To help provide a buffer for county airports, including helipads and lakes for seaplanes, the Kosciusko County Commissioners approved a zoning ordinance amendment this morning.
The amendment creates a 5,000-foot buffer around those areas to protect them from things like communications towers and wind turbines coming into that area.
There are 15 registered airports in the county. That number includes areas of four lakes where seaplanes can land.
Fred Helfrich, from KC Velo Cycling Club, appeared before the commissioners to talk about how the county can move toward a Bicycle Friendly Community.
Helfrich said the club represents everyone who rides bikes and not just those interested in racing or competitions.
Helfrich said he would like to see a task force put together, and that in the future Warsaw and Winona Lake may partner to apply for a Bicycle Friendly Community status.
Helfrich said he may appear before the commissioners down the road to ask for a small amount of money in terms of funding “low-hanging fruit”-type projects.
Commissioner Ron Truex said the commissioners support such projects but have yet to provide funding toward any.
County Surveyor Dick Kemper was given approval to transfer $25,000 so he could purchase a new vehicle to replace his 1999 Ford pickup with 163,000 miles on it.
County Highway Superintendent Scott Tilden said his crews are currently working on paving throughout the county.
The highway department currently has a nearly three-week supply of cold patch mix for roads.
“The strike hasn’t terribly hurt us yet,” said Tilden. “But it may in the future.”
The highway department is working on projects where they can use cold patching mix until the strike is resolved.
That may hamper future projects, however, that require hot asphalt if the strike lasts longer than the next three weeks.
The commissioners also approved a purchase from WEFab for a set of steel stairs that will allow employees to remove and replace items on the roof without using what Robinson termed as an “unsafe” hatch.
The cost of the stairs is $9,460.
The board moved its final meeting of 2012 from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2, 2013.
Both commissioners Brad Jackson and Bob Conley said they would be on vacation at that time.
That change was made after County Auditor Marsha McSherry introduced the 2012 holiday and meeting schedule.
The commissioners’ next meeting is July 5 at 9 a.m. in the old courtroom at the Kosciusko County Courthouse.
