Kosciusko Commissioners Approve Grant Request By Community Corrections
KOSCIUSKO — At the Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting held Tuesday, Jan. 8, Director of Kosciusko County Community Corrections Anna Bailey requested permission to apply for an Indiana Department of Corrections Community Supervision grant in the amount of $541,000.
“We are also requesting two additional officers — a drug court case manager and a home detention officer,” said Bailey. “Our program is growing at an alarming rate.”
Bailey described this as, “a necessary evil since we are helping to get these people rehabilitated and back out into the community and out of the jail.”
“Over the past month we’ve been adding about four participants per week, and at this point, I just don’t have the staff to accommodate the numbers that are coming in,” Bailey said. “By next year, with the new court coming in, we’re probably going to be upward of 200 participants that we’ll be supervising at one time.”
Bailey pointed out that this number reflects only the adult home detention participants, and does not include juvenile or drug court participants. According to Bailey, statistics released last month show that the cost of housing an offender is $52.61 per day.
Bailey informed commissioners that Kosciusko County Community Corrections has saved the State of Indiana approximately $5.681 million dollars since the start of June 2016. Bailey’s request was approved by commissioners.
Kosciusko Emergency Management Director Ed Rock presented a resolution for adopting the Kosciusko County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. Rock informed commissioners that the plan was revised in 2017 and recently received approval from FEMA.
“This is a required document for our flood insurance to be active in Kosciusko County, so it’s imperative that we get this signed,” said Rock. This was approved by commissioners.
Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation CEO Alan Tio and Kelley Sheiss from KEDCo asked commissioners for financial support to launch an agricultural initiative to take agribusiness to the next level in Kosciusko County. Commissioners stated they would take the request under advisement and make a decision at a later date.
County Highway Superintendent Scott Tilden presented an acceptance of a roadway for county maintenance. Bel Air Road in Prairie Estates starts at CR 200W and proceeds to the west for 1,414 feet, ending in a cul-de-sac. Tilden recommended that this road be accepted for county maintenance. When commissioners immediately approved this, Tilden said he also needed approval for an ordinance for a stop sign where Bel Air Road intersects with CR 200W. Commissioners gave approval for this as well.
Tilden then presented an ordinance for an amendment to a speed limit, extending the 45 mph speed limit on Old Road 30 from 500 feet east of Huffer Road to 990 feet west of CR 650W, which was approved.
Sealed bids for a 3/4 ton county pickup truck were opened. Bids were received from Rice Ford Lincoln, Warsaw, in the amount of $33,654; Lakeside Chevrolet, Warsaw, in the amount of $35,715; and Kerlin Motor Company, Silver Lake, in the amount of $31,983.86. Commissioners approved Tilden’s request to review the bids and return with a recommendation at the Jan. 22 meeting.
Other News:
- Warsaw resident Richard B. “Dick” Higgins was honored as the veteran of the month.
- County Administrator Marsha McSherry presented three board appointments: Jon Garber for the Bowen Center, and Doug Baumgardner and Rob Parker for MREDD, a board which functions under MACOG. All were approved.
- The next regular meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22.