County’s Fiber Infrastructure Project Set For Next Step

Kosciusko County Administrator Marsha McSherry presented a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city of Warsaw for the county’s fiber infrastructure project to the county commissioners on Tuesday.
“Currently, the county is working towards having a fiber connection from the (Kosciusko County Highway Department) to the Justice Building,” she said. “Currently, we have a line of sight connection, so working on this would make us totally redundant.”
The MOU covers the responsibilities that would occur with the fiber going into the city of Warsaw Police Department building, she said, recommending the commissioners approve the MOU.
“They are pretty close to being ready to start the fiber from Work Release to that building,” she said.
The commissioners approved the MOU 3-0.
American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) Kosciusko County Representative Donnie Barton presented the annual proclamation declaring May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
“The weather is getting nice out. We’re going to be out there more and more. We need you to keep an eye out for us. We need to keep an eye out for you guys. There’s way too many accidents that have happened,” he stated.
Commissioner Bob Conley read the proclamation.
In other business, the commissioners approved:
• A contract for construction inspection by USI Consultant for the bridge 139 project between the consultant and the Kosciusko County Highway Department (KCHD), as requested by KCHD Superintendent Steve Moriarty. The bridge is over the Eel River in the southern part of the county and is the county’s largest bridge, he said.
• Moriarty’s request to purchase a Cross-Tech 80x36 Conveyor stacker from Finlay Midwest, Angola, for $55,200. The funds are in his budget.
“The reason we selected them is because of serviceability. They service on-site and they also have parts that are readily available in the United States that can get to us. This would be in addition to help our new Pug Mill so that we can make sure we can stack it far enough away,” Moriarty explained.
• A service agreement with Wildman for all the mats entering the buildings at the KCHD, as requested by Moriarty.
• For the county prosecutor’s office to apply for the reimbursable 2026 Indiana Criminal Justice Institute VOCA (Victims Of Crime Act) Grant for $110,500.
• The Kosciusko Area Bus Service (KABS) calendar year 2025 grant closeout and the de-obligation letter from the Indiana Department of Transportation, as presented by General Manager Kristin Rude.
• Including the property at EMS C31 #34 in the Tippecanoe Chapman Regional Sewer District, as presented by Steve Henschen, engineer with Jones, Petrie & Rafinski. He said the property owner had a failing septic system and wants to be included in the sewer district as they currently aren’t in the service area.
The property owner, since they weren’t included in the orignal project, is responsible to buy their own grinder station, get it installed according to district standards and then the district will take over operations of that grinder. The district’s board of directors last week indicated that if the commissioners pass the inclusion of territory request, the district would accept it.
• The Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District lien and restrictive covenant agreement and sub-recipient agreement for the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) Community Block Grant funds totaling $560,000 the sewer district was awarded, as presented by County Auditor Alyssa Schmucker on behalf of Shannon McLeod, Baker Tilly. Commissioner Cary Groninger also was approved to sign the documents.
Schmucker said county attorney Ed Ormsby reviewed them. The county is serving as the pass-through for the funds so the documents needed to be approved by the commissioners for the funds to go through the county.
Commissioner Cary Groninger said the $560,000 is money the Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District will be able to use to improve the drinking water quality for Imagination Place and Enchanted Hills.
• Standard contracts with Reedy Financial and Baker Tilly for redevelopment and financial transaction guidance, as presented by Schmucker.