By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

‘WARSAW — One day after his election victory, Jim Smith attended his first Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Merit Board meeting as sheriff-elect.

The meeting was on Wednesday, Nov. 9. At the end of it, merit board members asked Smith if he had anything to say.

“I’m glad to be here, glad the election’s over with,” he said. “I’m looking forward to moving forward and getting to work come January.”

JCAP graduation

The board also heard a reminder from Kosciusko County Chief Deputy Shane Bucher that the next graduation of the county’s Jail Chemical Addiction Program is at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Kosciusko County Justice Building.

The class includes eight people.

Dive team

The board also heard from Bucher that the office was “working on a (memorandum of understanding) with Warsaw fire and police” regarding dive team training.

“They have instructors over there for Dive Rescue International and if we have this agreement … we can go through them and they can do our training without any fees,” he said.

Pension benefits

The board also continued discussion regarding officers’ pension benefits that was started at its October meeting.

Those in attendance discussed having officers or their beneficiaries contact either the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office or the county’s human resources first before speaking with Stan Brown, whose company McCready and Keene works with the KCSO pensions.

Regarding another pension question that came up at October’s meeting, Board Member Alan Alderfer explained how the beneficiaries of unmarried officers, particularly children, would get money following the officers’ deaths.

“Stan came back with if it’s an active officer that is not vested, all of the money that’s paid in will be given to the children (in a cash settlement),” said Alderfer. “If they are vested, there would be a deferred benefit. They will get 20 years worth of payments based on the 20-year payout and (I think) it starts as early as it would have started for the officer.”

Bucher also mentioned he had the necessary forms available if officers needed to make beneficiary changes. Board President Ron Truex asked if what’s listed on the form regarding beneficiaries would “supersede a will.”

Alderfer said that it would.

In other matters, the board:

• Heard from Bucher that approximately 240 people were incarcerated in the Kosciusko County Jail as of last week, with around 70 out at Kosciusko County Work Release.
• Heard from Kosciusko County Administrator Marsha McSherry that police will be able to tentatively use the county’s new public communications tower system at the end of November. If that goes well, fire departments will be phased in a week later, she said. KCSO Capt. Travis Marsh added that there would be training for officers on the new system.