Three Named To Workforce Investment Board

After recruiting and screening possible nominees, the Northern Indiana Workforce Investment Board asked the Kosciusko County Commissioners Tuesday to appoint three area individuals to represent Kosciusko County on the board.

Another individual was sought for reappointment.

The commissioners appointed Michael L. Kubacki, Lake City Bank president; Jane Greene, CEO of the Cardinal Center; and Joy McCarthy-Sessing, Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce president.

Reappointed from the St. Joseph Valley Building-Trades Council was Doug Reinhold, Northeast Indiana Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship Council training coordinator.

NIWIB includes Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph counties. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 authorized the expenditure of federal funds for workforce investment activities in locally determined workforce investment areas. NIWIB has been designated by the governor as a legally constituted WIA.

Their membership size comprises 45 members appointed either by the chief local elected official or based on county population. Kosciusko County has four representatives based on its population of 70,363. Elkhart County has 10; Marshall County has four; and St. Joseph County has 13. There are 14 regional representatives.

Juan Manigault, NIWIB president and CEO, brought the list of nominees and the NIWIB agreement to the commissioners. He will return at a later meeting for their approval. All members of the NIWIB must approve the agreement before it can go into effect.

The agreement covers how appointments are made, the process and the fiscal agent of the board.

Manigault also told the commissioners, "We are in the process of establishing a new position for Kosciusko and Marshall counties that will coordinate the programs between the two counties."

He said the new position will help the two counties provide more access and more information to businesses.

In other business, Kosciusko County Treasurer Stephanie Esenwein told the commissioners the Board of Finance recently held their required annual meeting. Information on last year's investments was passed out at that time. She said a president needs to be appointed to the board by the commissioners, and commissioners Brad Jackson and Avis Gunter nominated commissioner Eddie Creighton, who was not present at the meeting.

Dan Richard, Area Plan director, brought two recommendations from the plan commission to the commissioners.

A recommendation for denial by the APC was heard by the commissioners.

Mike Miller had petitioned to rezone 7.14 acres from an Ag District to an Ag II District on property on the east side of CR 300E and south of CR 1300N in Van Buren Township.

The commissioners approved the recommendation for denial.

Before they made their decision, Richard said, "What's happened on this tract of ground is that they have maxed out their allotted number of sell-offs."

He also said, "Bottom line to it all is a recommendation from the Area Plan Commission not to rezone it from an Agricultural District to an Agricultural II District."

In his own defense, Miller said, "It's not fair to me that I want to build me a retirement house without moving my brother from the property."

Several remonstrators had sent in letters against the rezoning. Bruce Grindle, a remonstrator who lives the north of Miller, said, "We're opposed to most of the reasons stated in our petition and the reasons Mr. Richard brought up. We were happy the way it was. We'd like to keep it with one property on it."

Grindle said if they allowed the rezoning to occur, that would open the door to a possibility of more homes moving in and overcrowding the area.

Jackson said, "My feeling is that if he lets two lots, that's OK. My problem is that Ag II lets more in."

Jackson said he would like to see something implemented where an Ag II District could be set at a specific number of lots. Richard said the commissioners' attorney and the APC attorney should get together to discuss such an option and see if it was within legal bounds.

No highway matters were brought to the commissioners Tuesday.