MENTONE – Mentone Town Council approved an addendum Wednesday to a contract with the Troyer Group to help design and plan the upgrade to Mentzer Park.
At September’s meeting, Clerk-Treasurer Amanda Yaprak announced Mentone had been found eligible for Community Development Block Grant funding for $272,369.
Kosciusko County was one of three communities selected in 2021 by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) to participate in the first round of the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP). HELP assists and equips rural communities with developing strategic investment plans, resulting in a legacy project for each community.
Wednesday, Mike Reese, landscape architect from the Troyer Group, said representatives from the Troyer Group did a walkthrough of the park.
Reese said a plan was presented to OCRA. The next step will be for the council to look at different options and amenities for the park. There’s certain things the OCRA funding will cover. The town of Mentone has American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which will help cover other things at the park.
Reese said there will be a public hearing on the park upgrades at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Mentone Council Chambers. Representatives from Troyer Group will the design for the park and give more information.
Council President Jill Gross said anyone who has an interest in the park is welcome to come to the public hearing.
Reese said the Troyer Group will work with the council on a design to fit the budget and some things may have to be prioritized. He said the group will also put together construction estimates based on their experience so the council will have an idea of how much things may cost.
Reese also said there are some permits that they may have to apply for, such as a construction in a floodway permit and an erosion permit, but not all the permits may not be needed. He said the construction in a floodway would need to be done sooner than later. He said $5,000 was budgeted for permitting at this point.
In other business, the council:
• Heard from Ciara Bolling, recovery support specialist, about Allendale Treatment, an addiction treatment center. She said she will have an office on Buffalo Street in Warsaw that will open in February.
Allendale is an in-patient unit that helps with mental health and alcohol and drug abuse. They also do interventions.
She wanted the council to know she was a resource in the community.
• Learned town attorney Andrew Grossnickle will bring an updated water rate ordinance to December’s meeting for the council to approve.
• Learned Grossnickle will bring an update to the council in December about the zoning, park and cemetery boards they have been looking into possibly reinstating.
• Learned leaf pickup has begun. People are to put leaves near the street and not on the street or the sidewalk.
• Learned early voting in Mentone is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Learned the next Mission to Mentone project is a roofing project and Councilman Tim Croy said he is hoping the project will be done Nov. 10 and 11.
• Learned the clerk’s office will be closed Tuesday for Election Day.
• Approved a $4,500 quote from John Kimble and Group for topography research for Mentzer Park.
• Approved an automatically renewed month-to-month contract with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement until it is deemed not to be needed.
The contract is for $40 per hour for four-hour shifts for 15 days out of the month.