Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Sue Studebaker was named permanent director of the Kosciusko County Solid Waste District Board Wednesday.
Studebaker, who replaces Marsha Eikenberry, served the district as education coordinator and interim director. Eikenberry left in March for employment with the Bowen Center.
Rachel Brandenberg was introduced as office assistant and assistant educator, and works 25 hours a week.
With a degree in biology and an associate's degree in chemical methods, Brandenberg was described as an asset to the district.
The board discussed hiring a controller, who will oversee the finances of the district, and the application of CPA Kevin Ousley of Pierceton for the position.
Ousley's proposal was to charge $100 per month for his services.
The controller would serve as the official custodian of all the district's money, a task Eikenberry handled as director.
The parameters of the position were outlined and the board asked that Ousley be contacted to attend the next board meeting.
Studebaker also was asked to advise Dale Custer, Superior Excavating, of the board's expectations in regard to leasing the windrow machine.
The district has paid, through an Indiana Department of Environmental Management grant, for half of the equipment. In March the final draft of the public/private partnership agreement with Superior Excavating for the operation of a county compost site was approved.
Custer will own the equipment at the end of three years.
The county composting site is next to the highway garage on old U.S. 30.
Custer also is expected to take the windrow turning machine to towns where yard waste has been collected and use it to turn massive amounts of material during the composting process. The machine can process mounds 16 feet wide and 6 feet high.
Resolutions to begin the purchase of a Union Street building for the district were not prepared by attorney Mike Armey.
In other business the board:
• Heard from Armey regarding purchase of a new facility.
The property, at 214 and 220 S. Union St., will be purchased from Jerry Lee Buchan for $200,000.
Armey recommended Baker and Daniels as bond counselors for the purchase.
• Heard the Indiana Youth Environmental Summit will be April 28 at the Whitko Middle School from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The district will participate in the summit.
• Heard the April 7 electronics and computer recycling effort received items from 134 cars.
Computer components (200 pieces), televisions (55), VCRs (43), answering machines (5), stereos (22), telephones (29) and other items were accepted. The district charged $5 per carload.
• Board members attending the meeting were Maurice Beer, Ron Truex, president Joe Thallemer, Rolly Ortega and Avis Gunter. Ernie Wiggins and Brad Jackson were absent.
The board meets at 1 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month in the Solid Waste District office, 112 E. Center St., Warsaw.
