By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — 2022 isn’t over yet, but it’s already broken the record for most overdose deaths in a year.

While requesting an additional appropriation of $50,000 before the Kosciusko County Council, Coroner Tony Ciriello reminded the council he had asked for a previous additional appropriation in September, but that money has ran out.

“This year has been an unusual year for us. We’ve had 26 overdose deaths as of the end of November. The record is 17, several years ago. And I know we’ve had at least two this month. So it’s been an unusual year for that,” he said.

The Coroner’s Office has responded to 192 calls for service, with 121 actual scenes made. “But 47% of our cases have been persons under the age of 60, with little or no known medical history. So in those cases we’ve got to do autopsies on,” Ciriello said, adding that a majority of those cases have been since August. “We were fairly slow for a portion of the first part of the year, but since August it’s been nonstop.”

He said they’ve already had five cases in December and it was only Dec. 8.

“So, we’ve spent a lot of money on autopsies,” he said.

While he wasn’t sure the whole $50,000 was needed, he said he and County Auditor Michelle Puckett wanted to make sure they had enough money to cover the rest of the year. Whatever funds aren’t used aren’t kept.

“Thank you for updating us on all of that,” Councilwoman Kathleen Groninger said. She made the motion to approve the additional appropriation and it was approved 6-0.

Starting off their December meeting, the Kosciusko County Council approved a three-year tax abatement for iDNA.

On Oct. 13 the council approved to consider an abatement for property at 2666 S. Country Club Road and declare the area an economic revitalization area, at the request of iDNA Series LLC, better known as You The Fan, famous for making the “Sportula.” The request was tabled in November because the council didn’t have all the information needed, including “failure to submit the request prior to purchase/installation of equipment,” Council President Sue Ann Mitchell said.

The first public hearing the council had on the abatement Thursday was to approve the waiver for the failure to submit the request prior to the purchase/installation of equipment.

A representative on iDNA’s behalf, Michael White, stated there were some assets that have been purchased by now, but there was some equipment that had not been purchased yet but are anticipated to be purchased in 2023. Some assets will be installed as of Jan. 1. The cost of the personal property equipment will be valued at up to about $1.24 million.

There were no remonstrators against the waiver and the council unanimously approved it. “That just means that we allow them to purchase those items and then apply,” Mitchell said. “We have done that for several other abatements as has been needed.”

She then opened the public hearing on the actual abatement and there were no remonstrators.

In 2021, the company had 29 employees with salaries totaling about $1.9 million. Another eight additional employees are anticipated, with some of those already hired, he said.

Council Vice President Joni Truex asked if the jobs were all related to manufacturing. Marc Roth, general manager of iDNA, said they were and were a mixture of part-time and full-time employees.

Councilman Mike Long asked if the employees lived within Kosciusko County. Roth said most do, but some commute. Roth also told Long they’ve been in business since 2009.

The council voted to limit the cost of the personal property to be abated at $1,242,010. The designated limit for the assessed value to be abated is $695,526.

With no remonstrators, the council determined the designation is limited to three calendar years from the date of the declaratory resolution passed Oct. 13 to have the equipment installed, and that the abatement is for three years. Over those three years, a total of $26,383.81 will be abated. The council chose three years instead of five years.

Finally, the council approved the confirmatory resolution for the abatement.

Councilwoman Kimberly Cates told the iDNA representatives, “Thank you for choosing Kosciusko County. We appreciate that.”

In other business, the Council approved:

• American Rescue Plan recommendations that included $60,582 for Kosciusko County Senior Services for an ADA-compliant van; $25,000 for Kosciusko County Community Corrections for radios; $29,465 for Mentone Four-Way Ambulance for radios; $158,873.36 for Fellowship Missions for a new security system and six sets of washers and dryers; and $67,708 for Kosciusko County government for HVAC repairs.

The council also approved the additional appropriations for the recommendations so the money could be spent out of ARPA funds.

The county commissioners previously approved the requests.

• County Administrator Marsha McSherry’s request for an additional appropriation of $43,000 from maintenance to gas and electric. She reminded the council they approved transfers in November to cover electrical bills due to high rate increases and the cost.

“This should finish it out for the year and start the new year fresh,” she said.

• Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Steve Moriarty’s request to apply for a grant through the Indiana Department of Transportation for bridge 139 on CR 700E over Eel River. The total cost of the project is $5,449,000, with the portion the county is asking federal funds for being $4,327,200, or 80% of the cost. The funds are being requested for 2028 and bridge 139 is the biggest bridge in the county.

• A transfer of $11,203.50 in the highway motor vehicle highway fund supplies in the garage to fuel and oil lubrications for diesel fuel, as requested by Moriarty.

• County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver’s request for an additional appropriation of $10,810. Of the request, $5,000 will go toward personal health care supplies; $2,300 will go toward supplies for environmental health; $1,500 toward telephone; $710 for postage; and $1,300 for meetings and travel expenses.

• An additional appropriation for $14,500 for public defender services for the supplemental fund, as requested by Puckett on behalf of Judge Mike Reed. The funds are collected through the courts and can specifically only be used for public defender services but only in narrow cases.

• An additional appropriation for $6,000 as part of the Court Reform Grant, as requested by Puckett on Reed’s behalf.

• For Judge Karin McGrath to apply for a $30,000 2023 Court Interpreter grant. The commissioners previously approved the grant application.

• The council also reviewed its 2023 appointments. Those include: Dan Wood, Alcohol Beverage Commission; Groninger, Long and Mitchell, abatement committee; Tony Ciriello, Jon Garber, Mitchell, Ernie Wiggins, Dave Wolkins, airport committee; Mitchell and Long, ARPA committee; Groninger, community corrections; Long, emergency management advisory; Truex, economic development commission; Cates, KEDCO; Groninger, MACOG; Cates, Ciriello, Wolkins, nonprofit committee; Brock Ostrom, PTABOA; Jan Orban and Truex, redevelopment dommission; Wolkins, solid waste; Cates, Long and Truex, strategic planning committee; Mitchell, Cates and Truex, wage committee; Ciriello, Warsaw Economic Development Commission; and Groninger, WCDC/Main Street Warsaw.

Mitchell announced the council will elect a new president and vice president at its Jan. 12 meeting; the county Christmas party is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 13 in the Justice Building multi-purpose room; and swearing-in of newly elected officials will be Dec. 20 after the county commissioners’ meeting.