At the Kosciusko County Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, July 19, are from left: Commissioners’ Vice President Brad Jackson and President Cary Groninger and Commissioner Bob Conley. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The final two appointments to the future Kosciusko County county park board have been announced.

At their meeting on Tuesday, July 19, Kosciusko County Commissioners approved Mike Cusick and Matt Metzger to serve on the board. Cusick has been appointed for four years and Metzger for two.

Commissioners approved creating a county park board and department in May. The board is to consist of five members, with commissioners having the authority to appoint two.

The rest of the board’s members include Rob Bishop and Aggie Sweeney, both of which the Kosciusko County Council appointed; and Troy Turley, who was appointed by Kosciusko County Auditor Michelle Puckett. Bishop will serve a four-year term, Sweeney a two-year term, and Turley a one-year term.

“We had a great turnout of individuals who wanted to serve (on) this board,” noted Kosciusko County Commissioners’ President Cary Groninger during Tuesday’s meeting.

“I have talked with both these individuals. They’re excited about the opportunity to serve,” said Groninger regarding Cusick and Metzger. “They’re both very active in outdoor activities here in our county, have a heart for that. I think they would be great additions to the board that’s already been selected.”

Groninger said earlier that the new board could likely meet for the first time some time in August.

Nonprofit Funds

Commissioners also approved recommending to the Kosciusko County Council that the majority of nonprofits asking for annual funds from the county for their budgets receive a 4% increase in funding for 2023.

The only exception would be the St. Joseph River Basin Commission. Commissioners noted the entity didn’t request an increase, and it had received a large increase a while back. Thus commissioners are recommending that the commission receive $3,705 from the county in 2023 as it did for 2022.

In other business, commissioners:

• Approved a bid brought by the Kosciusko County Health Department’s Bill Baxter to demolish dilapidated buildings at 9020 S. Smalley Lane, Claypool. Baxter brought three bids from: Chuck Shane Excavating for $8,500; Site Works Services for $6,500; and Greene Excavating for $4,974. Commissioners selected the lowest one from Greene Excavating.
• Approved spending a total of $250,000 of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds received from the federal government on bulk storage and sludge equipment for the Lakeland Regional Sewer District. The county’s ARPA committee had recommended using the money for those uses.
• Approved allowing Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Steve Moriarty to apply for an Indiana Department of Transportation Community Crossings Matching Grant to repave East Old Road 30 from SR 13 to CR 400E and Pierceton Road from Winona Lake’s city limits to Pierceton’s city limits.

Commissioners’ next meeting is at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2, in the Kosciusko County Courthouse’s Old Courtroom.