Warsaw Passes Prohibition On Street Solicitors
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Warsaw City Council is looking into making streets more safe for drivers and those who want to hold fundraisers.
The council approved an ordinance on the first reading at its meeting Monday night that prohibits solicitation in public streets that endangers the safety or welfare of an occupant on a motor vehicle, impedes the free flow of traffic, or obstructs the view of a driver.
The council will need to approve the ordinance on a second reading at its Oct. 16 meeting and it will need to be advertised.
The ordinance states it is unlawful for any person to sit, stand or move within or upon any street or highway or upon any median, guard rail or divider in or between any street or highway for the purpose of soliciting, peddling, selling, advertising, donating or distributing any product or property of service including tickets, handbills, money, flowers and newspapers.
Mayor Ernie Wiggins said there is an exception for a one-time event during any calendar year for charitable organizations that may conduct street solicitation for two consecutive days, provided the organization has applied for and received a permit from the Warsaw Police Department at least 30 days in advance of the first day of the event.
Wiggins said the ordinance will be enforced by the police department.
The ordinance includes a section that states any person who violates the provisions will be fined $25 for the first violation and $50 for violations after that.
Council member Bill Rhoades said he received support for the ordinance. "I received a call from the Knights of Columbus and they said the ordinance is a great idea," Rhoades said.
The council approved a request from Street Superintendent Lacy Francis to transfer $1,000 of funds from street main budget rentals to street main office supplies for an unforeseen need of replacing a laser printer.
Francis also addressed the council during the meeting with his concerns regarding residents abusing an ordinance that states garbage must be put in 35-gallon containers.
"We developed this ordinance for public safety and the safety of our employees," Francis said.
He said if residents fail to meet the ordinance after nine times, their garbage is tagged and only garbage that is in compliance with the ordinance is picked up.
He said when garbage is tagged, a house address is needed in the front of the home so it can be recorded. Some homes do not have address numbers in the front.
"People are either buying oversized garbage cans or not putting trash in cans at all," Francis said.
Wiggins also shared concern with residents violating the ordinance.
"I can understand an occasional bag being left out of a garbage can, but when this is happening more frequently it is getting to be frustrating and a problem," Wiggins said.
Wiggins suggested public education on the ordinance may help alleviate the problem.
The council also approved salary ordinances for five elected officials for 2007.
The council approved the salary ordinance on a first reading at its Sept. 18 meeting.
The salary ordinances include $58,268 a year for Wiggins, $49,496 a year for Clerk-Treasurer Elaine Call, $4,968 for members of the common council, $125 a month for Board of Public Works and Safety members and $30 a meeting for plan commission members.
Council member Joe Thallemer informed the council that he, Wiggins and Rhoades met with Winona Lake Town Council members Sept. 22 to discuss Winona Lake's sewer rates.
"There were discrepancies in the equations used in the cost of service study," Thallemer said.
He said city council members asked Winona Lake to discuss issues raised with H.J. Umbaugh & Associates, who conducted the service study.
Don Kollman, local locksmith, discussed his concerns with lock outs at Chapman Lake to the council.
He said when drivers have been locked out in the area and called 911, dispatchers have referred them to a wrecker service instead of a locksmith to get their car door open.
He said there were more than 6,284 lockouts in the county last year and he expects there will be more than 8,000 lockouts this year.
Kollman suggested citizens who have been locked out of their cars could leave a set of extra keys at home and call home in instances of a lock out instead of calling 911.
Wiggins said he was not aware of dispatchers referring citizens who have been locked out of their cars to tow truck companies, and said he will be in contact with dispatchers in the county regarding the issue.
Derrick Haniford, executive director of the Warsaw Community Art Center, attended the meeting and invited city council members to join the center's board to provide government representation. He said the center currently has three members and needs a minimum of four. The center is awaiting exempt status from the state before it begins programs.
Planned programs include a partnership program with schools to offer cultural and artistic displays that will coordinate with curriculum, a home school partnership program, and a program to offer internships to amateur artists.
Wiggins encouraged council members to consider serving on the board.
Council members are Bob Morrison, Joe Thallemer, George Clemens, Jeff Grose, Charles Smith, Jerry Patterson and Bill Rhoades. [[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw City Council is looking into making streets more safe for drivers and those who want to hold fundraisers.
