Proposed Tax Abatement, Funds Allocated
WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Council met 7 p.m. Jan. 14, to discuss salary ordinances, appropriations and tax abatement.
During the meeting, Ed Rock, emergency management director, presented a hefty grant sum before the council for Homeland Security training; bioterrorism preparedness, emergency management preparedness, emergency management alliance of Indiana, District 2 training and hazardous material emergency preparedness.
According to Rock, these categories are for planning and training county agencies in case of a local attack of terrorism. Rock noted though the training will initially be paid for by the county, it will later be reimbursed by both state and federal agencies.
Jon Fussle, council member, questioned Rock on the need of such high cost training programs to which Rock replied, “As someone once said, ‘the only thing harder than being prepared is to explain why you weren’t.'”
“If you think about that a little bit, if we are not prepared in this county you’re (council) going to be the ones that have to answer the question why, because I’ll tell you I’m obviously doing what I can do to make us prepared and if you shoot these things down, and this is not a threat, I’m just explaining how it is. If you shoot these things down I don’t have the resources to become prepared,” explained Rock.
The motion was approved with a vote of 6 to 1, with Fussle being the lone dissenter.
Richard Helm, attorney, came before the council as a representative of Texmo (formerly Medcast, Inc). Helm requested permission to advertise a public hearing in regards to a 10-year tax abatement at the February council meeting. Texmo is an orthopedic manufacturer.
Helm stated the company plans an expansions of $2.5 million in equipment, $2 million in real estate and the hiring of 25 additional employees, which will put approximately $625,000 back into the community.
In other business:
- An election of officers was held. Robert Sanders was reinstated as president and Brad Tandy elected as vice-president.
- The council approved Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine’s commissary items request. Rovenstine also presented the 2015 jail statistics.
- County maintenance was approved for a transfer of $9,000 from housekeeping part-time to maintenance full-time with an approval to hire for the new full-time maintenance position.
- Safety funds were approved for the railroad grant.
- A new full-time position was approved for the ongoing Kosciusko County Alcohol and Drug program.