Starke County Council met Monday, April 20

Title: Starke County Council met Monday, April 20 URL Source: https://wkvi.com/2026/04/starke-county-council-met-monday-april-20/ Published Time: 2026-04-24T10:01:00+00:00 Markdown Content: The Starke County Council held a regular meeting this past Monday, April 20th. Readers Digest BioPlus Discover 5 ways specialty pharmacy delivery goes further. #ad #sponsored rd.com/BioPlus During the meeting, Starke County Highway Superintendent Rachel Kinney asked for approval to purchase drainage pipes, or culverts, at a cost of $20,830 plus shipping. The culverts are for multiple locations and the purchase was approved by Council. A long discussion was held between council members and Kinney in regards to Bridge 13, a bridge on 600 North over Robbins Ditch. Kinney shared that the county has been trying for years to secure funding to repair the deficient bridge, and that they have finally received a federal grant. Since the bridge is classified as a historic bridge, the issue is more complicated. The total projected cost of the bridge project is $3.75 million, with the grant covering $2.24 million of that cost. This means the county share would be up to $1 million, with a construction timeline of around 2030 or 2031. The council debated whether to accept the grant or repair the bridge themselves. Accepting the grant would mean a lower upfront cost to the county but comes with strict rules and along delay. Repairing the bridge themselves would allow the county a faster timeline and less red tape, but would require the county to pay the full cost of the repair. It was also noted that turning down the grant could hurt chances of future grants; and that area farmers rely heavily on the bridge. After a lengthy debate a motion was made to move forward with the grant for bridge repairs. With a majority vote of yes and two no’s, the motion passed. Officials from the Starke County Jail also reported that aging metal detectors at both the jail and courthouse are no longer serviceable, after a recent power outage. The council approved the purchase of two new units, splitting the cost between jail funds and county equipment funds, with final approval pending the required public notice procedures. Starke County Community Services was one of the main discussions of the meeting. The organization provides transportation, meals, and multiple support programs for local residents, including a food kitchen and weekly community lunches. A representative from SCCS requested funding from the council in the light of state and federal funding that has been pulled; $80,000 was requested to continue funding operations through the end of the year. Councilors debated over long-term planning and financial details, but ultimately approved the funding, stating they would like regular updates and a more detailed budget from Community Services moving forward. Councilors also approved an ordinance that restricts how election-related penalty funds can be spent, limiting them to election equipment. The meeting wrapped up with updates on local economic development efforts, including a CDL training class and the Starke Tank business pitch competition coming up tomorrow. The meeting was streamed live on Youtube and is available for review on the Starke County Council-Commissioner’s page.