Commissioners Approve SB 207 Letter
March 3, 2021 at 1:28 a.m.
By Amanda Bridgman-
County Highway Superintendent Steve Moriarty asked the Commissioners to sign the prepared letter and said the bill will help with the department’s finances when it comes to money needed for snow removal.
SB 207 reduces the required percentage amount of the Motor Vehicle Highway Account distributions that certain counties, cities and towns must use for the construction, reconstruction and preservation of highways from the current 50% to 40%.
From Jan. 1, 2022, to Dec. 31, 2023, the bill provides that for a period in which the reduction applies, the term “preservation” includes both snow removal and expenditures for deicing road salt or other similar deicing agents.
The letter provides an explanation of “the financial burden that Kosciusko County and the Kosciusko County Highway Department are currently in due to the restrictions placed upon us under Section 63 of IC 8-14-1-4.
“This Indiana code designates that 50% of our MVH revenues be deposited into our MVH Restricted Fund, and the other 50% be deposited into our MVH Unrestricted Fund. The allowable uses of the Restricted Fund are preservation, construction and reconstruction of roadways. The allowable uses of the Unrestricted Fund are maintenance and operation, which includes but is not limited to cutting trees, plowing snow, patching holes, drainage, signs, paint striping, grading gravel roads, berming, payroll and utilities. Historically, most highway departments have spent 30% of their revenue for Restricted uses and 70% for Unrestricted uses.”
Moriarty writes that the current restrictions have created an excess of cash in the department’s Restricted Fund and a shortfall in the Unrestricted Fund, which has created a financial hardship for the county after the County Council approved additional appropriation in the general fund for highway use.
He continues to say the county has used all of the tools provided to financially support the County Highway Department, and said the Wheel Tax has been a great source of revenue. However, “the imposed restrictions do not support spending within the area necessary to adequately maintain county roadways.”
Moriarty said he believes this bill is a step in the right direction moving forward, and Commissioners agreed.
Also Tuesday, the Commissioners:
• Approved Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Hampton’s request to apply for a $20,000 grant that helps cover the costs of salaries and administrative costs when special prosecutors are needed in child support cases. Hampton said the Kosciusko County IV-D office has been recognized as one of the most efficient and capable offices in northern Indiana.
• Approved Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Shane Bucher’s request to apply for a $10,000 federal reimbursement grant for school bus stop arm enforcement.
Bucher said the grant allows officers to do extra patrol during school bus hours to watch for motorists who pass a stopped school but with the stop arm out and said it’s been very successful.
• Heard from County Auditor Michelle Puckett that Kosciusko Area Bus Service General Manager Tony Peterson’s report included a $148,860 quarterly contract invoice that will be sent to the Indiana Department of Transportation. That was paid out of the CARES Act money, Puckett said, so there is no match.
Puckett also said Peterson reported that rides are up and things are “looking up.”
• Approved a request from County Administrator Marsha McSherry to spend $27,700 to purchase acoustic panels for Superior Courts III and IV to help get the remote technology working.
Commissioner Cary Groninger moved to approve the request, saying “We have to get that technology to work properly.”
• Approved to purchase fencing for the five new radio communications project tower sites at $6,035 per site.
• Signed an unofficial detour route per the request of Moriarty. Moriarty said INDOT is doing work on Ind. 13 just south of Ind. 14 and asked for the detour to be from 1200S to 400E to reroute back onto 14.
• Heard from McSherry that government officials and county employees who participate in the Purdue Extension’s three-month walking WalkIN program can earn a deduction on their health insurance premiums and a flex day to be taken off next year. McSherry said last year Kosciusko County put in the most steps in the state.
The next Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting is 9 a.m. March 16 at the courthouse.
County Highway Superintendent Steve Moriarty asked the Commissioners to sign the prepared letter and said the bill will help with the department’s finances when it comes to money needed for snow removal.
SB 207 reduces the required percentage amount of the Motor Vehicle Highway Account distributions that certain counties, cities and towns must use for the construction, reconstruction and preservation of highways from the current 50% to 40%.
From Jan. 1, 2022, to Dec. 31, 2023, the bill provides that for a period in which the reduction applies, the term “preservation” includes both snow removal and expenditures for deicing road salt or other similar deicing agents.
The letter provides an explanation of “the financial burden that Kosciusko County and the Kosciusko County Highway Department are currently in due to the restrictions placed upon us under Section 63 of IC 8-14-1-4.
“This Indiana code designates that 50% of our MVH revenues be deposited into our MVH Restricted Fund, and the other 50% be deposited into our MVH Unrestricted Fund. The allowable uses of the Restricted Fund are preservation, construction and reconstruction of roadways. The allowable uses of the Unrestricted Fund are maintenance and operation, which includes but is not limited to cutting trees, plowing snow, patching holes, drainage, signs, paint striping, grading gravel roads, berming, payroll and utilities. Historically, most highway departments have spent 30% of their revenue for Restricted uses and 70% for Unrestricted uses.”
Moriarty writes that the current restrictions have created an excess of cash in the department’s Restricted Fund and a shortfall in the Unrestricted Fund, which has created a financial hardship for the county after the County Council approved additional appropriation in the general fund for highway use.
He continues to say the county has used all of the tools provided to financially support the County Highway Department, and said the Wheel Tax has been a great source of revenue. However, “the imposed restrictions do not support spending within the area necessary to adequately maintain county roadways.”
Moriarty said he believes this bill is a step in the right direction moving forward, and Commissioners agreed.
Also Tuesday, the Commissioners:
• Approved Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Hampton’s request to apply for a $20,000 grant that helps cover the costs of salaries and administrative costs when special prosecutors are needed in child support cases. Hampton said the Kosciusko County IV-D office has been recognized as one of the most efficient and capable offices in northern Indiana.
• Approved Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Shane Bucher’s request to apply for a $10,000 federal reimbursement grant for school bus stop arm enforcement.
Bucher said the grant allows officers to do extra patrol during school bus hours to watch for motorists who pass a stopped school but with the stop arm out and said it’s been very successful.
• Heard from County Auditor Michelle Puckett that Kosciusko Area Bus Service General Manager Tony Peterson’s report included a $148,860 quarterly contract invoice that will be sent to the Indiana Department of Transportation. That was paid out of the CARES Act money, Puckett said, so there is no match.
Puckett also said Peterson reported that rides are up and things are “looking up.”
• Approved a request from County Administrator Marsha McSherry to spend $27,700 to purchase acoustic panels for Superior Courts III and IV to help get the remote technology working.
Commissioner Cary Groninger moved to approve the request, saying “We have to get that technology to work properly.”
• Approved to purchase fencing for the five new radio communications project tower sites at $6,035 per site.
• Signed an unofficial detour route per the request of Moriarty. Moriarty said INDOT is doing work on Ind. 13 just south of Ind. 14 and asked for the detour to be from 1200S to 400E to reroute back onto 14.
• Heard from McSherry that government officials and county employees who participate in the Purdue Extension’s three-month walking WalkIN program can earn a deduction on their health insurance premiums and a flex day to be taken off next year. McSherry said last year Kosciusko County put in the most steps in the state.
The next Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting is 9 a.m. March 16 at the courthouse.
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