From left, County Council President Sue Ann Mitchell and County Councilman Ernie Wiggins chat with Kosciusko Commissioner President Cary Groninger following the Kosciusko Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Dec. 10. InkFreeNews photo by Lasca Randels.

KOSCIUSKO — Commissioners approved the following board appointments and department head appointments for 2020 at the Kosciusko County Commissioner meeting held Tuesday, Dec. 10. 

Board Appointments:
Alcohol Beverage Commission — Alan Alderfer
Area Plan Board — Kevin McSherry
Area Plan Board (Comm. member) — Bob Conley
Board of Zoning Appeals — Charlie Haffner and Lee Harman
Bowen Center — Jon Garber
Child Protection Team — Dave Bumbaugh
Kos. County Convention, Recreation and Visitors Convention —Kathy Ray and Mark Skibowski
Drainage Board — Cary Groninger
Emergency Mgmt. Adv. Board — Cary Groninger
Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation —Brad Jackson
Michiana Area Council of Governments — Cary Groninger
MACOG Regional Economic Development District— Doug Baumgardner and Rob Parker
OrthoWorx — Brad Jackson
Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals — Susie Stookey and Phyl Olinger
Redevelopment Commission — Bruce Woodward, Mike Metzger, Doug Hanes and Jeremy Mullins
St. Joseph River Basin — Jon Roberts
Wage Committee — Brad Jackson
Weights & Measures — Larry Marner (another position in this department is expected to be filled by the end of the year)
Strategic Planning Committee —Brad Jackson and Marsha McSherry

Department Head Appointments:
Area Plan Director — Dan Richard
County Administrator — Marsha McSherry
County Attorney — Chad Miner
Geographic Information Systems — Bill Holder
County Hwy. Superintendent — Steve Moriarity
Homeland Security/LEPC — Ed Rock
System Administrator — Bob Momeyer
Veteran Officer — Rich Maron

Misc. Recommendations for Appointments:
Board of Health — Terry Owens
Drainage Board — James Scott

Burket Fire Chief Kevin McSherry and Sidney-Jackson Township Fire Department Chief Kevin Wagner requested the release of $7,851.34 in communications grant funds to the Sidney-Jackson Township Fire Department. 

McSherry and Wagner were there representing the County Fire Association, which consists of 373 men and women from 14 different fire departments. McSherry said the CFA started a communications fund many years ago.

“When departments have a need for communication improvement — the consultant we’re presently working with calls them ‘bandaids’ — we’ve put many bandaids on our system over the years, and unfortunately we have the need right now for Jackson Township to have one of those bandaids because it maybe 18 months to two years before — if they system is approved and started — it might be 18-24 months before we get a resolution for their present problem. So we’re here today to ask that you release those funds,” McSherry said.

“I just want to clarify — we’ve done this in the past and it’s standard procedure,” Commissioner Bob Conley said. “The funds come from the K21 Foundation.”

“It does,” McSherry confirmed. “We’ve done repeaters in Mentone, Etna Green and Winona Lake out of this same fund, but you’ve changed your procedures to where we need to appear now. We’ll see Sue Ann (Mitchell) and the council Thursday evening with a similar request.”

“K21 gives us those funds directly and we just hold them until they go through our process,” County Auditor Michelle Puckett explained. 

The request was unanimously approved by commissioners.

Commissioners also approved a 2020 county attorney contract with Attorney Chad Miner; a lease agreement with the Kosciusko Teen Court Program; a memorandum of understanding with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office regarding animal control services; and an agreement with the Animal Welfare League in the amount of $150,000 for providing animal pickup services.

Other matters:

• Lawrence Gross of Pierceton was recognized as Veteran of the Month.
• The next regular meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 23. This meeting will be held on a Monday, rather than the standard Tuesday, due to the Christmas Eve holiday.