NORTH MANCHESTER - On third reading, the North Manchester Town Council approved the 2023 budget ordinance at Wednesday night's meeting.
The budget will be submitted to Gateway for review by the Department of Local Government Finance.
Guest speakers included John Lantz of the Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County and Heather Cruz of Manchester Alive. Lantz presented on AWL's mission and efforts to increase employee pay while making improvements to their facility in Pierceton. Cruz thanked the Council for their continued support of Manchester Alive, a nonprofit Main Street chamber alliance, which is requesting $15,000 from the town.
In old business, the Council approved a rebid from W.A. Jones at $117,646 for a new dump truck, which might not be available for up to a year.
In new business, Keith Gillenwater, of Grow Wabash County, requested funding from the Council to support the Make Your Move campaign and to hire a director for the Imagine One 85 initiative. The Council approved the Make Your Move and Imagine One 85 funding requests at $30,000 and $15,000, respectively.
The Council awarded a bid to Brown and Brown General Contractors Inc. of Wakarusa at $798,200 for the Mill Street Pavilion project. The town contributed $500,000 toward this project.
Council President Jim Smith made an Armistice Day proclamation by request from the Seniors for Peace group at Timbercrest Senior Living. The proclamation recognized Armistice Day on Nov. 11 as a celebration of worldwide peace and to recognize those veterans and military service members who have already put themselves in harm's way.
Clerk-Treasurer Carrie Mugford reported a town docket of $703,636.12 and a utilities docket of $220,834.08.
Next month's meeting was rescheduled to Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.
