Eikenberry said, "As the director of the Solid Waste District, I am proud of the accomplishments that have been made toward increased diversion and recycling in Kosciusko County. I am also proud of the tremendous increase in awareness about recycling and disposal options in the county, which is a direct result of the work done by the district educator.
"It is paramount to me personally that recycling, resource reduction, increased diversion and public education be meaningful. I do not feel these endeavors are trivial or not worthwhile. I encourage everyone associated with the Solid Waste District and the general public to become involved and educated about environmental issues. I also challenge everyone to find meaning and significance in the purpose of the Solid Waste District and to help create a vision for the future of solid waste management and environmental responsibility in Kosciusko County."
Tara Stills, city advisory committee chairwoman, also was recognized by Eikenberry for her contributions to the district.
Members of the district include Delp, Thallemer, Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins, county councilwoman Kathryn Teel and county commissioners Brad Jackson, Avis Gunter and Eddie Creighton. [[In-content Ad]]