Budget Requests From Sheriff’s Office And Other Departments OK’d By County Council
WARSAW — At the Kosciusko County Council meeting held Thursday, Sept. 12, members of the Kosciusko County Council approved multiple budget requests for 2020.
Shane Bucher from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office requested approval for two amendments — one related to the department benefit plan and the other related to the retirement plan.
The first amendment increases child benefits from $30 per month to a $200 payable monthly benefit.
The retirement plan involves a new special early retirement benefit for those 52 and older and have 25 years of service.
The goal of this special early retirement plan, said Bucher and 1st Sgt. Chris McKeand, is to entice officers with years of experience to remain with the department for a full 25 years.
Both amendments were approved.
The council approved a grant request regarding school bus stop arm violations. The Stop Arm Violation Enforcement grant focuses on increased enforcement in an effort to reduce school bus stop arms violations by increasing patrols. McKeand said it allows officers to be out in the mornings and afternoons when school buses are in operation.
A $30,000 additional appropriation was approved for the Kosciusko 911 Dispatch Center for overtime pay.
Kosciusko County Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed requested permission to apply for a Justice Partners Addictions Response grant for up to $60,000.
“We’re going to ask for more money for more JCAP programs for the jail,” Reed said. This request was approved.
Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver requested and received permission to apply for two grants — a public health emergency preparedness grant and a local health maintenance and Indiana Local Health Department Trust and Grant request.
Last month, the council made a decision regarding pay hikes for county employees. A 2 percent increase was approved.
Final adoption of $224,104 for the Solid Waste budget tax levy was approved. Final adoption of North Webster Public Library’s tax levy of $934,775 was approved.
An EDIT resolution which involves moving $2 million from the EDIT fund to the county general fund to help sustain expenditures was approved.
The council approved an $11,000 item that was left off of the initial budget request submitted by the county surveyor’s office.
The additional $11,000 will go toward maintenance of over a dozen ditches/drains in the county that currently lack assessments. Plans to assign assessments of those ditches and drains are being considered. It was stated that in the future there may not be a need for this money.
County Auditor Michelle Puckett gave an encumbered funds update. The total amount encumbered was $18,409.92. Pucktt also requested additional appropriations for Fire District 2. Both were approved.
The state will now consider the county’s compliance with legal requirements and assessed values and will give the county final word on the budget before the end of the year.
Puckett said she has two days to upload the information on the state’s website for review following the county council’s adoption of the proposed 2020 budget.
Attorney Steve Snyder appeared on behalf of Louis Dreyfus Company, Claypool, regarding the company’s $46 million dollar expansion project. Snyder asked county 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 were approved.
Mitchell and Snyder clarified that nothing would be official until next month upon approval of a confirmatory resolution.
Other News:
- The annual Spooktacular event will be held Oct. 25.
- The county’s audit was approved without any issues.