Elkhart County commissioners post 2025 paving bid notice, approve truck purchase and two stormwater cost-share grants; deny noise-variance request

The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners on July 28 authorized county staff to post a notice to bidders for the 2025-2 paving program, approved a special-purchase resolution to acquire three used highway trucks, and denied a requested noise-ordinance variance for a private event. Later the County Department of Stormwater Management approved two cost-share grants for failing septic repairs and heard an outreach update from partnership staff.

The paving packet presented by Kyle Wagner of the Highway Department "would be our second packet for 2025 paving," he said, and "consists of 9 miles," with an anticipated work start date of Sept. 15, 2025, and an end date of June 5, 2026. The board voted to post the notice to bidders.

County Attorney Steve Olson presented a special-purchase resolution to buy three 2023 Ram 2500 trucks as fleet vehicles from Randy Marion Chevrolet Cadillac LLC. Olson told commissioners the trucks are used but "with mileage below a thousand miles per vehicle" and described the vendor as "Randy Marion Chevrolet Cadillac LLC" (doing business as Randy Marion). The board approved the special-purchase resolution.

A request by Mario Mejia for a noise-ordinance variance at 58550 Kendall Street for a proposed Sept. 13 event with a band from 4 p.m. to midnight was denied after staff said complaints had been recorded at the location and the applicant was not present. County Administrator Jeff Taylor supplied the event address and proposed time. Commissioner motions to deny carried unanimously.

At the County Department of Stormwater Management meeting that followed, staff recommended and the board approved two cost-share applications. Elise Pov of the county health department summarized the first application, saying the lowest construction estimate was $9,250 and that the property owners requested 75% contingent grant assistance not to exceed $6,937.50 and a $2,312.50 loan at 2 percent interest. The board approved the request as presented.

A second application covered replacement of a failing subsurface gravity trench septic system at 30939 Liberty Drive, Osceola. Pov said the household has four members (two adults, two children), reported 2024 household income of $11,652 in SSI, and said the existing system showed sewage ponding and saturated trenches. The lowest estimate for replacement was $11,600; staff noted that, under the county's 2025 funding guidelines, the household qualified for full contingent grant assistance not to exceed $11,600. Commissioners discussed whether a 0 percent loan would better protect taxpayer funds and were told the program places a five‑year lien on grant funds to prevent transfer for profit. The board voted to approve the full contingent grant assistance.

Jason Goffman, stormwater coordinator for the City of Goshen, briefed the board on outreach at the county fair, including booths that demonstrated watershed impacts, native-plant sales, and a rain-barrel and rain-garden workshop scheduled for Aug. 19. He said the partnership and the Soil and Water Conservation District used an augmented-reality sandbox and a water model to show fair visitors how development affects runoff.

Procedural items taken without extended discussion included approval of minutes for July 21, 2025, and allowance of payroll and regular claims.

Votes at a glance

- Post notice to bidders: 2025-2 paving program (9 miles). Outcome: approved. Motion and second recorded; vote carried unanimously. Presented by: Kyle Wagner, Highway Department. - Special-purchase resolution: purchase of three 2023 Ram 2500 trucks from Randy Marion Chevrolet Cadillac LLC. Outcome: approved. Motion and second recorded; vote carried unanimously. Presented by: Steve Olson, County Attorney. - Noise-ordinance variance: 58550 Kendall Street (Mario Mejia), proposed event Sept. 13, 2025, 4 p.m.–midnight. Outcome: denied. Applicant absent; complaints on file. Motion and second recorded; vote carried unanimously. Presented by: Jeff Taylor, County Administrator. - Stormwater cost-share #1: property with lowest estimate $9,250; request for 75% contingent grant assistance not to exceed $6,937.50 and $2,312.50 loan at 2% interest. Outcome: approved. Presented by: Elise Pov, County Health Department. - Stormwater cost-share #2: replacement septic system at 30939 Liberty Drive, Osceola; lowest estimate $11,600; household income reported as $11,652 (SSI); full contingent grant assistance not to exceed $11,600 under 2025 funding guidelines. Outcome: approved. Presented by: Elise Pov, County Health Department.

Commissioners also heard a public comment from Glenn Noel, who urged elected officials to appoint administrators who will act in taxpayers' interests. The meeting adjourned and transitioned to the stormwater board session.

Notes on procedure and limits

- Where motions, seconds or individual roll-call votes were not identified in the transcript, the article reports outcomes as recorded in the meeting (motions made, seconds recorded, votes announced as carried unanimously). No individual commissioner roll-call was provided in the record. - Authority for the stormwater cost-share program was described in meeting remarks as "the ordinance that was established for purposes of cost-share programs" and the board applied the county's 2025 funding guidelines in approving grants and loans. The ordinance was referenced but not named or cited in the transcript.