City OKs Advertising Additional KEDC Appropriation
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw City Council approved advertising an additional $50,000 appropriation from its rainy day fund Monday to help economic development.
Lynne Christiansen, Warsaw clerk-treasurer, said additional appropriations must be legally advertised in the newspaper and taxpayers must be notified of additional appropriations the city proposes to make.
The funds will be used to help with economic development expenses and hiring a full-time Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. executive director and administrative assistant.Max Courtney, KEDC chairman, attended Monday night's council meeting and requested the city contribute the additional appropriation.
"These funds will enhance the KEDC program and help with purchasing publishing materials that will better market our program and help our citizens expand businesses," Courtney said.
He said the county has previously increased its contribution for the program, and the city increasing its contribution also will help the program.
In other business, the council discussed indoor and outdoor recreation facilities.
Warsaw City Planner Jeremy Skinner said the city's ordinance currently does not have a zoning district in which indoor and outdoor recreation is permitted.
"That means any use that has an indoor and outdoor recreation has to go before the board of zoning appeals as a use variance or special exception," Skinner said.
The council Monday unanimously approved Warsaw Plan Commission discussing whether or not they would want to make an amendment to allow indoor and outdoor recreation facilities in the city.
Skinner said an ordinance would need to be created to allow the zoning and be presented to the city council, and a public hearing would need to be held.
Approximately 50 parents of cheerleaders, tumblers and gymnastics and their children attended Monday night's meeting to show their support for a cheerleading, tumbling and gymnastics facility in Warsaw.
Tim Sammons, owner of Midwest Extreme, attended the meeting to show his support for a facility in Warsaw.
Sammons said he applied for a use variance for the facility on an existing building at 960 Executive Drive to allow it to be used for indoor recreation that the board of zoning appeals approved.
After the board approved the use variance, Sammons said he found changes inside the building that needed to be made that were too costly so he chose not to occupy the building.
A few months passed and Roger Schwartz, owner of Myrrh Properties, New Haven, built a cheer, tumble, and gymnastics facility at 1155 Executive Drive south of Medtronic.
Sammons and Schwartz went back to the BZA to request another variance because of the new location and the board denied the variance request in 2009.
The variance was denied due to safety issues, and the board determined such a facility would not be an appropriate location because it is in an industrial district.
Sammons said he supports the board's decision to not allow the facility in an industrial district, but he wants to find an appropriate place for the facility in Warsaw.
"I have two daughters who are cheerleaders, and I and other parents have to drive them to Goshen for the activities," Sammons said.
In other business, the council approved providing funds to Oakwood Cemetery for a GIS project for the cemetery.
The council approved the city transferring $2,000 from improvements other than building to professional services for three years to help cover expenses for a GIS project for Oakwood Cemetery.
Warsaw Board of Works and Public Safety previously approved an agreement between the Kosciusko County Historical Society and Oakwood Cemetery for an ongoing cemetery project.
Each gravesite in Oakwood Cemetery will be photographed and GIS coordinates recorded. A database is being done which will include information for each decedent (age at death, date of death and date of burial).
When completed this information will be accessible through the county's GIS online system. The city will maintain ownership of the Oakwood Cemetery data.
In other business, Mike Cox, Warsaw Police Department animal control officer, requested the council review and update its animal control ordinance.
Updates he suggested that be addressed include providing guidelines for classifying potentially dangerous animals, addressing wolf-hybrids and coydogs, not previously in the ordinance, and creating a classification of a habitual animal offender.
The council also:
n Approved tax abatements for Echelon Group, 100 W. Market St.; R&B Investors Group, 800 S. Buffalo St.; and West Hill Development Inc., 1180 Polk Drive.
n Approved a resolution adopting a written fiscal plan and establishing a policy for provision of services for an annexed area in Plan Township.
n Approved a resolution for the city to accept the transfer of a 2008 Chevrolet Van from Michiana Area Council on Government.
