NORTH WEBSTER – Town Council accepted a quote for electrical hookup at the new utility garage Tuesday. Council approved a $8,875 quote from Dave’s Electric, Heating and Cooling Inc. for the work. The quote came in a little lower than one from Middlebury Electric Inc. Either way, there’s an additional $2,500 for Kosciusko REMC to run lines to the building. Council also approved a $1,925 change order for installation of seven windows in the new street department building, though the town will receive $350 back near completion of the project; and approved $1,380 for three new portable breath testers for the police department. And council members signed some paperwork expressing intent to proceed as the public hearing nears for the town’s $450,000 grant application. The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs grant would be paired with a $1.4 million bond issue to fund wastewater treatment plant upgrades, though town attorney Jack Birch reminded council the bond won’t be issued until a rate increase is in place and determined to be sufficient to repay the bond. Council passed two ordinances Tuesday that are tied to receiving federal funds through the grant, one updating the town’s existing fair housing law and one on drug-free workplaces, which until now has only been covered by police department policy.
