By David Slone
Times-Union

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Two properties with liens against them for overdue high tax bills may eventually get back on the tax rolls after the Kosciusko County Commissioners on Tuesday, Aug. 27,  approved tax certificate sales for each one.

County attorney Ed Ormsby said James Haney, president of Lakeland Regional Sewer District, requested in a previous commissioners meeting that the commissioners release county tax liens to the extent allowed by law on the properties at 4881 E. Armstrong Road and 42 EMS T9 Lane, both in Leesburg.

“The reason for that is, these properties have high tax liabilities. They are sitting vacant. They have not been able to be sold at tax sales, even though there have been tax sales a number of times,” Ormsby said.

The property on Armstrong Road has taxes of approximately $84,000, while the one on EMS T9 Lane owes about $149,000 in taxes.

“The idea is to get these properties back to being productive, back on the tax rolls and compliant with the sewer district requirements for those to be within the sewer district, hooked up to the sewer and paying the sewer fees,” Ormsby stated. “If the county were to do this, the county would be to initiate a tax certificate sale for each property. The tax certificate sale would allow the commissioners to set a low price for each certificate in hopes that the certificates would sell. Each new owner would then begin to pay those real estate taxes and the sewer utilities.”

Commissioner Brad Jackson said if they don’t do it, then the properties just sit there and the taxes build up and the county doesn’t get any revenue from them.

The commissioners approved the tax certificate sales 3-0.

County Recorder Deb Wright presented the commissioners with an ordinance that states her office “shall not charge recording or copying fees to Kosciusko County government departments, council or commissioners, or copy fees for departments in the city of Warsaw government (except in the case of an extraordinary request).”

She said most counties don’t charge for county business because that would be “silly” for a county to charge itself.

“We’ve done this for a long time. We don’t charge offices for copies that really are county business. And, in addition, we don’t charge the city of Warsaw for copies. We do charge them for recordings. We have not charged them for copies as well for a long time. Generally, it is for the planning department, stuff like that, not a large amount of copies,” Wright said.

“But, with the First Amendment folks out there visiting counties and kind of challenging things, we felt like we would like to have an ordinance in place that actually establishes that this is our policy so we have something to back it up if someone” says something about not charging the county, she stated.

Wright said Ormsby was OK with the ordinance.

“It’s just to establish that this is our policy,” she reiterated.

“It’s just to cover costs. It’s not a for-profit venture for us,” Jackson said, to which Wright agreed.

At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, County Auditor Rhonda Helser gave a brief comment as it was her last commissioners meeting as auditor. She resigned, effective Aug. 31, and Alyssa Schmucker was named by a caucus to replace her.

She said she appreciated working with the commissioners and she’s working with Schmucker to make it a smooth transition.

Commissioner Bob Conley thanked her for her service and she was given a round of applause.

In other business, the commissioners approved:

• An emergency approval of $11,336 for Core Mechanical Services to remove and replace the Kosciusko County Work Release central office air conditioner and furnace, as requested by County Administrator Marsha McSherry.

• A contract with WEAS Engineering for water treatment testing, as requested by McSherry.

“We have two systems that we have to have checked periodically,” she said, “so that’s $4,000 per year. And this is a preventative.”

It’s for the Justice Building.

• The Kosciusko Area Bus Service second quarter claim, as presented by General Manager Kristin Rude.

She said KABS’ second-quarter expenses totaled $244,746. The federal operating funds covered $122,373, while the state operating match covers $61,187. The remaining $61,187 is covered by a local match.

Rude also reported KABS received two medium-sized buses, new 2025 Ford E450 buses, that will replace two large-sized buses.

• Approved the reappointment of Sally Cline to the Milford Public Library Board of Trustees.

• For Kosciusko County Emergency Management Agency Director Kip Shuter to apply for two grants.

The first is the 2025 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant for $15,950 to hire a contractor for LEPC hazardous material training and to provide hazardous material training, particularly for batteries and battery fires.

The second HMEP Grant application is for $17,500 and is for a roadway hazardous materials commodity flow study. Shuter said as far as he is aware, there’s never been one of these studies performed in Kosciusko County. Michiana Area Council of Governments previously had done a freight transportation study, but it was all volunteer based on return voluntary surveys, not something actually done in person.

The roadway study would take in every one of the county’s U.S. and state roads.

• The unofficial detour for the Indiana Department of Transportation project on SR 14 over Plunge Creek, as requested by Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Steve Moriarty.

There’s a bridge there and INDOT is looking for construction to take place in spring 2025.

The unofficial detour route is CR 400 to CR 1000S and back to SR 13.

• A memorandum of agreement with MACOG for the Brownfields Coalition, as presented by Area Plan Director Matt Sandy and Leah Thill, MACOG.

“By us participating, it opens the door for our communities, including the city of Warsaw, to be able to apply into this coalition and use that money for redevelopment of these brownfields,” Sandy said.

• Tabled a vacation hearing for part of a dedicated road right-of-way for EMS B611 Lane to Sept. 24. Attorney Steve Snyder, representing the Waltons, said the hearing couldn’t be conducted Tuesday because they didn’t have proper publication of the notice of the hearing.

• Continued discussion on an encroachment agreement for Three D Properties at 11579 North Ogden Point Road, Syracuse, to Sept. 24. Snyder said a survey should be completed next week and the commissioners and Area Plan were interested in seeing that survey for further information.