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Victim's advocates help those who are victims of such crimes as domestic violence, rape or other violent crimes.
However, if an advocate and the victim can't speak the same language, the victim can't be helped.
Monday, Kosciusko County Prosecutor Chuck Waggoner told the Kosciusko County Council that when the victim's advocates are called out, the victim often speaks only Spanish. There is one Spanish-speaking volunteer in the victim's advocate program, but she is being "worn out."
Waggoner said he has found that there is money available for a part-time person, to be used as needed, to help. He asked the council to approve the grant, and in turn, the county must offer an in-kind gift, which Waggoner said would be office space.
Otherwise, he said, if the victim's advocates keep using the same Spanish-speaking volunteer as they have, "I imagine we'll lose her. ... It's a very serious concern and for a victim to not have someone he or she can speak to, it just multiplies the problem."
"This," said councilman Jim Tranter, "is something that's not going to go away whether we like it or not." Tranter moved to approve the grant. It was approved unanimously. A salary ordinance could not be passed, however, until the wage committee reviewed the position and brought it before the council at the January meeting.
The council also approved a Father & Families grant for the prosecutor's office. The grant will provide a person for the office to follow up on "troubling" child-support cases, Waggoner told the council. The position is temporary as long as the grant money is available.
The prosecutor's office was also approved to spend $834 and to use a federal grant for approximately $8,000 to get Kosciusko County felons into a federal database system quicker.
Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine's contract for 2001 was approved by the council. He will receive $76,320. Kosciusko County Administrator Ron Robinson said the salary is "based on population of the county" and Rovenstine approved the contract.
Rovenstine's contract was for approximately $72,000 in 2000 and $70,000 in 1999.
In another matter, Robinson told the council the county and the state have been in talks for the last seven months "or longer" about involving Kosciusko County in an emergency services communication program that would allow all emergency services to "talk" to one another.
For the program to work, everyone's radios would have to be updated to 800 megahertz.
If they started the program, it would be geared toward police agencies first but would include other agencies eventually.
While the state's expenses would be to upgrade two communication towers in the county, Kosciusko County's expenses, Robinson said, would be "to upgrade our dispatch center." He said Kosciusko County was chosen because they have the newest, most up-to-date dispatch center. The cost? Approximately $134,000, Robinson said.
He said he was not recommending anything at this time, but simply wanted the council to be aware of the situation.
As for the Justice Building expansion project, Robinson said, "As of last week, they're a little ahead of schedule."
In other business, the council:
• Approved transfers for: maintenance department, $2,000; sheriff's department, $10,000, from a grant; county commissioners, $5,000; highway department, $15,000; and four for the prosecutor's office, for a total of approximately $8,703.
• Approved funds from user fees assessed from drug-related offenses to be used as the Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education recommended. KCODE was formerly called the Local Coordinating Council for a Drug-Free Indiana.
The money is to be used for drug prevention, education and law enforcement. Twenty-five percent of the money must be used in each category.
Of the $148,274.75 requested by various agencies for the money, $98,000 will be awarded.
For prevention and education, KCODE will award approximately $32,000. For intervention and treatment, $24,500 will be awarded. Not including $7,000 for the KCODE coordinator's salary, mileage and supplies, the remaining monies will go toward law enforcement and judicial expenses.
• Approved the 2001 reassessment salary ordinance amendment. Reassessment field workers will receive $10.60 per hour; clerical positions will receive $8; and trustees will receive $20 per hour. An additional appropriation in January will be required.
• Approved a 2001 salary amendment for the county jail part-time nurse. She was mistakenly left out when the county approved 2001 salaries.
• Approved Kenneth Johnson to continue to serve on the Alcoholic Beverage Commission and Gerald Bitner to serve on the Property Taxes Assessment Board of Appeals.
• Recognized Kosciusko County Highway Superintendent and Engineer Rob Ladson as being recognized by the Indiana Association of County Commissioners as the Superintendent of the Year.
• Recognized outgoing councilman Lewis Bertsch for his 12 years of service and councilwoman Kathryn Teel for her 16 years of service to the county.
"I have really appreciated serving on the county council and I have really enjoyed it," said Bertsch.
• County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell recognized councilman Harold Jones for not missing a meeting all year.
County council members are: Brad Tandy, Tranter, Tom Anglin, John Kinsey, Bertsch, Harold Jones and Teel.
