From left, security officers at the entrance to the county justice building, Bob Long and Frank Courtois. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

WARSAW —  Kosciusko County Emergency Management Agency Director Ed Rock received approval to apply for a grant to be used to improve security. 

Rock said the grant is to be used to “harden” facilities, making them more resistant to an attack and would be used specifically for the justice building.

“The grant was for up to $214,000,” Rock said. “I have it set at $133,000 right now, and I would like your permission to submit that.”

When Commissioner Vice-President Bob Conley questioned whether Rock was referring to a cyber attack, Rock clarified that it would be related to a physical attack.

“This (grant) had to be tied either to cyber attacks or to physical attacks, one or the other, and we weren’t in a position to do the cyber at this point,” Rock said.

He pointed out that safety measures at the entrance to the county justice building could be improved.

“What we are doing is reconfiguring court security, including adding some equipment to that,” Rock said. “Right now the officers are exposed, both from the front and from the back. Our intent here is to put some barriers there so that they are not exposed the way they currently are.”

County Prosecutor Dan Hampton received approval to apply for a senior HUB grant in the amount of $20,000.

“It’s offered through the Indiana Prosecuting Attorney Council and is to assist the senior prosecutors when they have conflicts in child support cases,” Hampton explained. “So our office has been recognized now for the fourth year to represent those senior prosecutors in Northern Indiana.”

Hampton also attached an overtime policy document from his office that states his employees are not to work over their normal hours and there is to be no overtime. This was also approved by commissioners. 

Kosciusko County Area Plan Director Dan Richard and Attorney Steve Snyder revisited a rezoning request that was presented to commissioners at the Feb. 18 meeting.

The area is a 10-acre tract of ground just north of Milford, off SR 15, at the north end of the county.

The request, by John Ward, is to rezone 6.81 acres from an industrial 2 district to an industrial 3 district in order to accommodate a concrete mixing plant. 

Final recommendation by APC last month was a 7-1 vote in favor of allowing the rezoning.

Commissioner Cary Groninger expressed concerns last month related to the rezoning, in part because of additional truck traffic that a concrete operation would generate.

Conley was in favor of the rezoning request, while Groninger had reservations and was not inclined to approve it at that time. Commissioner President Brad Jackson was not in attendance at the Feb. 18 meeting, so the matter was continued until March 17. 

Snyder said he understood the concern because rezoning the property to an I-3 district “could open the door to other things that some people may not want in that location.” He said his client is willing to enter into a voluntary condition agreement stating that if the concrete plant is not up and running within a two-year period, the zoning will automatically revert to an I-2 zone.

“This limits it to the concrete plant being proposed and provides you with some assurance that nothing else will be going in there,” Snyder said.

Commissioners unanimously approved the request.

In other news:

• Commissioners approved a letter of commitment presented by Commissioner Cary Groninger, stating that commissioners are willing to support the radio communications tower project. 
• A request by Scott Anderson to rezone 4.1 acres on the south side of CR 700N, near Patona Bay, from Agricultural to Agricultural 2, was approved.
• The next regular meeting will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 31.