Commissioners Approve Highway Matters, Hear KEDCO Report
August 2, 2022 at 11:51 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Steve Moriarty, KCHD superintendent, requested the Commissioners approve a financial commitment letter stating that the county will match the 50% required for the Community Crossings grant from the state. The funds, if approved, will be used for Old 30 from CR 450E to Ind. 13 and Pierceton Road from the town limits of Winona Lake to the town limits of Pierceton. The 50% from the county will be $1,105,326.50.
“Community Crossings is a dollar-for-dollar match so you don’t get a whole lot better than that. So when you’re building roads for 50 cents on the dollar, it’s a good program,” Commissioner Cary Groninger stated.
“Plus you get a lower $2 million project for almost $1 million,” Commissioner Bob Conley said.
The Commissioners unanimously approved the commitment letter.
Then Moriarty presented two ordinances, with the first being an amendment for Cherry Creek Manor.
“We would like to install yield signs on the southwest corner of Masters Lane and Blossom Lane to a yield for Blossom Lane. And the other one goes on the same amendment and would be a yield sign on the northeast corner of Blossom Lane and Blossom Lane. So it means the southbound traffic would yield to Blossom Lane,” he said.
Conley said this comes from a request of the residents living in the area, and he made a motion to approve the ordinance amendment, which was approved 3-0.
The second ordinance was to reduce the speed limit on CR 750E from Armstrong Road to the North Webster town limits. Currently, it’s 55 mph going to 20 mph, and Moriarty said he wanted to reduce that to 35 mph going to 20 mph so drivers can slow down before they hit the 20 mph in the school zone in North Webster.
The Commissioners approved the speed reduction.
The Commissioners also heard a brief quarterly update from Kosciusko Economic Development Chief Executive Officer Alan Tio, who pointed out the “important role the county has” in supporting KEDCO’s economic efforts.
KEDCO’s work plan for the year is focused on around scaling and sustaining its efforts. “We are developing really around entrepreneurship, housing and talent ... the three areas that we see as so critical in helping to grow and sustain our economy,” he said.
“We are fortunate to be in the Northeast Indiana Region that was selected for $50 million of Ready funding. We have the opportunity to put together and pursue funding. It’s up to us to help get those projects together, so we are accepting that challenge and opportunity and are working on that,” Tio said, adding that there are about 12 projects countywide in the pipeline for Ready.
He said KEDCO is in the process of building a team, including adding project management capacity to have a team in place to do the necessary work. It’s also working on a customer service model so KEDCO can be known for how they do the work.
Tio talked about the different partnerships KEDCO has undertaken to help entrepreneurs grow a business in Kosciusko County.
He said they’ve launched the MedTech Accelerator Studio, which had a great response to it from community and business leaders. He thanked the county for its support in helping launch the program, with additional funding coming from the Don Wood Foundation.
KEDCO also has developed the IP Matchmaking Program to encourage the sharing and development of intellectual property.
Finally, Tio said, KEDCO is working with an entity called MED Institute, a spinoff of Cook Medical in West Lafayette, to launch a 1,000-square-foot shared space in downtown Warsaw where entrepreneurs can meet and have events with each other. A formal announcement with more information will be forthcoming.
The next Commissioners meeting is at 9 a.m. Aug. 16 in the old county courthouse.
Steve Moriarty, KCHD superintendent, requested the Commissioners approve a financial commitment letter stating that the county will match the 50% required for the Community Crossings grant from the state. The funds, if approved, will be used for Old 30 from CR 450E to Ind. 13 and Pierceton Road from the town limits of Winona Lake to the town limits of Pierceton. The 50% from the county will be $1,105,326.50.
“Community Crossings is a dollar-for-dollar match so you don’t get a whole lot better than that. So when you’re building roads for 50 cents on the dollar, it’s a good program,” Commissioner Cary Groninger stated.
“Plus you get a lower $2 million project for almost $1 million,” Commissioner Bob Conley said.
The Commissioners unanimously approved the commitment letter.
Then Moriarty presented two ordinances, with the first being an amendment for Cherry Creek Manor.
“We would like to install yield signs on the southwest corner of Masters Lane and Blossom Lane to a yield for Blossom Lane. And the other one goes on the same amendment and would be a yield sign on the northeast corner of Blossom Lane and Blossom Lane. So it means the southbound traffic would yield to Blossom Lane,” he said.
Conley said this comes from a request of the residents living in the area, and he made a motion to approve the ordinance amendment, which was approved 3-0.
The second ordinance was to reduce the speed limit on CR 750E from Armstrong Road to the North Webster town limits. Currently, it’s 55 mph going to 20 mph, and Moriarty said he wanted to reduce that to 35 mph going to 20 mph so drivers can slow down before they hit the 20 mph in the school zone in North Webster.
The Commissioners approved the speed reduction.
The Commissioners also heard a brief quarterly update from Kosciusko Economic Development Chief Executive Officer Alan Tio, who pointed out the “important role the county has” in supporting KEDCO’s economic efforts.
KEDCO’s work plan for the year is focused on around scaling and sustaining its efforts. “We are developing really around entrepreneurship, housing and talent ... the three areas that we see as so critical in helping to grow and sustain our economy,” he said.
“We are fortunate to be in the Northeast Indiana Region that was selected for $50 million of Ready funding. We have the opportunity to put together and pursue funding. It’s up to us to help get those projects together, so we are accepting that challenge and opportunity and are working on that,” Tio said, adding that there are about 12 projects countywide in the pipeline for Ready.
He said KEDCO is in the process of building a team, including adding project management capacity to have a team in place to do the necessary work. It’s also working on a customer service model so KEDCO can be known for how they do the work.
Tio talked about the different partnerships KEDCO has undertaken to help entrepreneurs grow a business in Kosciusko County.
He said they’ve launched the MedTech Accelerator Studio, which had a great response to it from community and business leaders. He thanked the county for its support in helping launch the program, with additional funding coming from the Don Wood Foundation.
KEDCO also has developed the IP Matchmaking Program to encourage the sharing and development of intellectual property.
Finally, Tio said, KEDCO is working with an entity called MED Institute, a spinoff of Cook Medical in West Lafayette, to launch a 1,000-square-foot shared space in downtown Warsaw where entrepreneurs can meet and have events with each other. A formal announcement with more information will be forthcoming.
The next Commissioners meeting is at 9 a.m. Aug. 16 in the old county courthouse.
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