County commissioners officially enacted home rule at Tuesday morning's meeting in the Old Courthouse.
That, along with a resolution stating that Kosciusko County is "economically distressed," will allow the county or businesses in the county to go after Build America Bonds.
County attorney Mike Miner reiterated that the county has no obligation to use the bonds.Commissioner Ron Truex provided some information on the ongoing issue with a potential countywide sewer district.
Truex told the board he'd like to ask for up to $10,000 to conduct studies as he has almost fully exercised the work of volunteers.
Truex said he hopes to present a petition to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District over the next several months to move closer to a countywide sewer district.
Truex said the goal of the countywide sewer district is to prevent it from being a tax for people but rather a service charge.
"No one in a sewer district pays for anyone else," said Truex. "It's a user fee not a tax."
Tom Metzger, Ferguson Road, Warsaw, spoke before the commissioners about what he called a "severe traffic problem" on Ferguson Road.
Metzger said he's talked to the highway department and that the new problem along the road is 18-wheelers using it. Metzger said he even talked to representatives of Louis Dreyfus.
Metzger laid some blame on law enforcement.
"If we had proper law enforcement of Ferguson Road, a deputy could pay his salary by issuing tickets," said Metzger.
The commissioners asked Highway Superintendent Dennis Pletcher to work Ferguson Road into an edict for Rozella Road to keep 18-wheelers from using it to get from Ind. 25 to Ind. 15.
Bob Conley informed the commissioners that he continues to work with the census.
Conley said there will be a media day Nov. 17 at the justice building at 9 a.m.
The commissioners approved the nomination of Richard Maron to the Veteran Affairs Office.
Conley said six people were interviewed for the position.
Maron is a 13-year veteran of the US Air Force and currently a pastor for a local church.
The work on the county courthouse dome has finally been completed.
County Administrator Ron Robinson told the commissioners that there were overages, but despite that the total cost was still $26,000 lower than the next lowest bid.
The total cost of the project was $32,835.
Conley said that he went up in the dome and attested that there were holes in the dome that needed to be patched. Those problems, according to Conley, were unforeseen.
The commissioners approved the overages.
Pletcher gave updates on the Old 30 project.
Pletcher said patching on the eastbound lane is finished.
The project came out of federal stimulus money and could only be used for "preventative maintenance," according to Pletcher.
The board approved a credit card agreement that allows the treasurer's office to take credit cards.
Treasurer Sue Ann Mitchell also presented a contract for computer software to be approved by the commissioners.
As a point of full disclosure, Mitchell said that she had previously worked for the software company but was no longer drawing a salary.
The software will replace Microsoft Excel in making up spreadsheets and allow the data to be pulled together for reports.
The board also tabled a possible decision on whether or not to use the company Just Energy.
Steve Dixon, from Enchanted Hills, asked the commissioners for its help in area planning and redevelopment of the Enchanted Hills area. Dixon asked the board to be a co-applicant on a grant.
The commissioners didn't make a decision on that at Tuesday's meeting.
Commissioners also appointed Gavin Miller and Angela Stillson to the Nappanee Library Board.
