(Photo by Stacey Page)

Road construction will begin this week on the Zimmer Road roundabout. The Kosciusko County Council was informed Thursday night that the repair work will require traffic delays while the work is done.

The roundabout, which was completed in November 2012, has been collapsing (See related story). The project was awarded in April of last year to E & B Paving Inc. of Anderson who came in with the low bid of $2,262,701. County administrator Ron Robinson said after federal and state funding from INDOT, the cost to the county for the roundabout was approximately $452,540.

In other business, a short discussion touched on the elected boards of Kosciusko County and budgets as the county needs to begin finalizing 2014 funds. “We recognize that no one knows their budgets better than the elected boards,” said councilman Larry Teghtmeyer. The council is recommending all department budgets remain under 2.6 percent of the county’s total budget.

Due to an oversight in the original budget of the circuit and superior courts, an additional $40,000 was added to the budget for legal issues. Although the money was in the budget last year and not needed, it is more likely to get used this year.

A transfer of $1,200.80 was made by the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department’s maintenance and repair fund for damages caused to a squad car during an accident involving a deer.

Kosciusko County Clerk Ann Torpy has requested a former employee to fill a position in her office that will open once a current employee leaves. Although she wasn’t able to attend the meeting, the request was approved.

Brian Spaulding, field representative for Jackie Walorski, attended the Kosciuko County Council meeting last night to encourage the public to provide input. He said he is available at Syracuse Town Hall the last Wednesday of every month from 9 a.m. to noon.

The next meeting of the Kosciusko County Council is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10.