City Council Reviews Proposed Winona Lake Sewage Contract
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw City Council Monday reviewed a letter from Umbaugh & Associates regarding a proposed sewage agreement between Warsaw and Winona Lake.
Jeff Rowe, Umbaugh & Associates, Plymouth, presented the letter to the council that provided feedback on a comparison of the existing sewage agreement and the proposed agreement.The letter also provided differences between the current basis for calculating the sewage treatment rate and the treatment rate calculation template proposed by the town.
Warsaw requested Umbaugh & Associates review the proposed sewage agreement Winona Lake presented to the city during the Jan. 4 Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. The proposed contract would provide Winona Lake with a template for calculating sewer services for future sewer calculations.
The proposed template would begin with an annual billing costs of approximately $31 per household divided by the number of months, resulting in a monthly rate for Warsaw billing Winona Lake.
Winona Lake currently pays $3.74 per 1,000 gallons for sewer services that Winona Lake pumps to Warsaw's waste water treatment plant.
A cost of service study was conducted by Umbaugh & Associates for Warsaw and by London Witte for Winona Lake.
Warsaw increased the sewer rate for Winona Lake to $2.08 per 1,000 gallons. Winona Lake is requesting to pay an increase of $1.76 per 1,000 gallons for sewer services.
Warsaw residents are charged $31 per household for sewer services and Winona Lake residents are charged $42 per household, making an $11 difference in sewer charges between the city and town.
Mayor Ernie Wiggins said he wanted the council to have an opportunity to review the letter and will give the letter to Winona Lake.
In other business, the council reviewed a public notice for four new piers at the boat ramp to be installed at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds.
The council also approved a request from Housing Opportunities of Warsaw for the city to provide $25,000 to the organization. The funding is to cover the non-profit organization's employee salary, rent, accounting fees, audit fees, Internet, telephone and interest fees.
The council also approved a proclamation to declare February as "Library Lovers Month." The declaration is to encourage people to visit libraries and thank librarians for making libraries possible.
The council reviewed a letter dated Jan. 28 from Lakewood Hills resident Jeanne White regarding flood assistance. White thanked the Warsaw Street Department in the letter for assistance during the flood.
The council also:
n Approved eight conflict-of-interest statements.
n Approved a request by the Wastewater Treatment Utility facility to have Kosciusko REMC provide power to the lift station on Cessna Drive. The lift station is a booster station for the old Biomet force main. The force main was given to Warsaw in 2005.
Warsaw resident Gary Parker requested the council look this spring into drainage problems in Hersher Addition.
