Kosciusko County Council met for their first informational meeting — or pre-meeting meeting — Thursday morning, April 4, in the video conference room of the Justice Building. Shown from left are Council members Tony Ciriello, Dave Wolkins, Sue Ann Mitchell, Vice President Kathleen Groninger and President Mike Long. Councilwoman Kimberly Cates watched via Zoom and Councilwoman Joni Truex did not attend, though the meeting was not mandatory for council members. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — At its first informational meeting — or “pre-meeting meeting” — on Thursday, April 4, the Kosciusko County Council heard about the new position of resource navigator from Sheriff Jim Smith.

The position would be part of the Community Recovery Program at the Kosciusko County Jail that will help inmates become a productive part of the community after they’re released from jail.

No action was taken by the council Thursday on Smith’s request for an additional appropriation for the position’s wages as the meeting was just for the purpose of receiving information. The council may take action on the additional appropriation and other requests at their 6 p.m. meeting on Thursday, April 11.

“I told you that I was applying for a K21 grant for that position. It would be a new position for the sheriff’s office, but it’s one that is absolutely needed to launch this program that we’ve been working so hard on,” Smith stated.

He said they closed on the application with K21 for the grant to cover four years of the position, however, K21 only awarded the KCSO two years because traditionally K21 only awards for two years with the caveat that the sheriff’s office is more than welcome to reapply for the grant once they near the two-year mark.

The grant will be for a total of $154,500 for the first two years. The additional appropriation Smith wants the council to approve is for $37,535 for the resource navigator’s wages for the remainder of 2024. He also wants the council to approve a salary ordinance amendment for $50,954 for the navigator’s 2025 wages.

“I want this to be in effect right away, as soon as we can get this going. We got all the pieces in place. We’re just ready to put this one,” Smith said. “Just to remind you, this position, I’m going to expect nothing more than them just to meet with the inmates as they near release. To identify those needs they may need as they’re re-entering into society.”

He said the resource navigator position is “critical to make this happen because I just don’t have the manpower as it sits to do this, so that’s why this position is so important to add.”

Chief Deputy Chris McKeand told the council about two grants of over $800,000 each the sheriff’s office wants to apply for, for the Community Recovery Program.

“They’re both Department of Justice grants. They’re not matching grants. It’s 100% funding through the federal government. Both of them are for the Kosciusko Community Recovery Program. It’ll go toward contracted services for peer recovery and mental health in the jail. The maximum allowed request through both of those programs is just over $800,000 over two years. It will not be able to be applied for until May. The grant cycle ends in 2027,” he said.

Council Vice President Kathleen Groninger asked about another recent grant the KCSO applied for, for the program. McKeand said the Homeland Security grant he asked for at the previous meeting “has been put back again. We’re not allowed to submit an application for that again. It is has not been opened up. These two grants have been opened up.”

All the grants are competitive grants across the United States. He said there probably will be more grants that he will come and ask the council about until they land one of them.

Smith said, “Just to be clear, too, I think it’s important to touch on — all these grants that Chris is working so hard on — the navigator position I told you from the beginning is a position that we absolutely have to have as our employee. I’m confident that we’re going to land one of these (grants). That’s going to allow us to be able to partner financially with your Fellowship (Missions), with your L.I.T.E. and with Allendale for those recovery coaches. Our vision doesn’t include them being employees of ours, rather MOU-style contracts with these organizations. That’s what makes this so special, having that collaborative effort. Everyone has some skin in the game, if you will, so I’m confident we will land one. We’re not going to stop until we do, but that’s our vision and what we’re going to do with that money once we land one.”

Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver presented on 13 additional appropriations from his approved Health First Indiana budget so his department can start using the funds from the budget.

Councilwoman Sue Ann Mitchell said, “Some of this isn’t written like what was discussed at the advisory committee where (coordinator) Kurt Carlson said his clerical help needed to be full time.”

Weaver said he was waiting until May to do “all the clerical help and everything for the fund.” He said he wasn’t including any positions or personnel in the additional appropriations.

Councilman Dave Wolkins asked where the Health First office was going to be, and Weaver said at the K21 Health Services Pavilion.

Council President Mike Long said, “In looking through some of this and the whole program that, some things that others may not know about, I see where we’re looking to inspect tattoo parlors and things like that. Is that something totally new for us in the county?”

Weaver said it is new but they have taken that off the board for this year.

“I think we’re going to stick with, a new thing, inspection of public and semi-public swimming pools, which the state has wanted us to do for some years now since they dropped that program,” he said.

The county will have a part-time inspector and it will be one of their duties to inspect those pools, mostly for what’s required in the pool area such as the safety equipment. They will be looking at water quality but the county health department will not be doing the actual testing as that will come from private laboratories.

Public and semi-public pools include those at hotels, schools and the YMCA.

Mitchell, referring back to the tattoo and piercing inspector, said at the advisory committee meeting she thought the county health officer was strongly in favor of having that. “Did something change after that?” she asked.

Weaver said yes, but he didn’t elaborate.

In other business, the council:

• Heard from the Kosciusko County Highway Department that they will be requesting approval for additional appropriations for two grants already received.

One is a $40,000 railroad crossing grant for advance warning pavement markings, which is a 100% reimburseable grant.
The other is a 50/50 Community Crossing matching grant, with part of that being $776,714 for work on bridge 320 off Armstrong Road and the other part being $781,750 for road resurfacing. The road resurfacing includes finishing Old 30 and Ogden Point in Syracuse.

• Heard a request for a $120,000 additional appropriation and a $32,000 transfer from Bob Momeyer, systems administration, for computer maintenance, hardware and software.

• Heard a request for a $20,300 additional appropriation from County Assessor for group health insurance.
Chapman also presented a request for another vehicle for her office for property assessment work.

• Heard from County Administrator Marsha McSherry about the $360 additional appropriation from the American Rescue Plan Act fund for the Kosciusko County Convention & Visitors Bureau digital sign. There was a typo on the original paperwork and the additional appropriation will clear the ARPA grant out.

• Skipped over the annual Kosciusko County Redevelopment Commission report, Stillwater Hospice quarterly update and the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program quarterly update.