Drainage Board October 22, 2026

At the October 22, 2026, Kosciusko County Drainage Board meeting, staff reported nearly 300 work orders for the year and opened bids for several drainage projects. The transcript records bids for projects including AP Jones, Walnut Creek, an NRCS project, and projects 260, 266, and 267. Discernible bids included LI Excavating at $7,752 for Walnut Creek; bids of $43,900 and $32,775 for project 259; bids of $20,345 and $14,381 for project 260; and bids of $15,000 from two bidders for project 266, with scope review needed. For project 267, Rams Bottom bid $21,000 and LI Excavating bid $14,995. Other bids included $36,000 and $16,000 for earlier projects, though some project/vendor details are unclear in the transcript. No bid awards are recorded.

The board discussed a proposed Plunge Creek maintenance rate of $350 per acre with a $35 minimum, estimated to generate about $33,000 for erosion control, log-jam removal, and related maintenance; the current rate was $1.56 per acre with a $25 minimum, and staff also disclosed $15,000 in existing debt. A motion to approve the advertised rate is heard, but the transcript cuts off before the vote outcome. Staff discussed potential KDC funding for drainage replacement and planning, including a $250,000 special-project budget, and reported that a railroad plans to replace a problematic pipe with a four-foot steel casing. One variance was tabled pending legal review of hold-harmless language; another was approved to reduce a setback to 50 feet in the building footprint.