10/05/2026
๐๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
๐ ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ | ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ
The Huntington County Board of Commissioners met Monday morning, with the meeting held in accordance with Ordinance 2026-02. The agenda covered minutes, claims and payroll, an update on the county's owner-occupied rehabilitation grant, election equipment and postage contracts, utility permits and facility invoices, a community event request, and administrative updates from the courthouse. Here's a look at what came up.
๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐, ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐น
Commissioners approved the minutes as presented, then bundled and approved the claims and payroll.
๐ข๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ-๐ข๐ฐ๐ฐ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐
The Board gave an update on the owner-occupied rehabilitation grant administered through Region 3A. The first 10 homes were released to contractors around September 1 after the work was rebid in August, serving nine homeowners and drawing roughly $150,000 of the county's $500,000 allocation. The second group of 10 homes went out to contractors on the same timeline, with quotes returned in late September and awards expected around October 6, serving another nine homeowners and about $100,000. The building inspector will begin evaluating the third group of 10 homes around October 15, with scopes of work due to Region 3A by the end of the month, quotes back by November 15, and awards announced by the end of November, putting the project back on its original schedule.
Region 3A will also apply on the county's behalf for a modification to the grant agreement, shifting funds from the construction budget to professional services so the building inspector and radon inspector can complete their assessments. Commissioners noted that radon and asbestos remediation costs are being covered through the project so the funding goes as far as possible, and that the scoring committee may be able to return to the list of eligible applicants and serve up to 10 additional homeowners depending on repair costs.
๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ฉ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Commissioners approved the contract for the county's new election machines, which was previously approved by the County Council and splits payment across 2027 and 2028. The Clerk's office also reported that the public test of the voting machines was completed successfully, with four machines tested and no issues found. Early voting begins Tuesday, October 6.
๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
The county's current postage machine is being retired by the United States Postal Service because it cannot meet updated intelligent mail requirements. A replacement was approved, with the Clerk's office selecting a model without added features the county does not need. The change carries an estimated increase of $990.40 for 2027, which came after budgets were set and will be taken to the County Council.
๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐๐ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น
The Clerk's office presented U.S. Elections Live, an app that delivers live election night results, candidate information and archived results from past elections. The company has offered the county a no-cost trial for this election. Ongoing service would run about $8,000 per year, and Commissioners asked that the Clerk's office, Commissioners and Council sit down together to weigh the cost and benefit before the county commits to anything long term.
๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐
Steve Kimmel, Executive Director of the Huntington County Chamber of Commerce, requested use of the Courthouse Rotunda for Santa hours during the ninth annual Christmas in the City. This event will take place on November 28th 2026. Santa will be in the rotunda from roughly 2:30 to 5 p.m., with visitors entering through the west doors and exiting through the north doors, and the Chamber will coordinate with courthouse security on coverage. The Chamber expects about 3,000 people for the event, which draws visitors from Marion, Wabash and Columbia City. Commissioners approved the request and praised the event as tourism at its best.
๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐
Commissioners approved a set of utility permits and four invoices:
๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐๐: Utility work by Heartland REMC and Metronet along several county road segments, including 300 North between 900 West and 1000 West, 600 North to 675 North, and 100 North to 200 North, all reviewed by the county highway and surveyor's offices.
๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ: $6,725.00 to Miller Land Survey for squaring up county property lines near the Victory Noll Center, where lines previously ran at an angle through the parking area.
๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ: $13,210 for separating heating and cooling into individual rooms as part of the room additions at the Sacred Heart building.
๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฏ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐: $1,985.36 covering earlier work on the courtroom blowers, part of the effort that reduced noise in the courtroom.
๐๐
๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: $2,651.54 to Central Indiana Hardware for upgraded hardware on the secondary courtroom exit doors, following a walkthrough with the fire marshal, so the doors open from the inside while remaining locked from the outside.
๐๐ฑ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐
The county's Title VI and ADA transition plans were submitted to the state for review last week. Employee flu shots are scheduled for Monday, October 12, and Commissioners approved posting the flyer in the courthouse and other county buildings. UGS will be on site to help employees set up telehealth access. The State Board of Accounts has completed its audit of the county, and the reports have been released.
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐
Commissioners closed with a reminder about harvest season after last week's rain left mud and agricultural debris on several roadways. Signs were posted in the Warren area, and contractors worked to clear the roads alongside the sheriff's department and county highway crews. Commissioners thanked everyone involved and asked drivers to be careful.
The meeting was then adjourned.
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