An agreement with Kosciusko Development Inc. (KDI) and Kosciusko Land Trust Inc. and the city concerning the previous Owens property, 302 W. Market St., Warsaw, was approved by the Board of Public Works and Safety on Friday.
The agreement is with the city through its Board of Public Works and the Warsaw Redevelopment Commission.
Warsaw Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner said, “It’s taken a little bit of time to get here, but we do have before you a development agreement with KDI and the Land Trust. This is for the Owens project as we continue to move forward with the development of that mixed-used project. The agreement before you is for $1,301,271.98, so that point the city has paid roughly $800,000 already paid toward this project, with the remaining being $501,271.98.”
He said the bulk of the money the city is paying is for the demolition and purchase of the property. The purchase of the property was for about $850,000, with the demolition over $300,000. There also was some survey and environmental work that the city also is paying for.
“As a part of this, in the original agreement, there was also some $50,000 in redevelopment fees, so all of that combined together is that $1.3 million that we paid toward this project,” Skinner said.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said, “This is the city’s contribution to the project, to this point. Once the developer agreement has been signed, and delivered, then the remaining money will be paid.”
Skinner said this money won’t be paid out until they have a development agreement signed with a third party.
“Obviously, we’ve been working with AP (Development) on the development on this project and we will continue to do so. Our goal is to have this project - financial stacking and all of that put together - sometime in April of 2024,” he said.
Thallemer stated, “I’ll just say it’s taken us a while to get here. But we’re here.”
The Owens mixed-use project was announced in June 2023.
The Board of Works approved the agreement Friday.
In other business, the board:
• Approved the take-home vehicles for city employees for 2024. According to Human Resource Director Denny Harlan, the only change is that the city will have a new mayor (Jeff Grose replacing Joe Thallemer).
Other than the mayor who is allowed personal miles, employees’ use of a city-owned work vehicle is to be driven to work and back home only. The mayor is taxed on all personal use miles whereas all others are taxed on personal use for the community each one-way.
City employees who will have a take-home vehicle for 2024 are Nick King, airport manager; Hal Heagy, Oakwood Cemetery sexton; Larry Plummer and Shaun Gardner, parks department; Dustin Dillon, Damian Pass, Keith Arnold, Joseph Vetor, street department; Brian Davison, Larry Hyden, Jason Nichols, wastewater treatment utility; and Grose.
• Approved a one-year agreement renewal with Right Stuff Software for $34,000 for time keeping software. Harlan said the city is looking at other options for time keeping for the future.
• Approved five of six taxi permits for L & L Taxi. Bryan Sherwin, Warsaw Police Department, said the sixth vehicle didn’t show up for inspection so it was eliminated. Of the five that did show, all the drivers are valid, the vehicles did pass inspection, insurance is current and registration is current on the vehicles.
• Approved WPD’s request to reimburse the town of Pierceton $20,000 (half in 2023 and half in 2024) for training expenses incurred by the town for former Pierceton officer Ryan Piper, who resigned Dec. 4, 2021, after being hired by WPD on Dec. 6, 2021.
Thallemer said it’s the same expense as if the city had sent the officer to the law enforcement academy, and Warsaw was happy to get an officer who has been trained. “I’m appreciative we were able to work that out,” Thallemer stated.
Police Chief Scott Whitaker said they probably should have done the reimbursement sooner as Piper has been with WPD for two years.
• Approved WPD’s request to enter into an agreement with SRKM Architecture for a total cost of $6,000. SRKM will be designing, preparing/sending the state design release forms as well as soliciting bids and supervising the construction of the restrooms in the recently completed training center.
Whitaker said this was the final stage of the training center remodel of the multi-bay garage on the WPD campus.
Thallemer said it’s a very, very nice facility and this will finish it out.
• Approved Wastewater Utility Superintendent Brian Davison’s request to purchase a T770 T4 Bobcat Compact Tracker Loader for $81,528.70 from Clark Equipment doing business as Bobcat Co. The cost will be split between the wastewater and stormwater utilities. The purchase is through Sourcewell Purchasing.
• Approved an interlocal agreement between the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory and Kosciusko County for terminal services data, used for maintenance and upgrade of equipment/software in reference to the operation of One Solution Freedom-Fire (Central Square). The cost for the annual term is $1,500.
• Approved Main Street Warsaw’s request for road closures in 2024 for Third Fridays. The roads to be closed are Center Street between Lake and Indiana streets and Buffalo Street between Main and Market streets from 3:30 to 9 p.m., with Third Fridays to take place from 5 to 8 p.m.
Third Fridays in 2024 will be April 19, May 17, June 21, July 19, Aug. 16, Sept. 20, Oct. 25 (Spooktacular). A date for December’s was not listed but is expected to be requested at a later time.