Matt Sandy took over as Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission director on Oct. 1, from Dan Richard. Sandy prepared for the role through his more than 20 years as assistant APC director. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Matt Sandy has worked in the same office since graduating from college 23 years ago.

And he won’t be leaving anytime soon.

Sandy, of Warsaw, was selected by the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission last month to be the next county APC director. He officially started in the role at the beginning of this month, replacing Dan Richard.

Sandy’s prepped for the role by his more than 20 years spent as the county’s assistant APC director.

Originally from LaPorte, Sandy moved to the county to take the job as assistant planner following his graduation from Indiana University. Sandy noted there are similarities between the two counties.

“LaPorte County and Kosciusko are similar in a lot of ways, lakes, ag area, and I was lucky enough to get the job offer, and I’ve been here ever since,” he said.

Sandy has a bachelor’s degree in public affairs management from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. In addition, he’s prepared for being plan commission director through on-the-job training while he was assistant planner.

“From Day 1, I had a lot of learning to do, a lot of different aspects of the job that I had to learn, so I’ve had training, continuing education on flood plains, stormwater, always paying attention to different planning regulations and periodicals,” he said.

Sandy didn’t know when he entered college that he wanted to be in land planning though.

“I looked at different degrees, different areas of subjects. Public affairs management and public service, they just interest me,” he said. “It’s giving back to the community. Land use planning on top of that, it’s interesting, and I’ve always been a map guy.”

Sandy shared why he’s worked in the same office for so long.

“At first there was a lot to it, learning about it, but learning more about the county and seeing the county, I just love the county,” he said. “And from there, enjoying what I did, really learning. There’s always something that I’m working on or something that I’m doing that keeps me busy. Research, that’s one of the things I enjoy most of the time.”

He noted his wife, Chasity, helped ground him to the area as well. They’ve been married for 16 years and have two daughters and one granddaughter.

Sandy also praised those he’s worked with at the area planning office for helping him want to stay there.

“Dan was a great mentor and a great boss,” he said. “And it’s not always that you get an office staff that get along. It makes it easier to work.”

Sandy said one of his goals in his new position is education.

“We’ve always tried to be pretty good with educating the public, and it’s hard. You know especially with a diverse county like ours, between the seasonals, the Amish, just all the different aspects that we have, but we recognize the more education we give, it just helps everybody,” he said. “Hopefully, it can limit some of the problems we run into.”

“We’ve been lucky in the past to have a great relationship with the Builders Association and the Board of Realtors. I know I’ve personally spoke with both, I couldn’t tell you how many times,” he continued. “So that’s something else we want to keep going, but then try to look at, what else can we do to try to think outside the box on how can we get that education out there.”

Sandy said he believes the county’s guidelines for building are more relaxed than other counties in the state.

“Planning is … a fine line. It’s finding that line between property rights – your property rights and my property rights. So that you don’t do something that infringes on my ability to enjoy my property. That’s hard. It is,” he said.

With the county’s new comprehensive plan recently being completed, Sandy said it’s time to examine the county’s planning ordinances.

“We need to look at those goals and objectives to look at our ordinances and say, ‘How do our ordinances need changed to help us get there?’ And I think there are some aspects of that,” he said. “The other thing that we need to do, and we’ve done this in the past at different times, is to look at our hearings. … What are we doing consistently that maybe that shouldn’t be a hearing? Maybe it should just be a permitted-type setback … So I think there are some things, and I think the commissioners would be supportive of that.”

Sandy noted that the last county comprehensive plan was done in 1987 and revised in 1994.

“The (new) Forward Kosciusko (comprehensive plan) was well-needed,” said Sandy. “Our county … it’s changed so much in 10 years even. Our landscape is different than when I came in.”

He talked about how the county is positioned to allow for more housing.

“To increase any type of density requirements, you’ve got to have sewer. The sewer aspect is the huge thing, with the (Tippecanoe and Chapman Lakes Regional Sewer District), that’s setting the stage for some areas out there that may be able to be developed,” he said.

Sandy said another goal of his as APC director is to “try to keep our offices as user-friendly as possible.”

“And it can be difficult sometimes. My line is no one ever wants to come see us. We’re not the office people want to stop in and say, ‘Hi,'” he said.

Sandy shared how his new role is different from his previous one.

“It’ll be more of the executive position, more working towards running the meetings more than being the guy back behind the computer. It’ll be more interaction with the public,” he said.

He said he’s glad that he’s had the chance already to present before government officials at meetings as assistant planner.

“I’ve been lucky that I have been able to have those experiences. I’ve had the opportunity to work with the council and commissioners. I haven’t been in the back seat,” he said.

“I’m excited. It’s going to be a challenge, I know that,” said Sandy of being APC director.

“We’re definitely going to try to keep the same working relationships we have,” he said. “I feel lucky in this county. I’ve talked to my counterparts around the state. Not every county runs like we do. You really run into we do our thing, the health department does theirs, they don’t want to talk. So we’re lucky we have those relationships, and we definitely want to keep those going because that just helps the public overall.”

He said he wants to follow in Richard’s footsteps.

“I hope I’m as successful as Dan has been,” he said. “Just trying to carry that on. Not to be the same person, but at the same time, not stomping on all of that.”

“I’m thankful,” he said regarding taking on his new role. “It’s exciting.”