Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation Board members Matt Metzger, left, and Mike Cusick, right, discuss the potential logos for the board at the work session Monday. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — By the end of their work session Monday, June 5, the Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation Board scheduled a tentative timeline for requests for proposals for the blueways and trailways master plan and reviewed two potential logos for the board.

Board member Mike Cusick asked at the start of the meeting for more insight on what level of detail did they want to achieve with the RFP and if there was more than one.

Rob Bishop, board president, said it was his understanding that County Commissioner Cary Groninger wanted a very involved master plan. “It wouldn’t be shovel-ready for the projects, but it would definitely be looking at whether those routes are viable routes or not viable routes. So (for example) if you’re going to cross (U.S.) 30, what’s the plan to get across 30? Can you get across 30?”

He said they wouldn’t necessarily be environmental studies at this point in time.

Bishop said the RFP wasn’t to do the work, but for the trail system master plan. Any projects for trails and blueways would use that master plan as a basis for them.

Groninger told the board that about two weeks ago the commissioners and county council had a combined meeting where they approved for all the Community Development Block Grants funds ($1 million) to be distributed to the three communities (Mentone, Milford and Pierceton) that are part of the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program, of which the county also is a part.

“That still allows the county’s $1.2 million of ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds that we’ve set aside for projects to still be intact for the projects that are in the SIP (Strategic Investment Plan) in the H.E.L.P. So those projects that are on that are the Chinworth Trail extension, the master trail/blueway plan. I think the canoe launch of the Tippy Lake chain … and then also three different broadband projects,” Groninger said.

He said he thinks there’s still a very high probability that Chinworth and the master trail plan are going to be selected as part of the H.E.L.P. On Aug. 1, the ARPA Committee, commissioners and county council will make the final project selection.

“I would see the goal you guys would be shooting for is trying to – those projects could be happening really, really quick, which I know you’re working on the RFP for the master plan, the master blueway plan, but I do think there’s a difference between what you’re going to want from a master plan to an actual plan that you’re going to build a project with. One’s more architectural/landscape planner type versus civil engineer, very detailed, drainage, environmental, all those things that are going to go with it,” he said.

Groninger said they want to do as much homework as they can as they build their master plan.

During the discussion that went over an hour, the board tried to nail some deadlines and a timeline down for an RFP.

The board moved their June 15 regularly scheduled meeting to June 29. They will go through the draft plan from Michiana Area Council of Governments on an RFP for the master plan. By July 20, the idea is that parks board will approve the draft plan to be recommended to the county commissioners on Aug. 15, tentative on the ARPA funds being approved Aug. 1.

The board plans to have the RFP out before the year’s out.

Later in the meeting, board members Mike Cusick and Matt Metzger presented possible logos and logo colors for the parks board.

Cusick said he and Metzger took the charge to meet with graphic designers about what they would want for the board’s logo. He said they tried to keep it simple, but wanted it representative of Kosciusko County and what they do.

They started with three options and narrowed it down to two, which they shared with the board Monday. Cusick said he was cautious about sharing it out to the public at this point because it wasn’t a final decision. He said he wanted the board to discuss the logo possibilities and eventually come up with a recommendation to share with the county commissioners before making a final decision.

If neither one was good for the board, Cusick said they could go back to the drawing board.

Both of the logos presented Monday said “Kosciusko Parks and Recreation.” The first one was orange and green, while the second one was blue and green. They also displayed both logos in black and white and what they would look like on things like hats, signs, water bottles, etc.

After some discussion on the logos by the board, Metzger and Cusick said they would need to agree on a design by July 10, but by Aug. 1 at the very latest.

Board Vice President Troy Turley suggested flipping the blue and green colors to the logo that were orange and green and Cusick said they could do that to see what it looked like.

In other business, Aggie Sweeney, board member, reported on some organizations that requested the county parks board give them a presentation on what they’re doing. The board decided to put together a presentation so no matter which board member presented, they would be talking as one voice.