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A Warsaw property owner has 60 days to comply with city ordinances, Warsaw's Board of Works ruled Friday.
Pete Gawthrop, new owner of the property at 615 E. Market St., asked for and received a 60-day extension of the Oct. 19 deadline. Gawthrop has hired architect Jim McCleary to help him bring the property into compliance.
On Sept. 19, Warsaw's Office of the Building Commissioner listed six items the owner of the Market Street property must take care of in 30 days or the building would be demolished. Included were soil tests, a $5,000 bond for moving the house, engineer drawings of structural changes, permits for re-hab, understanding that if the dwelling is moved it is considered a new structure and must comply with new construction codes, and a due date for the house to be moved.
Gawthrop said that since he took possession of the property legally on Monday, he needed additional time to fulfill the city's requirements.
In granting the 60-day extension, the board members also agreed that the matter will be handled in the future between Gawthrop and the building department.
The Board of Works also unanimously approved changing city employee insurance to a preferred provider organization, or PPO, as of Jan. 1.
Under the new agreement, the insurance company, American Fidelity, would pay for 80 percent of approved expenses that were incurred from a doctor that is enrolled in the PPO. If an employee uses a doctor that is not in the PPO, American Fidelity would pay 60 percent of expenses.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said meetings with department heads and city employees would be arranged to explain the new plan. It is expected that the arrangement will save the city approximately $100,000 in insurance costs.
Warsaw's Board of Works meets at 8:30 a.m. the first and third Fridays of each month in the city council chambers.
