WINONA LAKE - Last January the town council set a number of goals for the year.

Some projects underwent a natural evolution, others were dropped completely and others were set on hold as the year unfolded.

For the most part, however, town council members Jeff Carroll, president; Rolly Ortega, vice president; Jerry Clevenger, Craig Snow and David Delp met or exceeded their own expectations.

Recently town coordinator Craig Allebach updated the board regarding actions taken on the goals and new situations that cropped up over the past 12 months.

Goals:

1. Continue work with consultants and the community in the design and reconstruction of CR 250E with construction to begin in 2002.

The town continues to work with consultants on the design of CR 250E.Ê Construction is now set to begin in 2003. In the next month or two a meeting with be scheduled with all parties to do a site visit, if necessary, on 250E.ÊSoil testing will take place in the near future as design continues.

2. Continue to find ways to generate revenue due to the loss of 18 percent ($157,000) of the tax base when Sofamor Danek moved to Warsaw.

Action: The board continues to find ways to make up for lost revenue.ÊNonprofit organizations gave donations and made contributions. For the most part the losses were covered with a combination of ideas, including donations, reduction of contract agreements, cutting expenses to the minimum and some property tax increases.

3. Seek ways to improve services to the community.

The board continued public services without any significant financial increases.

In November the Severn Trent company was contracted to oversee public works operations beginning January 2002.

4. Negotiate a new garbage collection contract upon expiration.

The board approved a new garbage collection contract in 2001 at a lower rate than the previous contract.

5. Continue a hiring freeze to keep personnel costs down.

Lance Grubbs was hired as a town employee through a Criminal Justice Institute grant. This addition did not cost the town additional monies. In fact, the town will receive approximately $6,500 for the general fund.

6.ÊContinue dialogue with Warsaw officials regarding the town's sewage treatment and a sewage treatment center.

Numerous meetings were held with Warsaw representatives, with the town agreeing to contribute toward the cost of the new Warsaw sewage treatment plant.

Warsaw will receive a $1.157 million contribution from Winona Lake with $600,000 paid up front: $200,000 would come from the wastewater cash balance and $400,000 would come from EDIT money. An additional $557,000 will be spread out over 20 years.ÊThe wastewater rate in Winona Lake increased from $31 to $34 a month.Ê

According to town officials, there will probably be an agreement soon with Wessler and Associates for some rehabilitation of the current lines. That will help the rate by cutting infiltration areas so Warsaw won't be treating as much.

The town received a $25,000 grant to survey the existing wastewater system and study the feasibility of a treatment plant.

7. Seek ways to fund and extend sewers to Southtown.

The plan to fund and extend sewers to Southtown was put on hold. The funding and extension of sewers to Southtown will be revisited in a separate preliminary engineering review in the future.

Instead the town will concentrate on sewer line rehabilitation.

8. Continue to develop the Winona Lake Web site (www.winonalake.net), including posting current news, newsletter, events, forms, ordinances, minutes and other information of interest to the community.

The Winona Lake Web site is continuously updated with official town minutes as well as the mentioned items.

9.ÊSeek ways to fund improvements and reconstruction of Chestnut Street, including sewers, storm drainage, streets, curbs and sidewalks.

Currently in the design and specification stages, bids will be let on Chestnut Street from First Street to Columbia in 2002.Ê This also will include improvements to Fourth Street.

10.ÊContinue to strengthen private partnerships with Winona Restoration and Grace Schools.

The strength of the town's ties with Winona Restoration and Grace Schools resulted in the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Community Achievement Award for 2001. The groups work together on various issues, such as the Lake City Greenway and brownfields grants.

Using money transferred from Warsaw, the town anticipates beginning planning and design of the greenway with construction to begin in 2003.ÊAnother grant application is planned linking Grace College to Lakeland Christian Academy, terminating at CR 250E and Pierceton Road.

During 2001 the town also:

• Received a $200,000 Community Focus Fund grant to renovate the community building into a senior center.

The town also received $12,000 from the Kosciusko County Foundation as matching funds for the senior center. State Rep. David Wolkins allotted $50,000 in Build Indiana funds to use at the senior center.

The Indiana Housing Finance Authority awarded Winona Lake a $250,000 grant to rehabilitate houses in Winona Lake.Ê Housing Opportunities of Warsaw agreed to serve as the grant administrator and more than 10 applications were received before the town was awarded the grant.

• The fire department sponsored several fund-raisers throughout the year. They also received a donated brush truck, purchased a ladder truck and built an addition to the fire station.ÊThey are actively involved in the smoke detector program in Kosciusko County.

• The police department received numerous donations and grants. Among those was a grant for a thermal imager; $400 to go toward a portable breath test; $4,500 for in-car video; Best in the State grant for $4,000; a $16,607 COPS MORE grant; Local Law Enforcement Block Grant for $10,000; and a $1,000 donation from Wal-Mart.

• According to a previous agreement, the trailers at the Lakeshore Trailer Court were removed.

• The town started and finished a few public works projects including reconstruction of College Avenue, paving of Peach Tree Lane and work on the concrete streets at Stonehenge. The town also is putting together design and specification for work on Chestnut Street, Fourth Street and Faunn Street, with construction to take place in 2002.

• The street department received a new plow truck in 2000. They also received a new repeater, improving radio communication for the street department and other departments in the town.

They put together a new leaf pickup truck for improved efficiency. They also installed new flagpoles in front of the town hall and completed other projects throughout the community.

The Publicity Committee was resurrected and the Great Fourth of July Celebration on June 30 in Winona Lake Park was a success.

Along with the many events sponsored by the Village at Winona, the town also hosted the first 4-H off-fairgrounds parade, the Lake City Optimist Triathlon, the Winona 5K, "A Day at the Lake," "Light the Night" and the Parade of Homes.

The park department had a busy summer, with 739 kids participating in the summer programs. Profits were more than $4,300.ÊNew basketball courts were built and various minor improvements were made in the parks.

• The Redevelopment Commission worked through issues on the 800 Park Ave. parcel and signed a resolution to begin eminent domain proceedings in December on this property.

The council has kept the tax levy below the maximum for five consecutive years. [[In-content Ad]]