City OKs General Obligation Bond Ordinance; Establishes Riverfront Redevelopment District
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw City Council Monday night approved the issuance and sale of a general obligation bond. The bond – not to exceed $1.2 million – will assist in purchasing street department vehicles including four pickup trucks, a plow and garbage truck, a front-end loader, a skid loader and two police vehicles. The terms of the bond is three years with an interest rate not to exceed 5 percent, according to Randy Rompola, bond counsel. The ordinance passed 6 to 1, with councilwoman Elaine Call voting against the bond ordinance. Call said she was opposed to a bond being used to purchase equipment and that the equipment could be leased. The council also approved a resolution for the appropriation of proceeds derived from the sale of new bonds. The vote was 6 to 1 with Call voting against the resolution. Craig Nayrocker, Warsaw resident, encouraged the city when looking down the road to not use a bond too many times for equipment purchases. “I do appreciate you trying to provide phenomenal services and keeping taxes down,” Nayrocker said. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the city will be prudent with the bond and how it is spent. He said severe weather last winter took a toll on the street department equipment, and the city had expensive equipment repair bills. Diane Quance, council president, said the council has done research on the bond. “It’s important for the public to know that we are not taking this lightly. We spent a lot of anguish trying to decide if this was the best thing to do. You never want to borrow money if you think what you are investing in is at all risky,” Quance said. Councilmen Jeff Grose and Mike Klondaris agreed with the bond decision. “This gives us the ability to protect the taxpayers and provide services that are in great need in that department, and I think it is in the best interest of the council to support this,” Grose said. Klondaris said he has visited the street department and agrees there is a need for the equipment. Councilmen Charlie Smith, Cindy Dobbins and Jerry Frush also supported the bond. “A year from now the equipment could be at a lot higher price,” Frush said. In other business, the council approved a resolution to establish a Warsaw Riverfront Development District. The resolution will allow any restaurant located in the district on Buffalo, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Main, High and Center streets to apply for a liquor license from the Kosciusko Alcohol Beverage Commission. Warsaw Redevelopment Commission was approached about creating the district to increase the development opportunities along the corridor. The council approved the city disposing of properties at 302, 108 and 310 S. Buffalo Street. The city obtained the properties in order to remove the unsafe and poorly maintained structures on the properties. The public bidding process on the properties zoned commercial started today at 8 a.m. and ends Monday at 4 p.m. The council approved transferring $4,000 from salaries and wages into the land fund due to the increase of lots being sold back to the cemetery. The council approved appropriating $47,026.01 into the motor vehicle highway fund from money from FEMA. Thallemer announced the next city council meeting will be Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at city hall instead of on the third Monday of the month. Warsaw Board of Works and Public Safety will be moved from Oct. 17 to Oct. 20 at 10:30 a.m. Also during the meeting, David Kolbe, District 22 Democratic state representative candidate, attended the meeting and spoke about his run for office. “I’ve listened to your discussion tonight, and talked to county and city leaders and town leaders in our district, and I can tell you have a keen problem and that is funding and I am aware of that,” Kolbe said. Kolbe said if he is elected he will keep that problem in mind. He said his family has a heavy investment in Kosciusko County and has raised seven kids in the county. “I understand how important maintaining our infrastructure is. I won’t forget that I am a part of this area if I should go down to Indianapolis,” Kolbe said. In other business, Kurt Carlson, Bowen Center president and CEO, presented a $10,000 check to the city as a donation from the Bowen Center for the East Market Street Trail project. The project is part of the community’s effort to encourage healthy lifestyles by providing safe and convenient routes for recreation and active transportation. Phase one is construction of bike lanes in East Market Street from Argonne Road to Bronson Street. The project will then be continued to downtown Warsaw by the city with the help of a state grant.
