It’s a little too early in the Tippecanoe River cleanup project to notify everyone who lives along the river, Kosciusko County Commissioners reminded residents this morning. Two riverside residents attended the meeting to ask about the project, which the county began looking at late last year along with Kosciusko Lakes and Streams and the Tippecanoe River Property Owners Association. Commissioners voted in December to allow Emergency Management Director Ed Rock to seek bids for cleanup work in order to get an idea of cost. That will in turn determine applications for grant funding. Riverside resident Nash Brallier asked commissioners why he and others received no notice of early meetings about the project. He added that he does see a need for the project. “The river is so badly damaged after the drought. I’ve never seen it so bad, and I’ve lived here nearly 60 years,” he said. Rock responded that property owners with the largest exposure to the river were picked to attend early meetings held at Grace College. Commissioner Ron Truex added that it’s premature to notify everyone at this point, since they’re now only trying to get grants and determine the best way to proceed. Truex was chosen by other commissioners as commission president earlier in the meeting. Brad Jackson was named vice president. Also during the meeting, County Treasurer Sue Mitchell informed commissioners on property tax collection on mobile homes. She said there are a little more than 3,600 mobile homes in the county and that they have only collected about 53 percent of taxes on them. Title transfers in particular are a sticking point, she said, since the transferee is not always legally able to hold property. And she described the process of persuing delinquent taxes as labor-intensive. Commissioners agreed there must be a better way to collect the taxes. Mitchell said she will have something for County Council this month. And commissioners approved the installation of yield signs at the roundabout at Zimmer Road and Old 30; and the removal of stop signs at the intersection as well as on a section of CR 1350N that was vacated last year.
