Commissioners Approve $140K For KEDCo Projects, Including Remote Worker Initiative
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — Kosciusko County Commissioners have OK’d granting the Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. $140,000 for various items, including attracting remote workers to the county.
Commissioners approved a request from KEDCo CEO Alan Tio for the monies at their meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 27. The funds are coming out of the county’s already budgeted money for economic development projects.
“We have been working over the last few years around talent recruitment. What we’ve tried to do so far is focus on finding individuals and matching them up to existing jobs we have in our community. It creates a lot more steps in the process,” said Tio. “There’s a group we can partner with out of Indianapolis called MakeMyMove, and what they do is really build a network of remote workers, people that … already have jobs that can relocate.”
“And so we’re thinking is with the housing we have coming online, the time is right for us to be able to go out and help tell our story, build our network within theirs of people who are interested in relocating to Kosciusko County and the idea, the goal being then, people want to be part of our existing industry base, be part of our communities, they already have jobs but ideally, what we offer as a community helps them if they have kids in the schools, want to advance their careers, eventually find jobs here or if they have a husband, wife, spouse who needs a job, then that gives us the opportunity to help add more workforce to fill existing jobs here,” he added.
Tio added that if commissioners agreed to participate in the program, they could also work to obtain a matching grant from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. for it.
“There are 15 other Indiana communities that are already working with MakeMyMove … communities of all different sizes, places like Muncie or West Lafayette or others,” said Tio.
That remote worker initiative request commissioners approved totaled $60,000 out of the $140,000. They also approved Tio’s other two requests. Those are for an engineering firm to do a housing study, including looking at ways to add sewer and water infrastructure; and expanding KEDCo’s MedTech Accelerator Studio services for entrepreneurs.
The vote on Tio’s requests was 2-0, with Kosciusko County Commissioners’ Vice President Brad Jackson abstaining due to a potential conflict of interest. He serves on KEDCo’s board.
Tio’s requests must also be approved by the Kosciusko County Council.
Marsh Building
Commissioners also heard during the meeting that the former Marsh building along 500 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, may soon be sold.
Kosciusko County Commissioner Bob Conley inquired about the building when Cardinal Services Executive Director Vickie Lootens presented a request before commissioners for $200,000 of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used for revamping the organization’s campus in Warsaw.
Cardinal Services owns the building, having originally planned to move operations into it. However, COVID-19 and staffing issues changed the organization’s plans, said Lootens, which led to Cardinal Services putting the Marsh building up for sale.
“We have a purchase agreement, and we are supposed to be closing Oct. 7, I believe,” said Lootens, adding that Dean Avey is behind the potential purchase.
Avey’s company recently opened CubeNow Self Storage at the site of the former Ace Hardware in Warsaw, at 1701 E. Center St.
ARPA Requests
Commissioners approved Lootens’ request for ARPA funds as well as a few others. All the requests were previously approved by the county’s ARPA committee at its last meeting, and will also have to be approved by the Kosciusko County Council.
Those include:
- A $20,547.40 request brought by Kosciusko County Coroner Tony Ciriello to purchase a lift to help move bodies at the coroner’s building as well as an adjustable autopsy table and a few morgue tables.
- A $48,250.41 request from Kosciusko County 911 Director Sarah Lancaster for hardware equipment for dispatch.
- Around $22,444 for the Kosciusko County Historical Society to repair a leak at the society’s Old Jail Museum and replace several HVAC units there. Greg Steffe presented the request before commissioners.
- A $100,000 request brought by Combined Community Services’ Randy Polston and Tim Frame for HVAC replacement and a box truck to transport donations.
In other business, commissioners:
- Approved a request from Norma Monk for her property at 14 EMS C31 Lane, Warsaw, to be part of the Tippecanoe and Chapman Lakes Regional Sewer District.
- Heard from Jones Petrie Rafinski’s Steve Henschen that “closing of … financing” for the Tippecanoe and Chapman Lakes RSD should be done on Thursday, Oct. 20, and Friday, Oct. 21. Jones Petrie Rafinski is doing engineering work for the regional sewer district. “We expect to start construction in November,” said Henschen.
- Approved a request from Bob Momeyer with the county’s Systems Administration to purchase several new computer servers at a cost of $21,318.75.
- Approved a request from Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver to continue free COVID-19 testing in partnership with The Bowen Center through the end of the year. Testing is being done at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 225 Gilliam Drive. It’s being paid for with designated state monies, that Weaver mentioned the state doesn’t want back.
- Approved an $8,974.50 quote brought by Kosciusko County Administrator Marsha McSherry from KDA for furniture for the county’s veteran service office. Business Furnishings also provided the county with a quote of $12,974.49.
- Approved a memorandum of understanding related to the county’s public safety communications system. McSherry noted that the county’s system utilizing its three new communications towers hopefully should be “live” in a month.
- Approved two rezoning requests that were previously approved by the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission at its meeting on Sept. 7. The requests were from Phil and Janet Hull to rezone property in the area of CR 750S and CR 700E from public use to agricultural; and from Gerry Wilson to rezone property in the area of SR 13 just south of North Webster from agricultural to commercial.
Commissioners’ next meeting is 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Kosciusko County Courthouse’s Old Courtroom.