The council approved an ordinance on the first reading at its meeting Monday night that prohibits solicitation in public streets that endangers the safety or welfare of an occupant on a motor vehicle, impedes the free flow of traffic, or obstructs the view of a driver.
The council will need to approve the ordinance on a second reading at its Oct. 16 meeting and it will need to be advertised.
The ordinance states it is unlawful for any person to sit, stand or move within or upon any street or highway or upon any median, guard rail or divider in or between any street or highway for the purpose of soliciting, peddling, selling, advertising, donating or distributing any product or property of service including tickets, handbills, money, flowers and newspapers.
Mayor Ernie Wiggins said there is an exception for a one-time event during any calendar year for charitable organizations that may conduct street solicitation for two consecutive days, provided the organization has applied for and received a permit from the Warsaw Police Department at least 30 days in advance of the first day of the event.
Wiggins said the ordinance will be enforced by the police department.
The ordinance includes a section that states any person who violates the provisions will be fined $25 for the first violation and $50 for violations after that.
Council member Bill Rhoades said he received support for the ordinance. "I received a call from the Knights of Columbus and they said the ordinance is a great idea," Rhoades said.
The council approved a request from Street Superintendent Lacy Francis to transfer $1,000 of funds from street main budget rentals to street main office supplies for an unforeseen need of replacing a laser printer.
Francis also addressed the council during the meeting with his concerns regarding residents abusing an ordinance that states garbage must be put in 35-gallon containers.
"We developed this ordinance for public safety and the safety of our employees," Francis said.
He said if residents fail to meet the ordinance after nine times, their garbage is tagged and only garbage that is in compliance with the ordinance is picked up.
He said when garbage is tagged, a house address is needed in the front of the home so it can be recorded. Some homes do not have address numbers in the front.
"People are either buying oversized garbage cans or not putting trash in cans at all," Francis said.
Wiggins also shared concern with residents violating the ordinance.
"I can understand an occasional bag being left out of a garbage can, but when this is happening more frequently it is getting to be frustrating and a problem," Wiggins said.
Wiggins suggested public education on the ordinance may help alleviate the problem.
The council also approved salary ordinances for five elected officials for 2007.
The council approved the salary ordinance on a first reading at its Sept. 18 meeting.
The salary ordinances include $58,268 a year for Wiggins, $49,496 a year for Clerk-Treasurer Elaine Call, $4,968 for members of the common council, $125 a month for Board of Public Works and Safety members and $30 a meeting for plan commission members.
Council member Joe Thallemer informed the council that he, Wiggins and Rhoades met with Winona Lake Town Council members Sept. 22 to discuss Winona Lake's sewer rates.
"There were discrepancies in the equations used in the cost of service study," Thallemer said.
He said city council members asked Winona Lake to discuss issues raised with H.J. Umbaugh & Associates, who conducted the service study.
Don Kollman, local locksmith, discussed his concerns with lock outs at Chapman Lake to the council.
He said when drivers have been locked out in the area and called 911, dispatchers have referred them to a wrecker service instead of a locksmith to get their car door open.
He said there were more than 6,284 lockouts in the county last year and he expects there will be more than 8,000 lockouts this year.
Kollman suggested citizens who have been locked out of their cars could leave a set of extra keys at home and call home in instances of a lock out instead of calling 911.
Wiggins said he was not aware of dispatchers referring citizens who have been locked out of their cars to tow truck companies, and said he will be in contact with dispatchers in the county regarding the issue.
Derrick Haniford, executive director of the Warsaw Community Art Center, attended the meeting and invited city council members to join the center's board to provide government representation. He said the center currently has three members and needs a minimum of four. The center is awaiting exempt status from the state before it begins programs.
Planned programs include a partnership program with schools to offer cultural and artistic displays that will coordinate with curriculum, a home school partnership program, and a program to offer internships to amateur artists.
Wiggins encouraged council members to consider serving on the board.
Council members are Bob Morrison, Joe Thallemer, George Clemens, Jeff Grose, Charles Smith, Jerry Patterson and Bill Rhoades. [[In-content Ad]]