Kosciusko County Commissioners on Nov. 5 approved a series of contracts across county departments, authorized staff to take the county highway 2025 supply bids under advisement, approved an unofficial detour route for a state road project and removed the county burn ban.

The votes came in a series of motions during the meeting. Commissioners unanimously approved three agreements presented by County Recorder Deb Wright with Computer Systems Inc. (CSI) — a hardware maintenance agreement, a microfilm-creation agreement and a disaster recovery services agreement — and directed payment from the recorder’s perpetuation fund. The board also approved a county-funded therapy program for inmates described as costing $26,000 per year.

The county prosecutor’s office asked the commissioners to approve two contracts: a revenue-sharing collection agreement with Eagle Accounting Group (which incurs no direct county cost because the vendor takes a percentage of collections) and a cloud migration and paperless-software contract with Applied Innovations. The Applied Innovations package was described as $30,000 for the first year, which includes cloud setup; commissioners were told that the contract will be paid from fee/incentive accounts rather than general funds.

The board approved a contract proposed by Kosciusko County Health Administrator Bob Weaver to hire 1 80 Digital to advertise prenatal and Health First Kosciusko programs, and signed an annual memorandum of understanding with the Purdue Extension for extension services.

Steve Moriarty, county highway superintendent, presented annual highway supply bids for 2025. Commissioners opened bid prices from multiple vendors for materials and fuel and unanimously voted to take the bids under advisement for award at a later meeting after review.

Emergency Management Director Kevin asked the board to rescind the county’s burn ban because forecast rain was expected; the commissioners moved, seconded and voted to lift the ban.

Votes at a glance:
- CSI (Computer Systems Inc.): Approved three agreements (hardware maintenance, microfilm creation, disaster recovery services). Funding: recorder’s perpetuation fund. Mover/Second: not specified. Vote: unanimous.
- Inmate therapy program: Approved; described cost $26,000 per year. Mover/Second: not specified. Vote: unanimous.
- Eagle Accounting Group contract (collection services): Approved; vendor shares collection revenue with county; no up-front county cost. Mover/Second: not specified. Vote: unanimous.
- Applied Innovations (paperless/cloud system): Approved; $30,000 first-year cost including cloud setup; funded from fee/incentive account. Mover/Second: not specified. Vote: unanimous.
- 1 80 Digital (Health First Kosciusko advertising): Approved. Mover/Second: not specified. Vote: unanimous.
- Purdue Extension MOU: Approved (annual agreement). Mover/Second: not specified. Vote: unanimous.
- Unofficial detour route for State Road 14 (County Farm Road → 1200 South → 100 West): Authorized. Mover/Second: not specified. Vote: unanimous.
- 2025 highway materials and fuel bids: Opened and taken under advisement for later award. Mover/Second: not specified. Vote: unanimous to take under advisement.
- Burn ban removal: Motion to rescind passed unanimously.

Why it matters: The approvals move forward multiple county operations — information-technology continuity for the recorder and prosecutor, advertising for county health services, and the county’s procurement and roadwork planning for 2025. Rescinding the burn ban immediately changes public safety guidance for outdoor burning in the county.

Details and funding notes provided at the meeting:
- Recorder contracts: all three CSI agreements were said to be paid from the recorder’s perpetuation fund.
- Prosecutor software: Applied Innovations first-year price of $30,000 includes migration to a cloud-based system and was described as paid from fee accounts; Eagle Accounting Group’s service was described as revenue-sharing (no stated county cost).
- Inmate therapy: Commission was told the program is “in development” and the cited figure was $26,000 per year for therapies (status of final fee collection or participant cost-sharing was described as not finalized).

The commissioners took the bids and contract approvals under advisement where additional administrative review or implementation steps apply and will return with recommendations or award decisions at a subsequent meeting.