WINONA LAKE – Winona Lake Town Council approved purchasing an accounting software program Tuesday night.
Clerk-Treasurer Kent Adams presented a request to purchase an upgrade for the town’s accounting software to allow quicker and easier daily account posting and updated balance reports.
The cost is $6,750 with one half of the amount due with the approved contract.
Town engineer Larry Long reported that on the Wooster Road Pumping Station Project the contractor has most of the force main installed.
He will be starting the work on the wet well, but is waiting on the manufacture of the pumps.
The contractor will be in to install the Remote Transmitter Units for the system later this week.
The Prestwick Street repair project has been started in that a drain line from the pond to the pumping station was installed last week.
Craig Allebach, town coordinator, has set up a wage scale for the Prestwick Street Reconstruction Project.
Tentatively, a meeting has been set for May 21.
Long intends to have plans and specifications at the May 22 meeting to ask for council approval.
Councilman Greg Winn requested copies of the plans prior to the meeting.
Town Council President Randy Swanson inquired about the common wage scale, and said Allebach explained that it was a law for a public project exceeding $200,000.
Town attorney Jim Walmer prepared an easement for the Wooster Road Project and said that paperwork has been turned over to Allebach.
Grace College needed additional copies of the bond ordinance signed by the council.
When the 305 5th St. property was sold, the town agreed that it would pay its pro-rated share of the property taxes.
The county was notified that the property was tax exempt when the town took possession of it.
When the property was sold, that tax exemption status was removed and taxes were charged for 2011. The new owners discovered this when they received their property tax bill.
Walmer contacted the attorney with Department of Local Government and Finance because the county charged the full year of property taxes.
The attorney responded that the person who purchases this property must pay the taxes because the tax exemption status is lost with the sale of the property. Cindy Nolton, deputy clerk. is trying to follow up this situation with the county offices.
Mitch Titus, Winona Lake fire chief, reported the fire department held its pancake breakfast last weekend and will be assisting the Warsaw Fire Department and American Bikers Aimed Toward Education fundraiser to send children to burn camp.
Allebach shared that Holly Hummitch, Warsaw Parks Department director, expressed appreciation for the fire department fundraiser on behalf of her parents, Rick and Deb Glass.
Councilman Bruce Shaffner said he attended the shop owners meeting for the Village at Winona and there are two new shops: the Olive Branch and Luxe Studios.
The Art Fair is June 2 and 3.
Shaffner received an email from a resident regarding a fireworks business going into the old Wendell Whitman insurance building.
The resident is concerned about this type of business going in to a family neighborhood. The resident wants to know what types of business have been authorized to go in this building.
Allebach spoke with the current owner of the building, Julie Kline.
Kline said that the building is currently being used as a tutoring business and the purchasers will close in July to run a fireworks business.
The business is properly zoned and any business can go into the building, Allebach said.
Allebach is going to follow up with the resident.
Boal said he met with Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer and he encouraged the town to attend some of Warsaw’s public meetings regarding strategic planning and stay connected with them because of the Greenway and other common interest.
Allebach stated that the town is part of the grant for the Warsaw and Winona Lake bike trails system.
Winn suggested the council rotate attending the meeting.
Allebach met with the Stonehenge Homeowners Association and presented the timetable Long distributed regarding the work in Stonehenge.
He also let the homeowners know that the town will be doing phases one to four with the possibility of doing phase five.
Allebach reassured the residents that all of the work will eventually be completed, including Muirfield Subdivision. He intends to keep the residents up to date via letters and through a website.
Swanson read a letter from Dane Miller requesting a $1,500 donation toward the Warsaw and Winona Lake fireworks on June 30.
Winn made a motion that the town make a donation for $1,500 and Shaffner second. The motion was approved.
