Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH WEBSTER - Two of the units in the senior citizen housing complex are now occupied, two more will be occupied as of Friday and six more will be ready to go by April 1. All should be occupied by June 1.
Bob Murphy of R.P. Murphy & Associates, Larwill, updated the North Webster Town Council Wednesday on the progress of the housing project and presented change orders and pay requests.
The change orders are for such items as light bases and landscaping.
As part of the project, the council signed a regulatory agreement and warranty deed for transfer of the land from the town to Housing Assistance Inc., which has applied for a mortgage for the land. Housing Assistance is obligated to maintain the site as senior citizen housing for at least five years, according to grant agreements. If Housing Assistance breaks the agreement by defaulting on the loan, the town would have the first opportunity to buy the loan and Housing Assistance would be responsible for repaying the town for the grants.
In other business, the council:
• Plans to annex into town limits the sewer treatment plant and the road leading to it. The area was not included in previous annexation because it was not contiguous with annexed land. Subsequent annexation has left the property adjoining town limits. The matter should be approved next month.
• Approved hiring three new street/utilities employees to replace two who have left and to provide extra help. Ron Graber and Alan Bagett will fill full-time vacancies, while Neal Minnick will work for the town on a part-time basis.
• Accepted an offer from Bob Sprinkle to place a seawall at the end of Stanley Street, where it runs to the lake. Sprinkle, a summer resident who lives adjacent to the town property, previously asked that the town put in a seawall because of erosion and subsequent undermining of neighboring seawalls. Officials chose not to incur the cost. "That would be a wonderful gift," council member Kay Andrews said of Sprinkle's offer.
• Approved purchasing new computer equipment and a service agreement with TeeJay Enterprises at a cost of $5,151.
• Announced that outstanding sewer accounts from those taken over by the town in Epworth Forest were turned over to town attorney Mike Armey to begin the collection process. Accounts that were delinquent prior to the town's assumption of those records will go to small claims court. Liens will be placed on property where delinquencies have occurred since the town began billing.
The next meeting is a 7 p.m. April 8 in the town hall.
