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Parke County commissioners approve new fee schedule for volunteer fire departments, accept hazard mitigation plan
Summary
At its Feb. 2 meeting, the Parke County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved Ordinance 2026-04 updating fees for volunteer fire departments, accepted Resolution 2026-01 (the county Hazard Mitigation Plan) and authorized the assessor to apply for designation as a Broadband Infrastructure Investment Zone. The board also rejected a rezoning request and appointed a temporary township trustee.
The Parke County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 2 unanimously approved Ordinance 2026-04, which replaces the fee schedule for the county’s volunteer fire departments that had been listed in Ordinance 1994-1. Commissioners also accepted Resolution 2026-01, the Parke County Hazard Mitigation Plan, and granted the county assessor authority to apply for Indiana to be designated a Broadband Infrastructure Investment Zone.
The meeting convened at 4:00 p.m. with President Jim Meece, 1st Vice President Dan Collom and 2nd Vice President Bruce Hartman present. During routine business the board approved minutes from its Jan. 20 session and acknowledged payroll claims of $269,918.23 and accounts payable claims totaling $1,511,284.02.
Nick Sauter, the commissioners’ attorney, composed Ordinance 2026-04 to update fees charged by volunteer fire departments. Jim Meece moved to approve the ordinance “Same Day, Same Meeting,” a motion that carried unanimously. The board then voted to adopt the new fee schedule; the ordinance will become effective 30 days after publication in the Parke County Sentinel.
Chris O’Brien presented Resolution 2026-01, the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. The board voted to accept the plan unanimously. According to the presentation, O’Brien has applied for federal funds to assist Parke County with costs from the January 2026 winter storm under the county’s disaster emergency declaration.
On the broadband issue, Meece said the Parke County assessor seeks authority to apply for the Broadband Infrastructure Investment Zone designation. The commissioners voted unanimously to grant that authority, citing potential county benefits from the designation.
The board also appointed Brenda Irelan as temporary trustee for Penn Township and rejected a rezoning request from Walker Core LLC to rezone property from agricultural to commercial for a boat-ramp storage facility; the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Planning Commission had recommended denial and the commissioners accepted that recommendation.
The meeting adjourned at 4:34 p.m. The board’s next procedural steps include publication of Ordinance 2026-04 (which triggers the 30-day effective period) and any follow-up on the federal funding application for storm-related costs.
Votes at a glance: - Ordinance 2026-04 (volunteer fire department fee schedule): approved unanimously; effective 30 days after publication in the Parke County Sentinel. - Resolution 2026-01 (Parke County Hazard Mitigation Plan): accepted unanimously. - Authority for assessor to apply for Broadband Infrastructure Investment Zone: granted unanimously. - Appointment of Brenda Irelan as temporary trustee for Penn Township: approved unanimously. - Rezoning request by Walker Core LLC (Ag → Commercial for boat-ramp storage): motion to reject accepted unanimously. - Payroll and accounts payable claims: acknowledged/approved (payroll $269,918.23; accounts payable $1,511,284.02).
