NORTH WEBSTER – North Webster has the potential of receiving $500,000 if the town receives an Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative (OIRI) grant, Clerk-Treasurer Leigh Anne Jessop told the North Webster Town Council Tuesday.
Kosciusko County is receiving $30 million for OIRI and $5 million is set aside to be used for outside of Warsaw and Winona Lake.
North Webster would receive part of what is set aside. Jessop said she met with Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) to discuss potential projects, which are considered “quality of life” ones.
She said she will meet with Commonwealth Engineers and see if there is money that could be used for a storm drain project or fix a sinkhole in town.
“It would nice if we could explore the options with Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) funds to get that done,” Jessop said.
Jessop is meeting with Commonwealth May 2 and said she’d like to possibly propose a storm drain project to help with waste going into the lake.
Webster Lake needs dredging and Jessop thought some of the OIRI money could go toward the dredging project, which is expensive.
”That would be a good project to apply for,” she said, “especially since we didn’t get the LARE (Lake and River Enhancement) grant,” she said of the lake project.
The board expressed interest in the grant and for Jessop to move forward with a letter of intent.
Utilities Manager Mike Noe said a new gate is needed for the wastewater plant. The board agreed to purchase a new security gate with a key pad and five remotes for $14,000.
Noe said the drains need to be cleaned as they are clogged since the last two major storms. Noe said he will do so again soon and install liners.
Police Chief Greg Church gave the March police report. There were 820 officer hours, 4,969 miles driven, and 365.95 gallons of fuel used. There were 210 calls of service, 19 battery or domestic calls, two criminal mischief calls, five theft or fraud calls, three drug-related calls, 42 traffic-related calls, three accidents or vehicle in ditches, 34 citizen lockouts and 14 agency assist for fire or EMS calls.
Rick Owens, representing the Dixie Sternwheeler, asked if he had permission to install a sewer line from the Dixie to a pump at the town park.
“We can flush our own lines,” he said. “We do it about three times a year.”
There will not be a sewer bill and the board granted his request.
A road closure was approved for Mermaid Festival June 18-21 and Dixie Day in July 26. West Washington street will close for these events.
The next meeting is at 6 p.m. May 20 at the community center.