Council approves rounds of appropriations, transfers and capital requests including sheriff salary move and landfill cell work

The Elkhart County Council approved a broad package of appropriations, fund transfers and capital requests at its Feb. 19 meeting, moving funding for routine operations and discrete projects across multiple departments.

Key approvals and transfers

- Clerk perpetuation fund: The council approved $29,382 to cover three new courthouse copiers and outstanding invoices after a request from County Clerk Patty Pickens (approved 5-0).

- Code enforcement records: $59,000 was appropriated to continue a project to digitize remaining office documents (approved 5-0).

- Health department grants: The council approved several health-related appropriations, including $1,286.16 to correct a prior mispayment, $20,000 for the annual public-health preparedness grant (reduced from prior years), $3,780 from a lead grant (for translators and cleaning kits) and $37,500 from Tobacco Prevention funds (all approved 5-0).

- Emergency management: Multiple grant-funded items were approved, including EMA donation-line items ($5,482.25), emergency planning funds ($64,469.47), HMEP decon exercise ($7,000), LEPC training ($22,500) and $2,525.01 from a NIPSCO safety grant remainder (all approved 5-0). Presenters noted larger radio procurement grants remain pending FEMA review.

- Jail and public-safety spending: Buildings & Grounds requested $300,000 from a jail special projects fund to address large-ticket repairs and automation at the jail (approved 5-0). The sheriffs office requested a $6,180,120 transfer to move correction staff salaries from the general fund to the jail special-purpose fund (approved 5-0); smaller donations and STAR grant appropriations for crash-investigation overtime were also approved.

- Highway and major moves: The council transferred and appropriated $1,177,785.27 from the Major Moves fund into the road program for 2026, citing an ordinance-based interest-growth mechanism; additional appropriations included $200,000 for engineering on Bridge 380 and combined appropriations of $1,000,000 for 2026 paving, chip seal and road maintenance (all approved 5-0).

- Solid waste / landfill: Solid Waste Director John Bowers described a low bid for a ~20-acre landfill cell expansion and secured transfers/appropriations totaling $3,342,546 (operating to capital reserve and capital reserve appropriations), plus a related appropriation of $2,797,454 from capital reserves (approved 5-0).

- Historic courthouse renovation: Commissioners requested $250,000 to continue reconstruction and restoration of the Goshen Courthouse, with progress described as nearing public access and local contractors completing much of the work (approved 5-0).

- Humane society contract: $280,227 was appropriated to cover city and town portions of the countys contract with the humane shelter (approved 5-0).

- Concord Township assessment: The assessor requested and the council approved a $344,255.85 reduction to remove Concord Township funds after shifting responsibilities to the county assessor's office (approved 5-0).

The council also approved bookkeeping or fund-structure transfers such as moving fiber funds into a newly created fiber fund, an ordinance amending the Major Moves Construction Fund (CC 2026-06), creation of the GDP (Goshen Dam Pond) Environmental Improvement Fund (CC 2026-07), and an interlocal agreement with Middlebury to fund a $22.5 million wastewater treatment plant expansion on a 40% county / 60% Middlebury cost split funded by specified TIF accounts.

All formal votes reported in the meeting passed by voice vote with the council recording unanimous approval where noted (most items passed 5-0).