City Scales Down Whimet Tax Abatement Request
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Although Whimet Inc. representatives asked for a 10-year abatement on both personal property and real estate, Warsaw city council members stuck with their guidelines Monday.
Whimet has purchased the property formerly owned by Sun Metal and plans to retain that company's 35 employees in addition to adding eight others. Whimet also plans to add an heavy-coating anodizing manufacturing process. Murvel Whitehead, president of the company, estimated personal property improvements at $500,000 and $300,000 on real property.
However, city ordinance calls for a six-year abatement limit on real property and a 10-year abatement on personal property, which was approved.
Warsaw police department patrolman Brad Kellar gave a demonstration of an automatic electronic defibrillator. He said 19 of 36 WPD members were certified in the use of the equipment.
He said the AEDs were given compliments of the K21 Foundation and members of the Warsaw, Winona Lake, Mentone and Syracuse police departments have been certified in their use as well as sheriff's deputies.
He explained that he could be the first on the scene where someone was unconscious with no detectable heartbeat. And, although the EMS had been dispatched, two minutes could mean life or death.
With the machine on, a "voice" directed Kellar in the placement of the pads to detect a heart rate. Although the board offered council member George Clemens as a test subject and Mayor Ernie Wiggins suggested public works superintendent Lacy Francis was closer, Kellar elected to demonstrate the machine by measuring the "pulse rate" of a nearby table.
The "voice" ordered Kellar to press a button and he administered a shock to the comatose table thrice. As the table did not respond, the procedure was discontinued.
City planner Jeff Noffsinger presented real property tax abatement requests from DePuy Products Inc. and Warsaw Engineering, which were approved.
The DePuy abatement began in 1998 with a 17,600-square- foot expansion. They initially planned to hire an additional 201 employees and have added 287, bringing the number of total employees to 1,077, with a $59.6 million payroll.
Assessed value of the expansion is given as $86,130, and this year the abatement is at 50 percent or $43,070.
Warsaw Engineering, or J&D Enterprises, owned by James Weaver and Don Bice, also requested a 10-year abatement in 1998 with the addition of a 20,000-square-foot building. They estimated adding eight employees in 1998 and have added 21, bringing the number of total employees to 31, with a payroll of $1.1 million.
Assessed value of the expansion is given as $81,730 and this year the abatement is at 50 percent or $40,870.
Buhrt Engineering and Construction Inc. also presented an abatement compliance form.
Noffsinger said there were about half a dozen other companies whose real property tax abatement requests were due March 1. He said some may have been filed at the courthouse.
Councilman Bill Rhoades asked what happened if they failed to file and Noffsinger said there would be an automatic cancellation for the abatement this year.
The personal property tax abatement requests are due
May 15.
In other business, the board:
• Approved a transfer of funds by the aviation department of $27,000 from improvements other than buildings to machinery and equipment. The funds will go the purchase of a new truck to be used at the airport.
• Approved an amendment to the flood control ordinance to change the base flood elevation of a finished floor from 3 feet, which exceeds state and federal standards, to 2 feet, which meets state and federal codes.
• Reviewed the U.S. 30 selective enforcement figures, which show an additional 35.5 hours were given by WPD officers in February; 24 disregarding stoplight citations were issued as well as 18 speeding tickets.
• Reviewed central dispatch figures showing a total of 1,575 calls were received in February; 764 of those were 911 cellular phone calls. Warsaw exchanges accounted for 356 calls.
• Accepted conflict-of-interest forms from George Clemens as owner of A-1 Hour Photo Centers and Rabb-Kinetico Water System; from Jeff Puckett, who operates Puckett Construction; and from Police Chief Steve Foster, as an hourly employee at Warsaw ACE Hardware.
• Canceled the April 1 council meeting because at least two council members will be unable to attend the meeting.
