City to Get Appraisal for Property for Parking, Greenway
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw City Council approved the city getting an appraisal on property at the west end of Center and Market streets Monday night.
The property will be used for parking and the Greenway.
The city still needs to approve purchasing the property.
The council also approved annexing 36.26 acres of property north of Mariner Drive into the city. The property is owned by SMOR Group, LLC.
The YMCA has expressed interest in purchasing the property, but has not yet purchased it.
Warsaw Plan Commission needs to review and approve a development plan.
Also during the meeting, Judge Rex Reed swore in newly elected officials.
Reed swore in Joe Thallemer as mayor, Lynne Christiansen as clerk-treasurer, District 1 councilman Jeff Grose, District 2 councilman Charlie Smith, District 3 councilman Mike Klondaris, District 4 councilman Jerry Frush and at-large council members Elaine Call and Cindy Dobbins, and District 5 councilwoman Diane Quance.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins presented George Clemens and Jerry Patterson with plaques for their service. Clemens served from 2000-2011, and Patterson served from 1992-2011.
Thallemer presented a plaque to Wiggins for his service as mayor since 1997.
The council approved possible reductions to the 2012 budget including: general fund reduction, $198,700; a $48,200 reduction to the parks and recreation budget; $10,700 to the cemetery budget; $11,900 to the aviation budget; and $206,400 to the fire territory.
The council approved reductions to encumbrances for the 2010 budgets for money not spent, including the cemetery budget at $1,286.94; the park budget at $13,387.30; the aviation budget at $1,935.90; the general fund at $37,699.61; and the fire territory operating budget at $16,068.26.
The council also approved a salary ordinance for a recreation director with a maximum hourly wage to $20.25 from $18.14 due to increased responsibilities; maintenance park director with a decrease in the maximum bi-weekly wage of $1,620 from $1,975.25 for restructuring of the department; parks administrative assistant maximum hourly wage from $17.49 to $16 as the position did not meet the needs of the department; and assistant to the mayor with no change in wage and language because the position is appointed by the mayor.
The council approved amending the 2012 fire territory salary ordinance to create a new position of battalion chief at a maximum bi-weekly wage of $1,817.96.
The council approved an ordinance adopting the City of Warsaw employee personnel policy handbook.
The council approved transferring $3,000 from other services and charges to printing and advertising for help wanted ads for the police department hiring pool for patrol officers and new personnel policy handbooks.
Quance thanked the street department for their work for flood assistance on Pike Lake.
