News Tagged ‘Starke County Commissioners’

The Starke County Commissioners this week approved the 2013-2014 grant application for Starke County Community Corrections following a presentation by Shawn Mattraw who explained that the grant application remains essentially unchanged, aside from operational improvements that Mattraw said he is hoping will improve the agency’s outcome and results.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Starke County Commissioners at their meeting this week heard from Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler, who told the commissioners that he has received five quotes on trucks and chassis for the department and requested permission to purchase at least one truck before going to the county council to request permission to purchase the other three trucks that he says his department needs.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Starke County Commissioners at their meeting Monday morning heard an update from Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler, who said the County Road 300 East project is getting closer to its deadline to be completed. Ritzler told the commissioners that 20 of the 25 parcels involved in the project have been completed and submitted to INDOT, but the deadline is quickly approaching.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Starke County Commissioners at their meeting yesterday morning heard an update on the county jail project and approved the schematic design, giving the Skillman Corporation and DLZ authority to begin design development. Scott Carnegie, architect for DLZ, told the commissioners that DLZ has been working with the Skillman Corporation over the past several weeks, discussing the design approach and cost.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Starke County Council and the county commissioners will meet this morning at 9 a.m. to discuss a variety of items, including a schematic design approval for authority to begin design development for the county jail project. The council will hear from a representative of the Skillman Corporation and DLZ, the architectural firm that is handling the design aspects of the facility.

Read the rest of this entry »

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.

This is a time to devote to do everything we can do prevent abuse and to support families and children. That includes making resources available for quality childcare, affordable health services, parenting education resources, substance abuse programs and mental health programs.

Read the rest of this entry »

Newly appointed Starke County Highway Superintendent Stephen “Rik” Ritzler has been staying busy in his new position, having gotten right down to work improving the county and planning for the future. Ritzler spoke with the county commissioners at their regular meeting this week and presented them with a list of projects, at both the state level and local, for the next three years. Ritzler said that some of the projects will require road closures, and said the list includes bid letting dates as well.

Read the rest of this entry »

An overgrown, unmaintained alleyway near the Bass Lake Property Owner’s Association building was a topic of discussion at the Starke County Commissioners meeting this week, as James Mol of Bass Lake approached them with a simple request: let him purchase the dilapidated alleyway which he currently maintains. However, nothing in government is that easy, and Mol learned that he would have to file a petition with the county, who would then be required to send notices of the petition via certified mail to all owners of property abutting the alleyway, hold a public hearing, and await a decision from the county as to whether or not they would vacate the property. To his dismay, Mol would be responsible for all related expenses.

Read the rest of this entry »

Recently appointed Starke County Highway Director Stephen “Rik” Ritzler this week presented the commissioners with an update on the Bridge 43 project, and informed them that the preliminary plans for the bridge are nearly complete with the help of engineering firm Jones Petrie Rafinski. Ritzler told the commissioners that JPR is designing the bridge on County Road 1000 East over the Robbins Ditch, and they will soon be able to send the project out for bids.

“Plans are almost done. We need to get the permits and the next step is to put it out for bid for construction and then starting a construction schedule after that,” said Ritzler.

Read the rest of this entry »

Former Starke County Sheriff’s Department employee Ron Lawson is surely disappointed with the commissioners’ decision this week to not award him the holiday pay he claims he is entitled to. Lawson previously indicated that Starke County Sheriff Oscar Cowen is under the impression that Lawson had already received his holiday pay for the days in question, but Lawson said he has not been paid and he’s been seeking this reimbursement for two years.

Read the rest of this entry »

The radio communications issues in Starke County will soon be at an end, as the commissioners this week approved a $4024 expense to enhance the range of the omnidirectional antenna mounted to the side of the water tower in San Pierre.

IT Director Joe Short told the commissioners that since the storms in June and July 2012 damaged the sheriff’s department’s radio tower, causing it to be shorter and consequently shortening the range of the signal along with FCC-mandated narrowbanding efforts compounding those issues, he has reprogrammed and relocated the Koontz Lake antenna to a location in Hamlet. On top of that, Short said he replaced the transmit radio in Hamlet with a base radio, which solved the communications problem in that area.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Starke County Commissioners are slated this evening to receive an update from IT Director Joe Short on the declaration of a local communication emergency, which the commissioners approved at their previous meeting to allow the county to modify their radio system without approval from the FCC.

EMA Director Ted Bombagetti explained to them the process to declare a local communication emergency, which would give the county the authority to do what needs to be done to restore full radio communications while getting the FCC licensing caught up at a later time. County Attorney Martin Lucas reviewed the information and gave it his approval.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Starke County Commissioners earlier this week refused to support the county clerk’s request to add an additional employee to her office. Clerk Evelyn Skronski approached the commissioners asking for their recommendation to the county council for another full-time employee and one part-time employee, but the commissioners said that they don’t expect to see an increase in her staffing any time soon.

Skronski told the commissioners that the special election to be held this year is going to be stretching the employees to their limits, and with the regularly-increasing workload for the office, Skronski said extra help is practically a necessity.

Read the rest of this entry »

While no reports have been received of pushy door-to-door merchants in Starke County, the commissioners this week discussed the matter and tossed around the idea of enacting an ordinance to further protect residents from aggressive sales tactics commonly employed by traveling merchants.

County Auditor Kay Chaffins explained that a transient merchant license is required for any person, firm, limited liability company or corporation that conducts business in the state in one location or by traveling place to place offering for sale goods, wares, or merchandise. She explained the license is valid for six months at a cost of $100, and after the license expires, the merchant must file with the county auditor a list of items sold to county residents and their cost. That information would then be forwarded to the state department of revenue. Those who hold registered retail merchant’s certificates are exempt from requiring this license.

Read the rest of this entry »