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Despite the rumors and what people have been saying, Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine told the county commissioners Tuesday, "I find it hard to believe any two-mile stretch of county road gets any more attention than CR 350W."
At a previous county commissioner meeting, several residents along CR 350W insinuated the road is not patrolled by the county sheriff's department as often as other roads.
Rovenstine provided the commissioners with a summary of the citations and warnings issued in 2000 for the stretch of road on CR 350W between U.S. 30 and Old Road 30.
There were 123 citations issued: 57 were summons and 66 were warnings. Of the summons, 33 were speed citations; 15 were seat belt violations; three were for driving while suspended; three were for driving while intoxicated; one was for habitual traffic violator; one was for public intoxication; and one was for no license in possession. Of the warnings, 56 were for speeding, six were seat belt warnings and four were stop sign warnings.
For several years, the county has had federal funds for road work in the area of CR 350W. Ladson discovered late last year that money was there.
With the money, the county can upgrade CR 350W, build a new road and bridge from Old 30 to Park Schramm Road over Tippecanoe River and put in a new road from Park Schramm Road to Crystal Lake Road, including an overpass for the railroad.
In December, the commissioners reaffirmed proceeding with the project "in all three phases and with the use of federal aid." The aid will cover 80 percent of the construction cost but none of the engineering and right of way acquisition cost. Since federal funds will be used, federal guidelines must be followed.
However, many residents in the area oppose the project.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Held a board of finance meeting. County Treasurer Stephanie Esenwein said the last meeting was Jan. 18, 2000. Then they had just less than $11 million in certificates of deposit; there is more than $12 million this year. They have more than $1.2 million in interest in the sweep account this year and are holding eight CDs.
County commissioner Ron Truex was named president of the board of finance and Esenwein was named secretary.
• Approved the installation of "no parking" signs near the Wawasee Yacht Club, Syracuse.
• Accepted Willie's East Ridge Subdivision, CR 325E, east of Warsaw, into the county road system contingent upon the approval of the highway department in the spring.
• Kosciusko County Highway Superintendent and Engineer Rob Ladson said he's been targeting upgrading the department's state inventory maps of the county roads.
Some roads on the map aren't physically maintained by the county because the county can't maintain them (such as a road too narrow to be snow-plowed) and some roads the county maintains aren't on the map. He said he wants to pursue getting the map corrected.
Once corrected, it will be sent to the state, which bases the amount of money the county highway department gets on the miles of road on the map.
"The goal," said Ladson, "is to get this map correct and get it into the GIS system."
• Approved to try to refinance the bonds for the Justice Building expansion project to get a lower interest rate. The bonds currently have an interest rate of 5.75 percent and the county wants to get an interest rate of 4.75 percent.
By refinancing the bonds, commissioner attorney Mike Miner said, they may be able to save more than $250,000.
• Opened bids for the highway department for two single-axle cab and chassis trucks and one tandem-axle cab and chassis truck. There were three bidders and Ladson will recommend a bid to the commissioners in two weeks "providing everything is in order."
Kosciusko County Commissioners are: president Brad Jackson, vice president Avis Gunter and Ron Truex. They meet at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse every other Tuesday.
