Eventually, a high-speed rail passenger route will cut across Northern Indiana from Chicago to Fort Wayne.

Warsaw may be one of the stops along the way.

Mayor Ernie Wiggins told the city council Monday the Indiana Department of Transportation was trying to decide if the route would run northerly or southerly for the past year.

In a press release from IDOT, the Transportation Economic and Management Systems recommended in their study the passenger rail service to Fort Wayne be restored while improving existing passenger rail service to the South Bend area.

"We're very pleased that may happen," he said of the route possibly going through and making stops in Warsaw.

Jeff Noffsinger, Warsaw planning department, said the rail will bring economic development to the community and provide an alternative route of transportation to Chicago. "Stay tuned," he said, "it may take 10 to 12 years for it to happen." He said IDOT still needs to get approval for funding from Congress for the project.

If funding becomes available for the project, the next steps in the process will include preliminary environmental assessments, detailed engineering and additional opportunities for public input.

According to the IDOT press release, the study shows that service to Cleveland via Fort Wayne will cost $320 million less to build and operate than the same service would have cost via the South Bend route. This is due to the high volume of rail traffic already using the South Bend route and the expensive prospect of having to separate completely the freight and passenger trains. The study also recommends that by spending about $94 million of the $320 million savings, existing train service provided by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District could be vastly improved.

In other business, the town council:

• Held the public hearing for the annexation of Lake City Bank property. There were no remonstrators. The 0.29 acres of land to be annexed is on West Lake Street near Big Lots. The fiscal plan for the annexation will be provided to the council at their next December meeting and the annexation is scheduled for Jan. 6.

"I really don't see this as being a burden to the city," said Noffsinger of the annexation.

• Approved a five-year personal property tax abatement for Buhrt Engineering & Construction Inc., 1610 W. Armstrong Road, Warsaw. The estimate of the market value of the proposed new manufacturing equipment is $428,750. Six new jobs will be added to the business over the next two years because of the new equipment.

• Approved an ordinance amending city code regarding street, curb and sidewalk standards. The new standards also previously were approved by the Board of Works.

• Approved an ordinance transferring $38,100 from the general/council fund professional services account to insurance and $615 from the aviation department professional services account to insurance.

Members of the Warsaw City Council are Jeff Grose, Letrecia Brown, Dr. Joseph Thallemer, Charles D. Smith, William Rhoades, Jerry Patterson and George M. Clemens. Clerk-treasurer is Elaine Call and mayor is Ernest B. Wiggins. [[In-content Ad]]