By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – Kosciusko County Commissioners on Tuesday, Jan. 18, approved changing restrictions for roof-mounted solar energy systems in the county.

The action was taken at their regular meeting at the Kosciusko County Courthouse’s Old Courtroom.

County Area Planning Department Assistant Planner Matt Sandy presented the information on the topic before the commissioners.

According to Sandy, the area plan commission unanimously recommended eliminating size restrictions on the roof-mounted solar energy systems and will no longer require a building permit for those types of projects.

“As you know, a year and a half, two years ago we passed our solar ordinance amendment pretty well making it restrictive to those areas that we really wanted to see that development happen but allowing smaller systems to be built in places where they fit into the ordinance parameters that we set up,” said Sandy.

“We’re seeing more growth in the solar areas and businesses really looking at trying to implement that into their proximities and their systems. So with that, we’ve run into a couple of instances where our ordinance is restrictive enough that it’s not allowing them to install the solar that they want or need to on their business.”

“When we’re talking about that, we’re talking solely roof-mounted systems, we’re still staying with the parameters of ground-mounted systems, but looking at opening the door for anyone, this is industrial, residential which is already in the place to install roof-mounted systems on the building, on their existing building, existing roof that is out there, not extending beyond those roofs that were still within the setback areas that would have been within the parameters with the building and not looking at height.”

Sandy added that glare concerns had been considered and there would still be ways to regulate that issue.

Commissary report

Commissioners also heard a report related to the Kosciusko County Jail commissary from Kosciusko County Sheriff Kyle Dukes.

Kosciusko County Sheriff Kyle Dukes speaks at the Kosciusko County Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 18, at the Kosciusko County Courthouse’s Old Courtroom. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

Dukes shared what the sheriff’s office has purchased over the last six months from funds raised from commissary. The commissary comes from money people pay for inmates to purchase snacks and such.

He said the office bought three vehicles, two Dodge Chargers and one Ford Explorer.

“Purchasing the three vehicles after the trade was a cost of $68,081,” he said.

The office also installed new carpet, replaced the conveyor belt for the jail kitchen and bought office furniture and new Tasers among other things.

“The balance right now in our commissary is sitting right now at $214,927.72,” he said.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved allowing County Highway Superintendent Steve Moriarty to purchase a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado for the highway department from Lakeside Chevrolet in Warsaw for $43,953. That will come out of budgeted funds.
• Approved a request from Moriarty to advertise for bids for completing roadwork along Old SR 15 and Old US 30. That work will be paid for through the county’s Community Crossings grant money.

The commissioners’ next meeting is 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, at the county courthouse’s Old Courtroom.