Bids for the county’s Community Crossings Matching Grant (CCMG) paving projects were opened Tuesday at the commissioners meeting.
Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Steve Moriarty said some of the roads include Packerton Road in the southern part of the county, Armstrong Road and Chapman Lake.
Bids received included Niblock Excavating, $2,225,934.40; Phend & Brown, $1,785,571.85; and Brooks Construction, $1,827,209.
Moriarty requested the bids be taken under advisement and he would return to the commissioner’s Feb. 25 meeting to make a recommendation to award.
Commissioner Cary Groninger asked if the CCMG paving projects were 50/50 matches, meaning the county pays for half and the Indiana Department of Transportation’s CCMG pays for the other half. Moriarty said that was correct.
The commissioners voted unanimously to take the bids under advisement for two weeks until their next meeting.
Moriarty also reported the county has been very fortunate to get Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant dollars, which is a safety initiative 90/10 grant.
With that, he said they’ve selected two different firms.
“First, we’ve received $500,000 for a countywide striping initiative. This is going to be for phase two. And we’ve selected Butler Fairman (& Seufert), so we’d like your approval to go forward with that LPA (Local Public Agency) consultant contract, so we can move forward with the striping,” Moriarty explained.
He said each year his department budgets about $100,000 for road striping, with the grant funds helping to stretch out the work they can do.
“So over the last two years, we’ve got over $1 million worth of striping that will happen in 2026 and 2027 with the grants that we got,” Moriarty stated.
The commissioners approved the request.
Moriarty then presented the LPA consulting contract, “and this is also an HSIP grant that we’ve received for $500,000, and this is for construction, engineering for the sign replacement. So we’ve got $500,000 for sign replacement. We’ve selected United Consultant, and this would be for the LPA consulting contract for that one. Again, this is 90/10. This will help us replace a lot of those old huge posts that we have to make breakaway throughout the county.”
The commissioners approved.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Heard from County Veteran Service Officer Darryl McDowell that veterans enrolled in the Veterans Health Care System should check the expiration date on their cards to ensure they have not expired. If they have, just visit any enrollment and eligibly office in any Veterans Administration (VA) clinic to have it renewed as soon as possible. He said it wasn’t a “showstopper” for a veteran to receive medical help, but it’ll help update records, which matters “for a lot of reasons,” he said.
• Approved for the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office to purchase six vehicles for 2025, from the department’s vehicle budget, as requested by Lt. Mike Mulligan.
The vehicles include two 2025 Chevrolet Police Package Tahoes from Kelly Chevrolet at $52,070 each; three 2025 Ford Explorers from Kerlin Motors for $43,493 each; and one 2025 F150 Police Super Crew pickup truck from Model-1 Ford for $46,217.
• Approved Kosciusko County Community Corrections to apply for a 2026 Indiana Department of Corrections yearly grant for $350,755 and the 2026 Drug Court grant for $85,000. A letter of support also was approved to be signed.
• Approved Systems Administrator Eric Sorenson’s request to renew an agreement for Intrasect WatchGuard Security for three years for $16,950 for software.
• Approved Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver’s request to approve seven memorandums of understanding that pertain to Health First Indiana annual grants. The MOUs have successfully been through the grant approval process, he said, including through the Health First Board and the Board of Health.
The MOUs are with Northern Indiana Maternal & Child Health Network, Wawasee Community School Corp., Grace College Center for Literacy & Learning, Tippecanoe Valley School Corp., Lakeland Christian Academy, Warsaw Community School Corp. and Pierceton Elementary School.
• Heard a fourth quarter Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP) report from Kosciusko County Community Coordinator Amy Roe.
She said the first ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Chinworth Bridge trail extension should be March 20, with other project ribbon-cutting ceremonies tentatively planned for April, May, June and July.
• Heard a fourth quarter report from Stillwater Hospice Chief Development Officer Mary Shankster.
• Heard a presentation on Equity Protect property fraud prevention from County Recorder Deb Wright and Dusty Wicker, Computer Systems Inc. account executive.
• Approved a wetland mitigation contract extension, as requested by Moriarty. He said this was the second extension for bridge 18, which is on CR 300.
“This would be for Santec. And what this is, is a renewal just to kind of monitor the site where we have. This is something that is ongoing. We’ve had to do this for a few years, we’re just extending out two more,” he said.
• Approved for Chris Rager to be appointed to the county’s security committee.