The Warsaw City Council received a petition opposing the request by Menards to rezone 21 acres along Husky Trail and Patterson Road at its meeting Monday.

There are about 20 names on the petition.

The Warsaw Plan Commission held a public meeting Dec. 12 where Menards representatives, citizens and commission members discussed a proposal to rezone approximately 21 acres from R-1 residential to C-3 commercial along Husky Trail and Patterson Road.

City councilman and Warsaw Plan Commission member Jeff Grose presented council members with a petition from Silver Fox Ridge residents opposing the rezoning request from Menards for the property intersection at Parker/Patterson/Husky Trail during Monday's city council meeting.

The City Council will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposal at a meeting in January whose location and date is still to be decided.

The council also received a letter from Brian and Kim McHose, owners of Concepts in Stone and Tile Inc., thanking the city for the holiday lights downtown and in Central Park.

The council also:

• Approved a November activity report for the Warsaw Fire Department with 85 responses.

• Approved an ordinance amending city personnel policies in employee handbooks regarding holidays for general, civilian police, fire and police personnel. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was added as a holiday for these employees to follow state regulations.

• Approved an ordinance for fire personnel in the employee handbook regarding overtime. The ordinance states employees will be given the opportunity for overtime work assignments when operating requirements or other needs cannot be met during regular working hours. All overtime work must receive the department head's prior authorization. Overtime assignments will be made to best meet the operational needs of the city. Firefighters bi-weekly wage is based on 216 hours in a 27-day cycle. Overtime for firefighters will be compensated for all hours worked in excess of 204 hours in any given 27-day cycle. For hours in excess of 204 and less than 217 in any 27-day cycle the firefighter will be compensated at half of the computed regular hourly rate for that firefighter. Any hours worked in excess of 216 will be paid at one and one-half.

• Approved an ordinance amending the city's 2007 salary ordinance for a sewage payment office supervisor. The salary is $1,458.81 bi-weekly. Marsha McSherry is resigning from the current sewer collection manager position.

• Approved line two cuts for city departments. Certain 2006 approved and budgeted appropriations for the city now have unobligated balances or will not be needed for the future purposes originally appropriated. The line two cuts for the clerk's office include $14,000; $70,000 for the city council; $28,000 for the police department; $82,000 for the fire department; $94,000 for the street department; $27,000 for the building and planning department; $3,000 for Oakwood Cemetery; and $43,000 for the Parks and Recreation Department.

• Approved a request from Oakwood Cemetery for $1,330 to be transferred from repairs and maintenance to equipment to purchase a copy machine and computer that was stolen from the office Dec. 12.

• Approved a request from the Parks Department to transfer $4,500 from salaries and wages to utility services, and $2,500 from park rentals to utility services to cover anticipated additional expenses as related to gas and electricity needs for NIPSCO for the remainder of this year.

• Approved a request from Airport Manager David Beall to transfer $2,056.20 from improvements other than buildings to buildings to close out the W.J. Carey contract for the Zimmer Hangar Addition. The additional funds are required to cover the change order needed by the relocation of an electric transformer box.

The council will meet again Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. at city hall to discuss a request from Winona PVD Coatings Inc. for a 10-year tax abatement on real estate designated lot 1 within the West Hill Industrial Complex. [[In-content Ad]]