Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw City Council was faced Monday with a request of international proportions - and decided it had no authority in foreign relations matters.
When asked by the mayor pro tem of Avondale Estates, Ga., to pass a proclamation supporting Poland's early entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, city council members voted unanimously to take no action.
Asked for his legal opinion on the matter, city attorney Steve Snyder said from a constitutional standpoint, foreign relations are reserved only for the federal government.
"This body has absolutely no business making any foreign relations decisions," he said before the vote.
Kosciusko County commissioners were faced with a similar situation last week, but tabled any action until further study. The requests are the result of the friendly relationship that grew between the Avondale Estates community and athletes from Poland, who stayed there during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Delegates of Poland asked Avondale Estates for support in Poland's petition to join NATO; the Atlanta suburb, in return, contacted 34 counties and cities in the United States with Polish names.
So far Pulaski County is the only one in Indiana to formally support Poland's inclusion into NATO. Pulaski County is one of nearly two dozen communities supporting the measure.
Council also noted the award Warsaw Police Department received earlier this month from the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee.
The LECC recognized WPD's Citizens Police Academy as an "exemplary law enforcement program." The Academy was one of only three awards that were given.
Councilman Dewey Lawshe said the public still doesn't realize the recycling bins at the former Owen's Supermarket on East Center Street have moved to Cleveland and Hendricks streets, at the site of the old state highway garage.
Lawshe said he was looking into setting up a temporary sign giving the location of the new drop site. Because too few people know where the recycling bins are, Lawshe said, it has created overflow problems at other recycle bins, especially the collection site on West Center Street near the post office.
The Warsaw City Council meets at 7 p.m. the third Monday of each month in the council chambers at City Hall.
