Mayor Wiggins Looks To Prosperous '09 For City
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Wiggins said he looks forward to 2009 and scheduled road and street improvements.
The county has seen some increase in its unemployment rate this year, but mostly from workers who live in Warsaw and travel to Elkhart to work in the RV industry, he said.
"We've been very blessed here with the lack of local layoffs from our business and industry," Wiggins said.
"Frankly, we've been very fortunate in 2008 with the economy here compared to other communities."
Wiggins said Kosciusko County has experienced some side effects of the slumping economy with the Nissan dealership closing.
He said he hopes local automobile dealers in the county proceed forward as the economy picks back up.
Wiggins said a project completed in 2008 was the city's portion of the sewer line extension towards Leesburg.
A storm water line along Country Club Drive also was installed this year.
"Anticipating what the future holds depends on what happens in Indianapolis with the legislature and government reform and property tax caps," Wiggins said.
Looking forward to 2009, Wiggins said one of the large projects will be the completion of the Parker Street/Argonne Road improvements. The project is scheduled to go to bid in spring or summer 2009.
With state financial contributions, the project will include restructuring the Argonne Road, Center Street, Parker Street intersection. That portion of the project will eliminate a stoplight and make the intersection more of an S curve instead of the current dogleg configuration.
Wiggins said Parker Street from Center Street out to U.S. 30 will be completely reconstructed with sidewalks and street lights.
"The Center Street/Argonne Road intersection is really bad right now with ruts," Wiggins said.
He said the city has an additional grant in for the project because the cost of the project has increased since the city originally received a grant for the project in 2000.
Wiggins said it will be a large public works project that will be completed in two phases. The Argonne Road improvements will be completed first and the Parker Street improvements will follow.
Wiggins said West Center Street by Boggs Industrial Park towards Zimmer will need repairs. He said Market Street will be reconstructed to include a combined sewer overflow that will be installed in January.
Wiggins said Market Street will be torn up for awhile and the project is scheduled to be finished in 2009.
Bids have been let for the construction of a new wastewater treatment lab that will occur in 2009.
The city's 2009 budget has been approved and the city council cut $800,000 out of the 2008 budget which has the impact of lowering the tax rate for 2009.
"I think we all know we will have some things to still cut, but until we know what our assessed valuation numbers are we are kind of shooting in the dark still and we won't know cuts until later in 2009," Wiggins said.
The city council has asked department heads to look at if need be, reducing its budgets by 5 percent.
Wiggins said half of the city's budget is for personnel services or wages.
He said the city is in the process of conducting a financial study and putting together legal documents to establish a fire territory between Warsaw and Wayne Township.
"At this point in time we are factoring in the financial numbers with Winona Lake to see if they may want to participate in the fire territory," Wiggins said.
Warsaw currently is contractually providing fire protection for Wayne Township, but what a fire territory would do is spread the cost over a wider population base.
The tax payer or whoever is receiving the service will pay for the service.
Wiggins said the city is still exploring alternatives for the construction of a new city hall.
It has been been talking with Indiana American Water Company for their old office building on North Buffalo Street for a potential site for a new city hall.
Wiggins said the city hall would house the mayor's and clerk's offices, and building and planning department to provide a more centralized location.
A study was conducted in 2002 on downtown Warsaw that stated a need for a new city building.
The study found the current city hall does not reflect the prosperity of the community, Wiggins said.
"This is a very dated building. It dates back to the 1950's and we need to be able to incorporate the building and planning offices in more proximity with the clerk and mayor's office," Wiggins said.
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Wiggins said he looks forward to 2009 and scheduled road and street improvements.
The county has seen some increase in its unemployment rate this year, but mostly from workers who live in Warsaw and travel to Elkhart to work in the RV industry, he said.
"We've been very blessed here with the lack of local layoffs from our business and industry," Wiggins said.
"Frankly, we've been very fortunate in 2008 with the economy here compared to other communities."
Wiggins said Kosciusko County has experienced some side effects of the slumping economy with the Nissan dealership closing.
He said he hopes local automobile dealers in the county proceed forward as the economy picks back up.
Wiggins said a project completed in 2008 was the city's portion of the sewer line extension towards Leesburg.
A storm water line along Country Club Drive also was installed this year.
"Anticipating what the future holds depends on what happens in Indianapolis with the legislature and government reform and property tax caps," Wiggins said.
Looking forward to 2009, Wiggins said one of the large projects will be the completion of the Parker Street/Argonne Road improvements. The project is scheduled to go to bid in spring or summer 2009.
With state financial contributions, the project will include restructuring the Argonne Road, Center Street, Parker Street intersection. That portion of the project will eliminate a stoplight and make the intersection more of an S curve instead of the current dogleg configuration.
Wiggins said Parker Street from Center Street out to U.S. 30 will be completely reconstructed with sidewalks and street lights.
"The Center Street/Argonne Road intersection is really bad right now with ruts," Wiggins said.
He said the city has an additional grant in for the project because the cost of the project has increased since the city originally received a grant for the project in 2000.
Wiggins said it will be a large public works project that will be completed in two phases. The Argonne Road improvements will be completed first and the Parker Street improvements will follow.
Wiggins said West Center Street by Boggs Industrial Park towards Zimmer will need repairs. He said Market Street will be reconstructed to include a combined sewer overflow that will be installed in January.
Wiggins said Market Street will be torn up for awhile and the project is scheduled to be finished in 2009.
Bids have been let for the construction of a new wastewater treatment lab that will occur in 2009.
The city's 2009 budget has been approved and the city council cut $800,000 out of the 2008 budget which has the impact of lowering the tax rate for 2009.
"I think we all know we will have some things to still cut, but until we know what our assessed valuation numbers are we are kind of shooting in the dark still and we won't know cuts until later in 2009," Wiggins said.
The city council has asked department heads to look at if need be, reducing its budgets by 5 percent.
Wiggins said half of the city's budget is for personnel services or wages.
He said the city is in the process of conducting a financial study and putting together legal documents to establish a fire territory between Warsaw and Wayne Township.
"At this point in time we are factoring in the financial numbers with Winona Lake to see if they may want to participate in the fire territory," Wiggins said.
Warsaw currently is contractually providing fire protection for Wayne Township, but what a fire territory would do is spread the cost over a wider population base.
The tax payer or whoever is receiving the service will pay for the service.
Wiggins said the city is still exploring alternatives for the construction of a new city hall.
It has been been talking with Indiana American Water Company for their old office building on North Buffalo Street for a potential site for a new city hall.
Wiggins said the city hall would house the mayor's and clerk's offices, and building and planning department to provide a more centralized location.
A study was conducted in 2002 on downtown Warsaw that stated a need for a new city building.
The study found the current city hall does not reflect the prosperity of the community, Wiggins said.
"This is a very dated building. It dates back to the 1950's and we need to be able to incorporate the building and planning offices in more proximity with the clerk and mayor's office," Wiggins said.
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