Pictured, Emergency Management Director Ed Rock and Kosciusko Commissioner President Brad Jackson in front, with photobomb credits to Kosciusko Commissioner Vice-President Bob Conley.

WARSAW — “Last month we added 300 people employed in this county, but our unemployment rate went up .2 percent,” Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation President George Robertson stated, while giving a quarterly update at the Kosciusko Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Sept. 19.

Robertson noted calling the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to inquire about this.

“I called DWD and said ‘This doesn’t compute. We have more people working than we’ve ever had in the history of the county, and our unemployment rate went up. What happened?’” said Robertson.

According to Robertson, Indiana Department of Workforce Development responded that a large number of people who dropped out of the workforce are coming back in.

“The good news is that the Indiana Department of Workforce Development has noticed that, as wages have gone up in northern Indiana, people are coming back into the workforce,” said Robertson.

“We’re having another good year in Kosciusko County in terms of the economy,” Robertson shared, “We continue to grow. Indiana and Kosciusko County continue to be places that businesses seek out.”

Robertson added, “We are cautious about trying to get a lot of new jobs announced, though, because we have a shortage of workers.”

According to Robertson, studies show that 20-25 percent of applicants are failing drug tests.

“Drugs continue to be a problem that is affecting our workforce,” Robertson stated, announcing that studies show that somewhere between 40-50 percent of males out of the workforce have a drug problem.

Robertson shared that Marshall County has announced the upcoming closure of two major employers. Del Monte Foods will be ceasing production at their Plymouth facility in November, and TreeHouse Foods Inc., the parent company of Bay Valley Foods, issued a statement that they will be closing their facility in Plymouth. Robertson said there will be approximately 225 people who will be out of work in the next few months in Marshall County, adding, “We want to get as many of those people as we can to come to Kosciusko County.”

Robertson cited affordable housing in northern Indiana as another contributor to workforce issues.

“We still have our two major problems – affordable housing shortage and workforce development, but we’re making progress in both areas,” said Robertson.

Kosciusko Commissioner President Brad Jackson thanked Robertson for his quarterly update, stating, “It’s good for us to hear and good for the information to get in the press so that everyone can hear the encouraging news about what’s going on.”

Kosciusko County Area Planning Commission Area Planning Director Dan Richard submitted a rezoning petition for Mike Jefferson.

Jefferson wants to rezone 2.74 acres from agricultural to residential at the intersection of CR 500E and Wooster Road in Washington Township. Jefferson stated he would like to sell an accessory building located on the property and then subdivide the property into two lots. Richard informed commissioners that the request was met with unanimous approval by the Kosciusko County Area Planning Commission. A motion was made to approve the request, and the motion was seconded and approved.

County Attorney Chad Miner referred to a Hoffman Lake vacation that was granted back in 2014. Miner said this vacation has been undergoing a review process for the past couple of years. An agreed judgment has been reached, with a request for the commissioners to give consent to the judgment. This was approved.

Kosciusko County Highway Superintendent Scott Tilden requested that a bid opening date be set for the bridge 18 project on CR 300N over the Tippecanoe River. Tilden suggested 9:15 a.m. Oct. 31 as the bid opening date, which commissioners approved. As far as the construction schedule, Tilden reported, the main work would begin in late May.

“We would try to get the project completed before school starts back up again,” Tilden stated.

Commissioner Ron Truex asked, “Does this require some of the kids who walk to school to cross CR 300N twice?” When Tilden replied in the affirmative, stating that the walking path will be on the south side, Truex said, “It’s a darn shame that it’s going to turn out to be that awkward for the kids.”

Commissioner Vice-President Bob Conley agreed, stating, “That’s a treacherous stretch of road. The morning sun is in people’s eyes – it’s a bad situation all the way around, but if this is the best we can do…” at which time Truex added, “It’s a shame that this is the best we can do.”

Tilden also requested a bid date to be set at 9:15 a.m. Nov. 14 for annual county highway supplies. Commissioners approved this date and time.

In other news:

• County Auditor Michelle Puckett presented the 2018 Nonprofit Agreements, requesting that the commissioners sign the agreements so that they can be forwarded on for processing. The commissioners agreed to this and signed the documents.
• The next regular meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3.