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Kosciusko County's newest commissioner is reaching out to his constituents for input on future issues.
Brad Jackson, who represents the northern district of Kosciusko County, said Friday he will host a meeting at 7 p.m., June 5 at the Leesburg Lions Building to discuss several issues, including the possible establishment of a county building inspector.
Jackson, who owns a Syracuse construction firm, said he is open to the idea, which has been proposed in the past. Currently, a large amount of new construction in unincorporated areas of the county is not inspected.
Jackson's willingness to discuss the issue has been somewhat expected since his election last year.
Jackson is a member and past president of the board of directors of the Builders Association of Kosciusko County, which led efforts a few years ago to establish the position.
Opponents in the past have viewed it as another form of government intrusion.
But Jackson said he sees the need on a regular basis for an inspector. Earlier this month, he was contacted by a homeowner who is having trouble with drainage in his crawl space.
Right now "there is no recourse," Jackson said. "If we had an inspector, it wouldn't have happened to begin with."
Fees would be established to cover the cost of the position, Jackson said.
The need for an inspector has been supported by the county plan commission for years, but a proposal made about six years ago was shot down by council officials.
Jackson said he chose Leesburg because it's in his district and close to Warsaw.
The meeting will serve as an opportunity to hear from the public on the inspector proposal and other issues.
Rarely in the past dozen years or so have the commissioners - let alone one commissioner - proposed a public meeting for the benefit of general discussion from constituents.
"It's kind of unusual for a commissioner to do that ... but I think it's important to know what the people want," Jackson said.
Jackson will also seek input on a junk car ordinance he wants the county to consider. Although one exists, he said it lacks effective enforcement capabilities.
The proposal would allow authorities to tow defined junk cars off lots at the owner's expense after a certain amount of time.
The ordinance would also stipulate the county not be held liable for damage to property when removing a vehicle. Jackson said the county was once held liable for damage to a yard when a vehicle was removed.
Jackson said he also wants to hear from the public about changes to the county's master plan, which was recently updated. More zoning classifications are needed, he said, to accommodate the complexities of a growing county.
To a certain degree, a more diverse zoning plan is needed to mesh better with Warsaw, he said.
Since taking office, Jackson has also actively supported establishing a compatibility form for people moving into agricultural areas. The form would prevent the new homeowner from filing complaints against farmers concerning farm-related activities.
The form has gained wide acceptance already. Although it has not been adopted, Jackson said he doesn't foresee any opposition.
Many of the ideas proposed fall within the jurisdiction of the plan department, and plan director Dan Richard said he likes the idea of a public meeting to assess sentiment. Without public input, policy formation can become guesswork, he said.
