At the Kosciusko County Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 1, are, from left: Kosciusko County Commissioner Cary Groninger, Commissioners’ President Brad Jackson and Commissioners’ Vice President Bob Conley. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Additional funds for health initiatives should be coming in to Kosciusko County in the next two years.

At their meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 1, Kosciusko County Commissioners agreed to a resolution allowing the county to accept special health funding from the state.

That’s due to the Indiana General Assembly passing Senate Bill 4 and the state’s biennial budget this year. The commissioners’ move follows the Kosciusko County Health Board also agreeing to accept the funding at a July 17 meeting.

Kosciusko County Attorney Ed Ormsby read from the resolution before its passage.

He said “the acceptance of the funding does not transfer any county authority in operating the local health department to the state department in return for funding.”

Kosciusko County Commissioner Cary Groninger, who’s been involved with the process for securing the funding thus far, said “the state made a historic investment in health funding to help mitigate long-term health costs and increase the health and wellness of the residents of Indiana.”

“The county can opt out at any time if they feel as though the program is not providing benefit to our residents here,” he said.

Groninger also explained the funding, mentioning “about 40% of the money must be spent on historical, kind of core health services, like restaurant inspection, septic systems, building inspections, those types of things that historically the health department has already done.”

“But 60% of the money then can be spent on new core health services such as chronic disease prevention, childhood lead screenings, student health, tobacco prevention,” added Groninger.

“The county must match some additional dollars with this funding, as far as about a 20% match,” he continued. “But that is roughly within budget of what we’re currently matching with our general fund tax dollars into the health department, so it’s not like it’s going to take additional local tax dollars to be able to receive this funding.”

The amount the county will receive is dependent on how many other counties in Indiana also agree to taking the state funding. As of now, the county’s estimated to get $2.7 million to $3.7 million, said Groninger.

The county will form a committee to advise the county health board on how to spend the money, said Groninger, with that to be done at a special county health board meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15, in the Kosciusko County Courthouse’s Old Courtroom.

Tech Committee

Commissioners also agreed to create a county cybersecurity and technology committee.

Eric Sorensen, who works for the county’s systems administration, brought the request before commissioners.

He said with county information technology staffing changes and switches in software used, “now would be a good time to increase communication and keep key stakeholders in the loop.”

Sorensen read a list of guidelines for the committee.

It would inform others of “current and future technology projects,” he said. “This committee will meet quarterly or as needed to discuss technology matters. It will include members from multiple departments and the ultimate goal is to help the IT department better serve the county and its stakeholders.”

Sorensen said the group would also look for IT-related grants and “go over best use practices and make recommendations if necessary.”

Proposed committee members consist of Sorensen and Bob Momeyer from the county’s systems administration, Kosciusko County Councilwoman Kim Cates, Kosciusko County Administrator Marsha McSherry, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chris McKeand, Groninger, Kosciusko County Clerk Ann Torpy and Chief Deputy Clerk Melissa Boggs, and Kosciusko County Emergency Management Agency Director Kip Shuter.

Groninger noted the committee was a suggestion after Purdue University and Indiana University did a cybersecurity assessment for the county.

In other business, commissioners:

• Approved renaming a section of Main Street on the east side in Atwood back to Old Road 30 West at the request of the Warsaw Post Office and a property owner there. That’s to avoid address confusion as there’s no longer a post office in Atwood.
• Approved a $13,184.74 quote for an emergency repair to a walk-in cooler in the jail’s kitchen.

Commissioners’ next meeting is 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15, in the Old Courtroom.