By Liz Adkins
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – The Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission approved the county assessor’s office including additional information on paperwork sent to property owners when they are issued a building permit.

During a meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 5, Bobbi Burkhart, field assessor, said the assessor’s office condensed its notice of a property assessment visit to one page.

“The reason for this is a lot of pushback from taxpayers who have building permits,” said Burkhart. “When we go out on their property, a lot of them are unaware that someone from the assessor’s office will be out to measure and see what it is that they’re building, and the size of what they’re building.”

Burkhart said the pitch for this notice was for field officers’ safety, stating the notice explains what the office does and hours of operation for when to expect a visit.

“The majority of our site inspections are from the exterior only, and the only way that we would go inside someone’s house is if they have an appeal on their property stating that the interior of their home, like say for instance their basement is unfinished and we show it as being finished,” said Burkhart. “We’re just trying to give people a heads-up that someone will be out, depending on when you get your building permit, and it might take more than one stop for us to do that. We’re just asking for this to be included in the packet that taxpayers receive when their building permit is approved.”

In other business, the APC also approved a petition for preliminary plat approval for an agricultural II subdivision at a 10.37-acre tract of ground owned by Michael Chupp. The property is located on the west side of CR 500W, north of CR 1100N, Milford.

“The plat was revised at (APC Director) Matt (Sandy’s) request to eliminate Lots Two and Three,” said Attorney Steve Snyder. “Those are going to be sold to adjacent property owners, but we couldn’t do that until we had a one-lot plat for where Michael’s residence is. He wants to sell off some land so he has the cash to build a house for his wife.”

The APC was also introduced to Shannon Shepherd, the area planning office’s new assistant planner.

APC’s next meeting is at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, in the Old Courtroom at the Kosciusko County Courthouse.