Presenting at the Kosciusko County American Rescue Plan Committee meeting on Tuesday, May 23, is Kosciusko County Highway Department Director Steve Moriarty. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The Kosciusko County American Rescue Plan Act Committee has approved more than $4 million combined for improvements to CR 1300N and new carpet and wallpaper for the Kosciusko County Justice Building.

That was done at its meeting on Tuesday, May 23.

The CR 1300N request was tabled originally from the committee’s meeting in November 2022.

Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Steve Moriarty came before the committee again on Tuesday, but this time with a reduced request of $1,888,000.

The project involves “resurfacing CR 1300N from the (town) limits of Milford all the way to the (town) limits of Syracuse,” said Moriarty. “With (those) improvements, there are intersection improvements at CR 300E to make it safer for the traveling public (and) also because of expansions going on in a couple local businesses in that area. With that expansion of the businesses, it looks to approximately bring in a little over 1,200 jobs to the area. Also with that would be increased truck traffic and semi traffic.”

“We are currently working off of a … project, the … overpass, which connects SR 15 to CR 1300N,” he continued.

Moriarty explained he was asking for fewer funds because of being able to seek Indiana Department of Transportation Community Crossings Matching Grant money in the future. He’s able to do that as there’s not as much urgency for the project as a business looking to expand in the area has moved its timeline back somewhat.

The committee unanimously approved his request as it did one for $2.4 million for the improvements at the justice building.

Committee Member and Kosciusko County Councilwoman Sue Ann Mitchell noted she was in favor with the caveat that county leaders plan better for future upkeep.

In other business, the committee:

• Approved part of a request from the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Cori Humes to buy a digital message board sign for the visitors’ center. The committee gave her $100,000 of the $160,530 she wanted, with Humes to seek out grant funding for the rest.
• Tabled a $961,000 request from the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts for building repairs. The committee did tentatively agree to give Wagon Wheel up to $500,000 of what was requested, with committee members to tour the facility to look at needs there before a formal decision is made.
• Tabled again a request for $280,000 for exercise and security equipment for the Kosciusko County YMCA’s new planned facility at the former Madison Elementary School gym in Warsaw. Committee Member and Kosciusko County Commissioner Cary Groninger abstained from voting as he is connected to the revamp, and Mitchell and third Committee Member and Kosciusko County Council President Mike Long indicated they would ultimately only approve paying for security measures there.
• Tabled again a request from Kosciusko Senior Services Executive Director David Neff for a new bus for the organization to see if Kosciusko Senior Services could obtain other funding for it.
• Tabled again a request from Combined Community Services for additional storage space for food donations as committee members wish to see what funds are left over from previously approved projects that came in under estimates before deciding what remaining projects to fund.
• Tabled a $232,503 request from Joe’s Kids Executive Director Rebecca Bazzoni for parking lot upgrades and security system for the organization’s new planned facility at First United Methodist Church of Warsaw’s Connection Campus on West Lake. That was due to the organization not having purchased the building yet.
• Denied a $115,000 request from Syracuse Parks Department Superintendent Chad Jonsson for a roof replacement at the community center.
• Denied a $50,000 request from Living In Transition Effectively Executive Director Tammy Cotton to renovate a residence for the recovery home’s manager and $400,000 for improving Turning Point Counseling Center’s leased location through North Webster Church of God in part because both may be eligible to receive funds Kosciusko County is getting through a national opioid settlement.
• Denied a $15,000 request for improvements to the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds’ Shrine Building as the county paid much to the fairgrounds in rent for a COVID-19 testing site during the pandemic.

The committee’s next meeting is 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, in the Kosciusko County Courthouse’s Old Courtroom.

All requests approved Tuesday must also be OK’d by the commissioners and council before funds can be spent.