WINONA LAKE - Dan Lesley received a copy of an updated ordinance regarding piers in the channel and wanted a few things explained at Tuesday's Winona Lake Town Council meeting.

The correspondence Lesley, and others who rent channel piers, received from the town outlined the new fee structure, construction of piers in the channel and other regulations, some dating back to 1978.

Councilman Craig Snow explained that the length of the piers came about because there wasn't enough room for two boats to pass one another in the channel.

The plan commission had worked on the ordinance for about six months. The fee structure was approved by resolution in October.

Lesley asked if the town owned the channel.

"The town is not claiming ownership," Walmer said. "State laws give the town power to regulate the channel, just as it can control traffic on the roads, install parking meters and enforce fines and control activities on the streets, as a regulating body, not as the owner."

Lesley wondered if he could put a sign on the pier "telling people to stay off of it since I built it." He said he wanted to avoid any liability if someone hurts themselves on the pier.

Walmer said the town has concurrent powers with IDEM and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Lesley noted that boats, piers and pier poles are to be removed from Nov. 1 to April 1 and this hasn't been enforced in the eight years he has rented a pier.

Walmer said the channel area used to be a mess with piers and wooden boats lining the right of way all winter.

Interim street department superintendent Bart Jones approached the council regarding his responsibilities, saying he has been the interim superintendent for a year.

"Do I run the street department or not?" he said.

Jones said Craig Allebach, the town coordinator seems to be running the department, telling him and the crew what to do.

"When he (Allebach) was hired he was to be a liaison between the superintendents and supervisors and council, not running departments," Jones said.

"Yes, you do run the street department," said newly elected council president Jeff Carroll. "We'll have an executive session to discuss this."

"I'd just as soon discuss it in pubic," Jones said. "He's telling me how to do my job. Two loads of salt arrived right after lunch today and I didn't know about it. Craig ordered them and didn't tell me. It was a good thing I had space to store it.

"I like Craig and all," he said. "If he's going to run the department he needs to get into the building and learn to run and repair all the equipment."

"Well," Carroll said, "we'll discuss that and make it clear."

Allebach began his job May 15 and was hired to coordinate activities of other town employees, manage and oversee operations of the town, secure grants and act as a liaison to the town council.

Jim LeMasters, park director, noted few people moved their vehicles to ease snow removal.

"How are we going to help Bart do his job?" he asked.

The snow removal schedule was published in the Times-Union, broadcast on radio stations and outlined in the town newsletter.

The street department plans to remove snow and clean up on-street parking areas this week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Thursday. Residents are to move vehicles off the streets and park elsewhere, according to the following schedule:

Today: Vehicles parked on odd-numbered streets - First Street, Third Street, etc., - should park on Chestnut or even-numbered streets; vehicles parked on Auditorium should park on the north side of the street; vehicles parked on Administration should park on the south side of the street; and vehicles parked on Court Street should park on the opposite side of the street.

Thursday: Vehicles parked on even-numbered streets - Second Street, Fourth Street, etc. - should park on odd-numbered streets: Vehicles parked on Auditorium should park on the south side of the street; vehicles parked on Administration should park on the north side of the street; and vehicles parked on West Canal Street should park on the opposite side of the street.

In other business, the council:

• Elected former vice president Carroll as president and Rolly Ortega (who was absent) as vice president.

• Approved Ordinance 2001-1-1, establishing a fixed asset capitalization policy; Ordinance 2001-1-2, establishing and regulating an investment policy; and Ordinance 2001-1-3, establishing mileage reimbursement, all as established by the State Board of Accounts, according to clerk-treasurer Retha Hicks.

• Approved a contract, for the 18th year, with Larry Long and Associates, to serve as town engineers.

• Heard from Allebach that the Web site, www.winonalake.net, is being kept up to date with current council minutes and other information easy to access on the Internet.

• Noted the Winona Lake Redevelopment meeting has been reschedule for today at 5:30 p.m. to discuss assessed valuation of 800 Park Ave.

• Requested Allebach outline goals for the town to complete.

Council members are Carroll, Ortega, David Delp, Jerry Clevenger and Craig Snow. The council meets the second Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. and the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 a.m. in town hall. [[In-content Ad]]