Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs Executive Director Denny Spinner visited the Kosciusko County Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, April 12, to discuss the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP), which the county is taking part in. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Commissioners received a visit from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs’ executive director at their meeting on Tuesday, April 12.

Denny Spinner was present to speak regarding OCRA’s Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP). Kosciusko County is one of a few counties or communities in the state selected to be part of the program through which entities will receive assistance in spending the funds they received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Entities must hire a community coordinator to help run the program for them. Amy Roe was chosen for that position earlier this year.

Those participating in HELP will aim to direct funds toward legacy projects focusing on the following areas: “advancing e-connectivity; enhancing the quality of life; promoting community wellness; and strengthening local economies.”

Spinner noted those areas were chosen due to being allowed by ARPA rules. He also explained why the state selected the county to be part of HELP.

“One of those was the desire to create a lasting impact. That’s part of (the HELP) acronym, legacy,” he said. He also said Kosciusko County was chosen due to county leaders wanting the towns and cities within it to have help spending money and Kosciusko communities having “high quality.”

Spinner brought with him OCRA Community and Economic Development Program Manager Alexander Taylor and Northeast Community Liaison Allie Daugherty.

KCSO grant requests

Commissioners also approved requests from Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Shane Bucher on behalf of the office to apply for several grants.

One is a $12,500 grant to pay for patrols monitoring school bus safety and the others for $16,000 and $4,900 are to pay for new body cameras for officers.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Watched County Attorney Ed Ormsby open bids for a new fire alarm system for the Kosciusko County Justice Building. They were: Koorsen Fire & Security, $89,748; and Priority 1, $176,586. Commissioners didn’t make a decision on which one they wanted Tuesday.
• Approved a maintenance agreement with Advanced Products Group costing $15,264 annually for a new phone system for the county.
• Approved a service agreement with MetroNet for $825 monthly. It’s to provide backup service for dispatch should dispatch’s connection to the central tower in the county’s safety communications project go down.
• Approved reappointing Parke Smith and Michael Dewald to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District Board through April 2026.
• Approved a request from County Highway Department Superintendent Steve Moriarty to purchase a CAT excavator for the department at a cost of $245,900.
• Approved a contract with the Indiana Department of Transportation regarding right-of-way for a bridge at CR 200S over Walnut Creek. The county is to replace the bridge in a few years, Moriarty said after the meeting.
• Heard an update from Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. (KEDCo) CEO Alan Tio. Tio said that KEDCo is launching a program aimed at helping orthopedic companies with such things as virtual reality and data analytics.

The commissioners’ next meeting is 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the Kosciusko County Courthouse’s Old Courtroom.