Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety approved grant funding for the Krebs Trailhead Park in Warsaw Friday. The board approved accepting $20,000 in funding for the park from the Kosciusko County Convention Recreation and Visitor Commission. The funds will be used to install a restroom facility. The park will connect expanding recreational assets such as the greenway for bicyclists and pedestrians. It will connect Winona’s Heritage Trail and Warsaw’s Chinworth Trail. The board, at its Sept. 21 meeting, approved a property donation at the intersection of East Market and McKinley streets. At its September meeting, the board also approved a $50,000 donation from OrthoWorx that will be used for the trailhead park construction. Staci Young, Warsaw recreation director, informed the board the commission has committed $20,000 for the project. “The funding will allow us to start moving forward with the planning and bidding quote process and get the ball rolling,” Young said. The funding will allow for a future county bike and pedestrian system, Young said. Young said the goal of the trailhead is to be a center point for people visiting the county. Dave Taylor, commission member, said the group is working toward to spending tourism dollars judiciously. “Tourists may come here for two weeks, but local citizens are here 365 days of the year,” Taylor said. Board member Jeff Grose moved to approve accepting the grant funding, seconded by board member Charlie Smith. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the city will do a fair amount of the work on the trailhead park to keep costs down. The city met with R.W. Armstrong officials Thursday to look at preliminary maps for the trailhead. “Warsaw will truly be the hub of the county trail system,” Thallemer said. “We are very excited about this.” The board also approved a $25,591.45 payment to R.W. Armstrong for work on a bicycle and pedestrian master plan. The board also approved grant funding for the Warsaw Police Department of $35,804 through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute for the department’s Victim Assistance program. The board also approved a $22,297 payment to Lee Batalis Construction to install helical piles around the perimeter of the new garbage pacer building that is under construction. The results of soil borings that were taken indicated pilings to be necessary, Lacy Francis, street superintendent, said.The board approved Warsaw Police Department officers Jason Dobbins, Justin Curtis and Jordan Roberts as replacement officers. Curtis’ and Dobbins’ salaries will be $1,576.41 bi-weekly, and Roberts’ salary will be $1,438.22 bi-weekly. Dobbins has served as a Plymouth Police Department officer for the past nine years and is a lifetime Warsaw resident. Curtis is a lifetime Kosciusko County resident and served on the Syracuse Police Department for the past seven years and Roberts is a resident of Leo and graduate of Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne. The board also approved WPD hiring an officer to fill the vacancy of an officer who will serve in the National Guard for active status. Steven Prater, street refuse collector, will receive a $13.96-per-hour salary.
