Winona Council
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
At the end of 2012, every Winona Lake resident who pays sewer/trash each month can thank the current Winona Lake Town Council for letting them keep $300 for use for the needs of their own home instead of building up a large sewer reserve fund. We have gone from paying $49 every month for sewer/trash in 2009, to $45 per month in 2010 (saved $48 from 2009 rates), and then to $41 per month in 2011 (saved $96). Now, in 2012, we will be down to the new rate of $36 per month (saving $156 from 2009 rates), thanks to this current council’s vote last month.
I felt sad Sue Gooding, the current council president, and Terry Howie, who preceded her as president the two years before, were voted off the council after they worked so hard to be fair and supportive to every citizen of Winona Lake. As a result of Randy Swanson’s intense study of the sewer rates and accumulated sewer fund, Howie and Gooding led the council to support decreases in monthly sewer fees. They brought a breath of fresh air to the council with their obvious honesty and desire to be sure actions of the Winona Lake Town Council followed procedures that could clearly be understood by anyone attending meetings. They were not ordinance crazy. Grace College and the Village At Winona were always shown respect and attention. They listened to everyone and made decisions with cautious consideration. With Joy Lohse retiring, only Randy Swanson and Bruce Shaffner will remain on the council beginning 2012.
Three new council members begin in 2012. They have a challenge to live up to the open book policy developed by the current council. There is an interesting difference between the two councils. The current one is made up of individuals who came in at different times and had to work together to make decisions eventually as a group. The new 2012 council has people coming in as a group who have stated many identical common goals. Our hope has to be that this group, even as they work together, will also find it possible to think and make decisions as carefully thinking individuals.
God Bless the new and the old council. Thank you, Terry Howie and Sue Gooding, for the intelligence, energy, and time you gifted to Winona Lake.
Jan Nelson
Winona Lake, via e-mail[[In-content Ad]]
At the end of 2012, every Winona Lake resident who pays sewer/trash each month can thank the current Winona Lake Town Council for letting them keep $300 for use for the needs of their own home instead of building up a large sewer reserve fund. We have gone from paying $49 every month for sewer/trash in 2009, to $45 per month in 2010 (saved $48 from 2009 rates), and then to $41 per month in 2011 (saved $96). Now, in 2012, we will be down to the new rate of $36 per month (saving $156 from 2009 rates), thanks to this current council’s vote last month.
I felt sad Sue Gooding, the current council president, and Terry Howie, who preceded her as president the two years before, were voted off the council after they worked so hard to be fair and supportive to every citizen of Winona Lake. As a result of Randy Swanson’s intense study of the sewer rates and accumulated sewer fund, Howie and Gooding led the council to support decreases in monthly sewer fees. They brought a breath of fresh air to the council with their obvious honesty and desire to be sure actions of the Winona Lake Town Council followed procedures that could clearly be understood by anyone attending meetings. They were not ordinance crazy. Grace College and the Village At Winona were always shown respect and attention. They listened to everyone and made decisions with cautious consideration. With Joy Lohse retiring, only Randy Swanson and Bruce Shaffner will remain on the council beginning 2012.
Three new council members begin in 2012. They have a challenge to live up to the open book policy developed by the current council. There is an interesting difference between the two councils. The current one is made up of individuals who came in at different times and had to work together to make decisions eventually as a group. The new 2012 council has people coming in as a group who have stated many identical common goals. Our hope has to be that this group, even as they work together, will also find it possible to think and make decisions as carefully thinking individuals.
God Bless the new and the old council. Thank you, Terry Howie and Sue Gooding, for the intelligence, energy, and time you gifted to Winona Lake.
Jan Nelson
Winona Lake, via e-mail[[In-content Ad]]
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