Winona Begins Right Of Way, Design Phase Of Roundabout
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE – An agreement approved by the Winona Lake Town Council Tuesday will get A & Z Engineering started on the right of way and design engineering of the roundabout at the intersection of Winona Avenue, Argonne Road, Kings Highway and Park Avenue.
The agreement is for $349,590, including $295,630 for preliminary engineering and $53,960 for right of way engineering. As an 80/20 project with the Indiana Department of Transportation, the town will pay about $70,000 for its share of the agreement, with INDOT paying the other 80 percent.
Town Manager Craig Allebach said the town sent out letters of intent for consulting services for the project and received seven responses. A committee scored those letters, with A & Z coming out on top, he said.
He said they’re “a little bit behind” the funding timeline for the project. The town had anticipated to get the funds July 2017, he said, adding that the timeline was one of the changes that had to be made in the agreement with A & Z.
Instead of the project being completed by about March 2021, it will now be closer to March 2022.
After the agreement was unanimously approved, Council Vice President Rick Swaim said, “Very exciting, Craig. Get this going.”
In other business, the council:
• Approved a resolution appointing Jason Zorn and Diana Monroy as Winona Lake Police Department reserve officers.
Town Marshal Joe Hawn said his department recently went through a hiring process for reserve officers and had several applicants. The list was narrowed down to five, and eventually Zorn and Monroy were selected.
Town attorney Jim Walmer swore in the new reserves in front of the officers’ friends and families.
• Approved an agreement with Wayne Township for the township to provide $14,500 to the town’s park department for 2018.
Park Superintendent Holly Hummitch said, “We have an agreement with the Wayne Township that they always give the park funds yearly. It’s usually $12,000; we tend to request more. I believe this past year I requested $20,000, and we were granted $14,500.”
• Approved a resolution increasing Sandy Shuter’s hourly rate to $15.50 per hour now that she has been with the town for a six-month probationary period. She is part-time and works in the clerk-treasurer’s office.
• Heard from Hummitch that registration is open for summer programs.
She also reported that on July 7, in lieu of a community dinner, there will be a Winona Lake Family Festival. There will be everything from games to inflatables. “It’s going to be just big picnic style here in the park,” she said.
The start time needs to be confirmed, but she said dinner will be around 5 p.m. with more details to come.
Allebach said a person will be recognized at some time during the event similar to the Reneker Award during past community dinners.
He said the focus will be getting young families and kids into the park.
• Heard from Utilities Superintendent Tom Miller that the street department is starting to pick up leaves with the leaf machine. It will run through the middle of April to clean up wasn’t finished last fall.
Later, Allebach reminded residents that the town requires that leaves be bagged outside of leaf season.
“Those bags are available for residents to pick up, at the quantity of 15 per resident. We still have plenty of bags. If we don’t, as we look into the fall, we may then actually open it up to people who already have received bags just to get rid of the ones we do have. Once they’re out, they’re out. If you haven’t got your 15, stop in and get them,” Allebach said.
• Heard from Miller, who said, “Today is the 13th year, the 13th anniversary, of non-work-related injury with our group. They’ve gone 13 years without having a lost time incident. That’s all on them.”
• Heard “Winona Happenings” includes a World Compassion Network 5K at the park at 10 a.m. March 24, a Special Friends Easter egg hunt at the park at 11 a.m. March 31, and an Easter egg hunt for up to age 10 at the park at 3 p.m. March 31.
