Warsaw officials and neighbors along Sunset Drive bridge are hoping a new ordinance will cease problems involving those who come there to fish.

The Warsaw City Council on Thursday passed an ordinance that does not ban fishing but prohibits stopping or standing on, near and even under the bridge that spans Lones Ditch, which feeds into Little Pike Lake.

The area is viewed by some as the best place to catch catfish in the city, but with it have come overnight fishing escapades that have brought excessive noise, trespassing, littering and a sense of intimidation, according to some neighbors.

Seasonal problems at the bridge have been going on for many years, but seemed to worsen in recent years. In 2017, police received 17 complaints.

The issue was complicated by the fact that somehow the ordinance that had prohibited fishing on the bridge for decades had been accidentally removed from the city’s records.

Police became aware last year that the ordinance was nowhere to be found, making legal enforcement impossible.

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Council’s action essentially reinstates the ordinance, but the new version does not address fishing per se.

In the meantime, the city worked to determine the exact property lines for four residential properties around the bridge and homeowners put up no trespassing signs.

Neighbors expressed frustration and demanded action Thursday.

Resident Joni Campbell said they’ve dealt with related problems for about 10 years, and probably would not have moved into their home if they knew of the problems they would encounter.

She called on the city to enforce the ban.

Some of the visitors have been obnoxious when asked to tone down the noise.

“We’ve gone and asked them to quiet it down and all we get is confrontation and threats,” Campbell said.

“We don’t need to tolerate that from anybody. This is our neighborhood,” she said. “There are plenty of fishing sites on the lake.”

Another neighbor, Joe McManama, said he realized at some point a handful of people who fish there had been regularly entering his back yard through a fence and had been eating lunch on an outdoor dining table he owns.

At other times, he said he’s found them in his yard late at night and along his seawall.

He claimed one neighbor found two single-pot cooking devices for meth.

“It’s like that all the time,” McManama said “It’s awful.”

Council approved the ordinance 7-0.

Fifth District City Councilwoman Diane Quance, whose district includes the bridge, said she hopes the ordinance has an impact.

Councilman Ron Shoemaker made the motion to approve the proposal, saying, “I feel an obligation to help these folks. I hope this solves the problem.”

The ordinance won’t go into effect for more than a month because of a legal advertising requirement.

The ordinance does not mention fines, but the city could seek up to a $2,000 fine if a violator refused to cooperate.

Such a move, Mayor Joe Thallemer said, would be a last resort, adding that he thinks the ordinance itself will be sufficient to ward off problems.

In other matters:

The city held public hearings for the proposed annexation of about 400 acres near the airport that would include Zimmer Biomet’s northern campus along U.S. 30.

The city is working to extend sewer service to much of the area.

A representative of one company located inside the annexation area questioned why some companies were excluded. City Planner Jeremy Skinner said those decisions were based around the city’s ability to extend sewer at a reasonable cost.

Council will vote on the proposal on May 7, which will then be followed by a 90-day remonstrance period.

Council also reviewed initial plans to provide water customers a summer credit for residents who use more water in the summer for filling pools and watering lawns.

The credit would be available from mid-May to mid-September.

Officials hope to fine tune the proposal and implement it this year.