Kosciusko County adopts trails master plan; donor establishes Friends of the Trails fund

Kosciusko County Commissioners voted to adopt the county Trails Master Plan after Parks and Recreation staff presented the document and said the adoption is conceptual and does not obligate the county to spend money.

Rob, representing Parks and Recreation, said the trails master plan and a companion design master plan are intended to provide consistent design guidelines for trails countywide and to help coordinate local communities that may receive funding for trail projects. "We also have completed and approved ourselves our trail master plan and our design master plan, which we want to present to you today," Rob said. He told the board the approval sought from commissioners was to give the plan the county's blessing before the plan returns to the planning commission.

Parks and Recreation staff also described a donor-initiated effort to create a Friends of the Trails support organization and a named fund at the Community Foundation to accept donations for trail maintenance and future projects. Aggie, who is supporting the donor effort, said the fund would be established at the Community Foundation and that any expenditures from that fund would require Parks and Recreation approval. "There is an opportunity then for funds to be donated that could support maintenance or planning for future projects. But any expenditures from that fund is something that the parks and recreation board would have an opportunity to approve," she said.

Commissioners approved the master plan by voice vote. Staff emphasized the adoption does not commit the county to future spending; the parks department will return to the planning commission for any additional procedural approval required for project-specific work.