With the Commissioners approving their two appointments to the Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation Department Board on Tuesday, all five positions have been filled.
They unanimously voted to appoint Mike Cusick for a four-year term and Matt Metzger for a two-year term to the Board.
“We had a great turnout of multiple individuals who wanted to serve on this board,” Commissioner Cary Groninger said. “... I have talked to both individuals. They are excited about the opportunity to serve. They’re both very active in outdoor activities here in our county. Have a heart for that. I think they will be great additions to the Board that have already been selected.”
County Auditor Michelle Puckett and the County Council announced and approved their appointments on Thursday at the Council’s meeting.
Puckett said she appointed Troy Turley for a one-year annual appointment. The County Council appointed Aggie Sweeney, Democrat, to a two-year term on the Board and Rob Bishop, Republican, to a four-year term.
She said she will contact all the appointees and work on the Board’s first meeting and all the business that has to be completed to move forward.
“So excited to get to this point,” Puckett said.
Groninger said as part of the agreement that was put together, the county auditor will serve as the secretary for the Parks and Recreation Board because it is a volunteer board and “we want to make sure the volunteers weren’t burdened with the record keeping of all that as well as making sure everything is up to snuff and we’re in good hands with the auditor doing that for us.”
The Parks and Recreation Board meetings will be held and conducted like all the other county meetings are, Puckett said. There will be an agenda, minutes and will be livestreamed because they are official meetings.
In other business, the Commissioners approved a bid for the demolition of the property at 9020 S. Smalley Lane, Claypool.
The property was owned by Tim Hedrick. During the July 5 Commissioners meeting, county attorney Ed Ormsby reported the property was now owned by the county. The property has been an eyesore for neighbors for a number of years, but now it will be demolished, cleaned up and sold at auction.
Kosciusko County Health Department environmental scientist Bill Baxter said Tuesday he received three quotes for the demolition of the property, all were from contractors the county has used in the past.
The quotes were $8,500 from Chuck Shane Excavating; $4,974, Greene Excavating; and $6,500 from SiteWorx Services.
Commissioner Bob Conley made a motion to accept the lowest bid from Greene Excavating for $4,974. Commissioner Brad Jackson abstained from voting, so Groninger provided the second and the motion was approved 2-0.
The Commissioners also approved to recommend to give all the nonprofits that requested funding in 2023 a 4% increase over the amount they received in 2022, except St. Joe River Basin, whose funding will remain the same. The amounts for the nonprofits are a maximum amount and the County Council will make the final determination on how much to budget for the nonprofits.
Jackson said St. Joe River Basin wasn’t getting an increase because they had a “significant” increase a few years ago as far as percentage-wise and they did not ask for an increase for 2023.
In 2022, Kosciusko County 4-H Council was approved for $44,347 and a 4% increase would add $1,773.88 in 2023; Cardinal Services was approved for $104,980, a 4% increase adds $4,199.20 in 2023; Home Health Care & Hospice was approved for $48,087, a 4% increase adds $1,952.28 in 2023; Kosciusko County Historical Society was approved for $22,337, with a 4% increase adding $893.48 in 2023; Beaman Home was approved for $32,139, with a 4% increase adding $1,285.56 in 2023; Kosciusko County Senior Services was approved for $32,139, with a 4% increase adding $1,285.56 in 2023; and St. Joe River Basin was approved for $3,705.
County Highway Superintendent Steve Moriarty requested the Commissioners approve a on-call contract with engineering consultant DLZ.
“This is for any event or cost estimating for any improvements that might be made on the roads,” he said.
The Commissioners approved 3-0.
Next, Moriarty requested to apply for the state’s Community Crossings grant.
“Every year we go for this. It’s been a very rewarding and successful grant that we’ve put in for over the years,” he said.
The matching grant is for up to $1 million. Moriarty said the Highway Department received a Community Crossings grant every year over the last four years.
“This year, we would like to put in for it again. We’d like to put in for up to a $1 million match, and that would be for Old 30 from State Road 13 to 400 East and then from Pierceton Road from the city limits of Winona to the city limits of Pierceton,” Moriarty said.
The Commissioners unanimously approved for the Highway Department to apply for the Community Crossings grant.
“I like your batting average on that one. It’s good,” Jackson told Moriarty.
