NET43 Agreement Approved By County, Puckett Recognized For Outstanding Service
WARSAW — At the Kosciusko County Council meeting held Thursday, Oct 10, Sheriff Kyle P. Dukes asked the council to approve a Memo of Understanding with NET43 in order to more formally establish its protocols.
“The nice thing about this is that the rules are clearly laid out,” Dukes said. “This MOU keeps the open line of communication flowing.”
In February, the Sheriff’s Office, Warsaw Police, Winona Lake Police and the Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with Indiana State Police, developed the full-time drug enforcement unit known as NET43.
Council Member Kimberly Cates asked Dukes what would happen if the agencies were to part ways at some point in the future.
“What is owned by which organization?” Cates asked. “Is that inventoried somehow?”
“Everything is documented,” Dukes said. Upon dissolution of NET43, all forfeited property would be returned to the respective contributing agency. Any cash proceeds would be allocated pro-rata between all participating agencies according to a calculation formula described in the MOU.
Council approved the agreement.
The city of Warsaw approved the agreement last week.
In other matters, Council members approved two abatement declaratory resolutions related to Louis Dreyfus Company, Claypool — one for real estate and the other for personal property
Attorney Steve Snyder appeared at last month’s council meeting on behalf of Louis Dreyfus, regarding the company’s expansion project and asked council members to approve a declaratory resolution to begin the process of adoption of the final abatement resolution as well as a waiver since the process started before SP1reports were on file.
Both resolutions were presented as 10-year tax abatements.
A motion to approve the resolutions as presented was not seconded. Cates then motioned to accept the real estate as presented with a 10-year tax abatement and the personal property at a 5-year tax abatement. This motion was passed, with only Mike Long voting against it.
Council members signed a resolution presented by County Clerk Ann Torpy approving Kosciusko County as a vote center county.
Earlier this year, Torpy began gauging public interest in transitioning from using traditional assigned polling places to vote centers for the 2020 election.
Under the vote center system, any registered voter in the county can vote at any vote center in the county.
Other News:
- County Auditor Michelle Puckett was presented with a plaque in recognition of outstanding service and for receiving a perfect audit from the State Board of Accounts.
- Four items were approved for Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver, including a transfer, an additional appropriation and two salary ordinance amendments.
- County Emergency Management Director Ed Rock received approval to apply for four grants.
- Tina Ervin was approved as a member of the Milford Public Library Board.
- Puckett presented the 2020 Etna Green budget proposal and adoption, which was approved.
- The next regular meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14.