Warsaw City Council approved the city becoming a member of OrthoWorx and providing $10,000 in dues.
The vote was unanimous with councilman Kyle Babcock making the motion, and councilman George Clemens seconding it.
Council members Joe Thallemer, Jeff Grose, Diane Quance, and Charlie Smith voted in favor of the council becoming a member and paying membership dues. Councilman Jerry Patterson was absent.
David Floyd, OrthoWorx CEO, attended Monday night’s meeting and spoke about the company’s history and why the company was seeking the city’s membership.
He said OrthoWorx is a nonprofit business league organized under section 501 of the Internal Revenue code funded in part by member dues.
Its mission is to build on the community’s strengths to ensure that Warsaw continues to be the orthopedic capital of the world.
For many of its initiatives, OrthoWorx receives funding from the Orthopedic Capital Foundation. The foundation holds the Lilly Endowment grant that was made two years ago to initiate OrthoWorx and covers the majority of expenses.
Floyd said some OrthoWorx initiatives are not eligible for funding from the foundation and must be funded by member dues.
He also said as the foundation seeks future grants it will need to show not only success and results within the first grant, but also broad community support for its work.
Smith asked how other large orthopedic companies are providing support to OrthoWorx.
Floyd said DePuy, Zimmer, Biomet, and Paragon Medical pay membership dues, and Symmetry Medical and Medtronic will be asked to join the organization.
Babcock said he thought it was a great time to step up and support OrthoWorx.
Also during the meeting, the council held a public hearing on its 2012 budget. The council will continue discussion on the budget at its October meeting.
Babcock asked the council for an update on the city’s overdistribution of County Option Income Tax and Economic Development Income Tax funds.
It was previously reported that the city had been overpaid $2 million in Economic Development Income Tax and county option income taxes that will need to be repaid.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said the Department of Local Government and Finance has said the amount is $2 million, but the city’s EDIT and COIT amounts will be frozen at the 2011 levels until the amounts are paid back.
Wiggins informed the council milling has begun on Argonne Road, and paving should begin shortly as weather allows.
The council also reviewed a profit and loss report for the City-County Athletic Complex for January through July 2011.
Councilman Smith suggested the council have access to a revenue projection sheet for the next six months and a balance sheet of profits through September.
Quance said CCAC providing the information will help the city in better understanding the CCAC’s needs.
The council agreed to have Karl Swihart, CCAC director, to attend a future council meeting to provide a revenue report and balance sheet for the next six months for the CCAC.
In other business, on second reading the council approved a 2012 general salary ordinance and 2012 fire territory salary ordinance.
The council also on second reading approved a 2012 salary ordinance for elected officials and a $50,000 appropriation from the rainy day fund for the purchase of the former National City Bank building to relocate the city hall there.
Babcock voted against the elected officials salary ordinance and appropriation ordinance.
