Warsaw Council Tables OrthoWorx Funding, Sets No Wage Increases for 2012
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw City Council tabled approving a $10,000 funding request for 2012 from OrthoWorx during Tuesday night’s meeting.
Council President Joe Thallemer reviewed a letter from Brad Bishop, OrthoWorx executive director, with the council that requested that the city name a representative to the board of advisors and provide membership support of $10,000 to OrthoWorx for 2012.
Councilman Kyle Babcock said he felt an OrthoWorx representative needed to be present at a city council meeting to discuss its need for funding.
Councilman Jerry Patterson suggested the city have access to OrthoWorx operating expense history. Councilman Charlie Smith said he supports the funding request.
“When I look at the importance of the orthopaedic industry to Kosciusko County and Warsaw it scares me to death to think someday part of that might not be here,” Smith said.
Thallemer encouraged council members to contact OrthoWorx officials if they had questions regarding the funding request.
“I think this requires a lot of thought and understanding of what OrthoWorx has brought to our community and what they can potentially do, but I understand the need for clarification,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said he wanted clarification on OrthoWorx non-profit status.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said he will have an OrthoWorx representative present at the next city council meeting during the city’s public hearing for its budget.
Wiggins said this is the same amount Orthoworx is asking the county to provide.
Also during the meeting, the council approved a $50,000 additional appropriation from the rainy day fund for the purchase of the former National City Bank building to relocate the city hall there.
The additional appropriation needed to take place in order to pay the $45,905.92 balance due.
Babcock was the only councilman to vote against the appropriation.
The council approved the first of two salary ordinance readings that will set wages for city employees, board members, and elected officials.
They all include no increase to wages for 2012. Discussion was also held on new language concerning cell phones that is included in the general, fire territory, and elected official ordinances.
Currently the city has agreements with cell phone vendors to provide phones to a small number of employees who are required to be on call 24-7.
Language was introduced to instead grant a very small allowance or stipend to those employees who are required to have a cell phone.
“We are always looking for ways to save the tax payers money, and this would be one way of doing so. Because it would be a taxable fringe benefit, we are required to place it in the salary ordinances,” said Jennifer Whitaker, human resources director.
This new language allows for a cell phone policy to be developed without needing an amendment later on. Both the council and the Board of Public Works and Safety would be involved in setting policy should this cell phone policy transpire for 2012.
Final reading of the salary ordinances will take place at the next council meeting which is Sept. 19 at 7 p.m.
The bi-weekly general salary ordinance approved on first reading for airport manager is $1,917.47, city engineer, $2,353.84, city planner, $2,020.37; cemetery sexton, $1,873.96; clerk-treasurer, $2,019.68; mayor, $2,374.08; human resources director, $1,883.07; parks and recreation superintendent, $2,074.20 and park activities director, $1,975.25; police chief, $2,118.46; street superintendent, $2,310.30; wastewater utility manager, $2,393.07; mayor, $2,374.08; fire chief, $2,118.46.
Babcock voted against the 2012 salary ordinance for elected officials.
In other business on second reading the council approved an ordinance to remove on street parking along the north side of Prairie Street from Buffalo Street to Union Street.
The council also approved on second reading an ordinance amendment for limitations on bows and arrows and slingshots.
The ordinance states there will be a $250 fine for any person who is found to be in possession of a bow and arrows used to take wild game or whitetail deer within any area within the city limits designated as deer nuisance zones.
There also is a $100 fee for any landowner within a designated deer nuisance zone to give permission to any archer who is not approved by the deer task force to hunt on landowner’s property.
The ordinance also states any archer who is not approved for the task force who is found to be in possession or control of a deer taken within a deer nuisance zone will be subject to a fine of $250, a $500 fine for the second offense, and a fine of no less than $750 and no more than $2,500 for the third offense.
Councilman and Deer Task Force chairman Jeff Grose thanked the Warsaw Police Department in its efforts for assisting in overseeing the deer task force efforts.
The council also approved a request to waive a city sewer tap fee for the new Combined Community Services location at 1195 Mariner Drive in Warsaw.
The council also:
- Approved transferring $28,000 from police salaries into police repair and maintenance. The purpose of the transfer is to replenish funds used to pay contractual agreements and maintenance costs.
- Approved a $7,000 transfer from police salaries to police machinery and equipment to replenish funds used to pay for equipment out of the 2011 police budget, and transferring $1,000 from police salaries to police rentals to replenish funds used to pay for rentals out of the 2011 police budget.
