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Economic Development Income Tax will be the talk of most council meetings this month.
Marta Hopkins, a representative of the local Home Builders Association, presented each county council member with a letter Thursday representing the opinions of local realtors and home builders concerning EDIT. Hopkins then spoke to the county council about the need to approve EDIT.
She said Kosciusko County is a "fantastic" county and the council needs to protect what the county has while expanding infrastructure. One question many businesses and industries have when they ask about the county, Hopkins said, is about the sewers. Without improvement in the sewer system, Kosciusko County will not get more industry or businesses to come into the county.
"We need to get our heads out of the sand," she told the council. "This is not a Warsaw problem, this is a county problem."
Councilman John Kinsey told Hopkins, "We've got to be careful about labeling this a sewer tax."
No other councilman commented on the matter.
In other business, Quorum Health Group will no longer supply the nurse for the Early Start Prenatal Clinic, Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver told the council. The nurse's salary was paid by Kosciusko Community Hospital. Quorum bought KCH and will stop paying the nurse's salary beginning in March.
Weaver asked the council for a transfer of funds from three accounts to pay the salary of the nurse beginning in March through the end of the year. Weaver said the Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation wants to meet with him. Hopefully, he said, he may not need the transfer after discussions with the foundation, but he wants the money available just in case.
Donald Sweatland has resigned from the Warsaw Public Library board. Carolyn Nye, Wayne Township, was approved to replace him. Council also of appointed Diane Warren to the Bell Memorial Public Library board and Jeff Carroll to the Winona Lake Economic Development Commission.
Howard Long was reappointed to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission for another year. County Council President Brad Tandy was reappointed as a Kosciusko Development Inc. liaison. and Councilman Kathryn Teel was reappointed to the board of the Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District, both for another year.
Karen Lowry, 4-H Extension office, introduced 4-H member and junior leader Lindsay Henry, who told the county council what the junior leaders have been working on the 4-H Memorial Gardens and working with the Boys & Girls Club. The memorial garden is a tribute to 4-H members who have died.
Henry said it "was really neat" working with the kids. They also delivered holiday food and care baskets to families who don't have much food.
"You can tell that they're really appreciative of what we're doing," Henry said.
She also announced the 4-H fair would be July 10 to 18 this year. She thanked the county council for their past support of 4H.
