It was a little complicated to pin down, but Kosciusko County Commissioners simplified the process for applying for disaster grants this morning. Commissioners voted to require only the signature of one commission member or, with a member’s OK, the signature of the county administrator or assistant administrator on grant applications from the Emergency Management office. Emergency Manager Ed Rock made the request to change the current requirement for a full board vote, saying some grants have too short a turnaround time to wait for that approval. The loosened requirement streamlines the process and is similar to what the county has done for other departments, Commissioner Bob Conley noted. Rock first proposed requiring the signature of only the commission president or county administrator, but commissioners observed that it wouldn’t be much of an improvement if neither of those two were guaranteed to be available. They settled on the signatories they wanted after a little back-and-forth discussion. Also this morning, commissioners approved an issuance of bonds resolution for road improvements and fiber optic installation for the North Central Cooperative facility in Mentone. The $900,000, 25-year bond with a maximum interest rate of 6 percent will be repaid through the Tax Increment Finance District established for the co-op. Andy Mouser, an Umbaugh and Associates manager, told commissioners the TIF is expected to generate 125 to 150 percent of the funds needed, and may exceed expectations for 2016. Commissioners also approved today: • A street vacation request from Randy and Diane Showalter for a portion of Shelf Drive north of Sechrist Lake. Area Plan Director Dan Richard noted most of the road has already been vacated and that the Plan Commission was unanimous in recommending vacation of this 15-foot-wide segment. • A flood control ordinance to go along with new maps developed over the past several years by Area Plan, the Department of Natural Resources and Federal Emergency Management Agency. Changes in the maps, which are used for insurance and regulatory purposes and which were last updated in 1987, include removing a lot of homes from the floodplain around Chapman Lake, said Assistant Plan Director Matt Sandy. The new maps take effect Sept. 30 and may be viewed at dnrmaps.dnr.in.gov/appsphp/fdms and the Kosciusko County section of beaconbeta.schneidercorp.com. • Lowering the speed limit to 25 mph within the Hawthorne Estates subdivision at CRs 450N and 250E, near Little Chapman Lake. The change was requested by the subdivision board of directors and an engineering study determined the appropriate speed, Highway Superintendent Scott Tilden said.
