PIERCETON – The Pierceton Town Council continued discussions on changing speed limits for a majority of the roads in town limits during its meeting on April 14, 2025. Town Marshal Jim Bumbaugh requested that all town roads maintain a 25 mph speed limit, with a few exceptions where the limit would be increased to 30 mph. The roads slated for the higher limit include the entirety of Market Street, Arnolt Drive, Pequignot Drive, and Matchette Drive, as well as Mill Street from U.S. 30 to Grant and Keith streets. The penalties for speeding motorists would align with Indiana code.
Bumbaugh also proposed the removal of engine braking from the town's ordinance, stating that it is not an issue the town encounters. The council approved an ordinance to repeal engine braking enforcement within town limits. Additionally, they authorized Town Attorney Tammy Keirn to draft an ordinance for the new speed limit changes, which will be presented at their May meeting.
Housing considerations were a significant topic as the council heard from representatives of the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO), Club 720, and Mission: B.U.I.L.D. regarding the prospect of additional housing in the Pierceton area. These representatives attended the meeting to rekindle discussions that previous council members had about potentially developing properties west of Seventh Street.
Heather Presley-Cowen, founder of Club 720, highlighted the pressing need for housing in the region. She stated, "Last week, we did a hard hat tour in Wabash on a development project. Back in 2019, when we did an analysis, we learned Kosciusko County needs about 3,000 housing units over the next five years, if it's going to keep up with its own housing potential... 1,880 units were needed outside of Warsaw in order to keep up with market potential, and Pierceton was scheduled to absorb about 10% of that."
Presley-Cowen explained that Club 720 would serve as a countywide partner alongside KEDCO to initiate housing development projects, while Mission: B.U.I.L.D. would ensure that the units are constructed. She noted, "It goes from identifying a site and then making sure that site gets fully designed by the community and then implemented in this community-led, community-fed approach. The idea is to really empower the community to accomplish its vision."
After the council approved its annual KEDCO services agreement, KEDCO CEO Peggy Friday announced that $5 million of the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative funds have been earmarked for capital projects within Kosciusko County's small communities, with a cap of $500,000 per project.
During the citizen comments section of the meeting, resident Annie Espinoza voiced concerns regarding the town's park and recreation board not being involved in discussions about the construction of bathrooms at Brower Park. "There's a big history about a bathroom being up at Brower Park," Espinoza remarked. "And it's not pretty, but it was something, and that's what the residents are talking about." Another resident, Stephanie Campbell, inquired about the reasons behind the stalled bathroom project at Brower Park. Espinoza explained that there had been prior discussions between Paragon Medical and the town's Chamber about who would handle cleaning the park's bathrooms if Paragon Medical were to fully fund their construction. Council member Matt Brubaker clarified that the Pierceton Redevelopment Commission had decided to build the bathrooms at the park, not the council.
The council also discussed upcoming events in the community, which include:
- May 10, 2025: Destination Pierceton; Pierceton Fire Department fish fry and Pierceton Christmas Committee pie sale
- 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 17, 2025: Pierceton Chamber of Commerce Annual Vintage Motorcycle Show in Brower Park
- June 13-14, 2025: Townwide garage sale
- June 21, 2025: Large trash pickup day
The council also approved annual agreements with Washington Township for the Pierceton Community Building and Pierceton-Washington Township Community Park. They amended the town's garage sale ordinance to state that garage sales held during the annual Pierceton townwide garage sale event, Pierceton Days, Destination Pierceton, and the Heirloom Tomato Festival will not count toward the maximum limit of garage sales a resident can host per year.
In addition, Town Superintendent Casey Boggs announced he is looking to hire two new employees. Clerk-Treasurer Myra Mast also informed the council that she has created a YouTube channel for the town, which will be used for livestreaming meetings when a new state law goes into effect on July 1.
The council's next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on May 12, 2025.
Meanwhile, in Sweetwater County, the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners will consider changing the speed limit on unpaved county roads during their meeting on April 15, 2025. The commissioners are set to discuss a resolution that would lower the speed limit on these roads from 55 mph to 45 mph. Originally set at 55 mph in 2011, the county now believes that this limit is unsafe on some unpaved roads.
The new legislation, Senate File 32, allows local jurisdictions to set speed limits on unpaved roads between 35 mph and 55 mph without needing a speed study. The commissioners will also hear from Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1 regarding a proposed increase in seasonal wildfire hourly rates and from Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County about funding for the hospital's capital projects. This meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Sweetwater County Courthouse in Green River and is open to the public, with streaming available on the county's YouTube channel.