Warsaw city council members are Jerry Patterson, Bill Rhoades, Jeff Grose, Joe Thallemer, Trish Brown, George Clemens and Charlie Smith. [[In-content Ad]]
Although Whimet Inc. representatives asked for a 10-year abatement on both personal property and real estate, Warsaw city council members stuck with their guidelines Monday.
Whimet has purchased the property formerly owned by Sun Metal and plans to retain that company's 35 employees in addition to adding eight others. Whimet also plans to add an heavy-coating anodizing manufacturing process. Murvel Whitehead, president of the company, estimated personal property improvements at $500,000 and $300,000 on real property.
However, city ordinance calls for a six-year abatement limit on real property and a 10-year abatement on personal property, which was approved.
Warsaw police department patrolman Brad Kellar gave a demonstration of an automatic electronic defibrillator. He said 19 of 36 WPD members were certified in the use of the equipment.
He said the AEDs were given compliments of the K21 Foundation and members of the Warsaw, Winona Lake, Mentone and Syracuse police departments have been certified in their use as well as sheriff's deputies.
He explained that he could be the first on the scene where someone was unconscious with no detectable heartbeat. And, although the EMS had been dispatched, two minutes could mean life or death.
With the machine on, a "voice" directed Kellar in the placement of the pads to detect a heart rate. Although the board offered council member George Clemens as a test subject and Mayor Ernie Wiggins suggested public works superintendent Lacy Francis was closer, Kellar elected to demonstrate the machine by measuring the "pulse rate" of a nearby table.
The "voice" ordered Kellar to press a button and he administered a shock to the comatose table thrice. As the table did not respond, the procedure was discontinued.
City planner Jeff Noffsinger presented real property tax abatement requests from DePuy Products Inc. and Warsaw Engineering, which were approved.
The DePuy abatement began in 1998 with a 17,600-square- foot expansion. They initially planned to hire an additional 201 employees and have added 287, bringing the number of total employees to 1,077, with a $59.6 million payroll.
Assessed value of the expansion is given as $86,130, and this year the abatement is at 50 percent or $43,070.
Warsaw Engineering, or J&D Enterprises, owned by James Weaver and Don Bice, also requested a 10-year abatement in 1998 with the addition of a 20,000-square-foot building. They estimated adding eight employees in 1998 and have added 21, bringing the number of total employees to 31, with a payroll of $1.1 million.
Assessed value of the expansion is given as $81,730 and this year the abatement is at 50 percent or $40,870.
Buhrt Engineering and Construction Inc. also presented an abatement compliance form.
Noffsinger said there were about half a dozen other companies whose real property tax abatement requests were due March 1. He said some may have been filed at the courthouse.
Councilman Bill Rhoades asked what happened if they failed to file and Noffsinger said there would be an automatic cancellation for the abatement this year.
The personal property tax abatement requests are due
May 15.
In other business, the board:
• Approved a transfer of funds by the aviation department of $27,000 from improvements other than buildings to machinery and equipment. The funds will go the purchase of a new truck to be used at the airport.
• Approved an amendment to the flood control ordinance to change the base flood elevation of a finished floor from 3 feet, which exceeds state and federal standards, to 2 feet, which meets state and federal codes.
• Reviewed the U.S. 30 selective enforcement figures, which show an additional 35.5 hours were given by WPD officers in February; 24 disregarding stoplight citations were issued as well as 18 speeding tickets.
• Reviewed central dispatch figures showing a total of 1,575 calls were received in February; 764 of those were 911 cellular phone calls. Warsaw exchanges accounted for 356 calls.
• Accepted conflict-of-interest forms from George Clemens as owner of A-1 Hour Photo Centers and Rabb-Kinetico Water System; from Jeff Puckett, who operates Puckett Construction; and from Police Chief Steve Foster, as an hourly employee at Warsaw ACE Hardware.
• Canceled the April 1 council meeting because at least two council members will be unable to attend the meeting.
Warsaw city council members are Jerry Patterson, Bill Rhoades, Jeff Grose, Joe Thallemer, Trish Brown, George Clemens and Charlie Smith. [[In-content Ad]]