MILFORD - At Monday’s Milford Council Meeting, Clerk-Treasurer Tricia Gall presented two ordinances regarding upcoming water projects and rates.
The first ordinance, 2025-03, authorizing the improvements for the waterworks system and issuance of revenue bonds to finance the project, was approved by the council. Gall said the ordinance was introduced in a special meeting and nothing had changed. She said the ordinance essentially spells out that the town will be issuing bonds in the amount not to exceed $7.34 million and will be going through the State Revolving Fund (SRF).
The second ordinance, 2025-6, was presented to the council but no action was taken at Monday’s meeting. A public hearing will be held on the ordinance at the next regularly scheduled meeting March 10 at 7 p.m.
Gall said if approved, the rates will increase in two phases with the first phase taking effect when they get the bonds, so most likely for the May billing for April usage. The second phase will be when the construction project is completed.
Gall gave a couple of examples of what the increase will look like, using the average user of 4,000 gallons as an example. With phase one, that bill will increase to $52.81, and the second phase will increase it to $56.91. The current bill for an average 4,000-gallon user is $32.41.
The current minimum charge for water is $17.06 and phase one will see that increase to $27.81 and for phase two to $29.96. Hydrant fees and sprinkler fees will also go up.
Councilman Ken Long said, “I hope people understand we try to keep costs to a minimum to not impact people, but for a long time the board prior to me did so to our detriment and we found ourselves in a position where we had to and we upset people. We are trying to be pro-active. Rates are going up and we can’t not have them go up and accomplish this. We also can’t just have them go up the minimum because that just gets us by.”
Councilman Jim Smiley said, “I’d encourage people to call around and see what other towns rates are — we’re like the second or third lowest in the state. We’ve kept them down for a long time.”
Five bids were received and opened at the meeting for Division A water treatment improvements. Gale Gerber, operations and client liaison, and Breagan Eicher, project engineer for Commonwealth Engineers, were present to facilitate the bid opening.
Several contractors bidding on the project were also present. Bidding on the project (in order of the bids opened) were FCI Construction, Auburn, with a base bid of $4,015,600 and total of mandatory alternates $75,450; Ottenweller Contracting LLC, Fort Wayne, with a base bid of $5,024,000 and mandatory alternates of $80,000; R Yoder Construction, Nappanee, with a base bid of $3,702,074 and mandatory alternates of $6,961; Crosby Construction, Fort Wayne, with a base bid of $3,799,730 and mandatory alternates of $71,300; and Thieneman Construction, Westfield, with a base bid of $3,984,000 and mandatory alternates bid of $19,000.
Gerber told the council they’d like to take the bids back to make sure all the required forms and financial statements are included and will bring a recommendation back for their next meeting. The council approved having Commonwealth review the bids.
They were also expected to open bids for Division B - the water main and service line improvements - and three companies were solicited for bids, but no bids were received. Eicher was asked after the meeting if that part of the project would be re-bid and he responded that he wasn’t the project manager, but he thought it was likely that it would be rebid.

    Christine Thilmony came to the Milford council requesting permission to move a 1988 mobile home onto a vacant lot but didn’t get permission. Photo by Denise Fedorow.
  

Christine Thilmony, who said they owned several properties in town, including a couple of vacant lots, asked the council if they could move a 1988 40x26 manufactured home on one of the vacant lots. She said it’d be on permanent foundation, and they’d put in new windows and doors, etc.
Council President Doug Ruch said, according to the town ordinance, mobile homes need to be 10 years old or newer.
Thilmony argued that, according to Housing & Urban Development’s federal guidelines, anything manufactured after January 1976 was a manufactured home and the ordinance only spoke to mobile homes and trailers. She also said it would bring added value to the town.
Town attorney Jay Rigdon said whether you call it a mobile home or manufactured home, it falls under the ordinance and it’s prohibited.
Thilmony pulled out Indiana code title 36 and cited a section that said units may not adopt or enforce regulations mandating size requirements based on the size or age of a mobile home or manufactured home and said the state code states that the town can’t impose a date.
Rigdon said, “I believe it’s perfectly fine under the state code but feel free to file a lawsuit.”
Thilmony said, “So you’re saying the town of Milford doesn’t have to abide by the state code?”
Rigdon bristled and said, “I don’t need you to rephrase it, I said exactly what I intended to say.”
Thilmony said she didn’t know what to do next and asked if she supposed to bring a lawyer to the meeting.
Rigdon said, “I believe the town of Milford’s provision is acceptable under state law. If you disagree — file a lawsuit, don’t come here, file a lawsuit and have it determined.”
In other business, the council:
• Approved Milford Lions using the community building for public meetings at no cost if not already scheduled.
• Approved the annual spring cleanup dates April 24-26.
• Approved Brown Equipment doing street sweeper repairs for $12,970.77, which is $5,000 less than last month due to removing some items.
• Approved purchasing flowers for downtown not to exceed $1,500.
• Reminded residents to respond to notices to have their water meter replaced - if they do not comply their water may be turned off.
• Approved paying the Reach Alert invoice in the amount of $1,661, which Gall said was $325 more than last year but council members felt it was a valuable service.
• Received an update from Community Event Coordinator Karena Wilkinson via Gall who reported the blood drive resulted in 25 units donated by 19 donors, that senior socials are going well, and she intends to start Tuesday classes called Teaching Tuesdays.