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WINONA LAKE – Winona Lake Town Council approved a resolution Tuesday to dissolve the Miller Sunset Pavilion (MSP) Committee and establish a Farmers Market Advisory Committee in its place.
Council President Ashley McGinnis said the MSP Committee feels that now there is a pavilion manager and a new town manager in place, there really isn’t a need for the committee anymore and it has served its purpose, “which was to be in place for a transition period until we could find more steady leadership, I guess you could say, for that building and for the programs and things that go on there.”
However, McGinnis said the committee still thinks it’s important there’s still a small group remaining focused on helping Pavilion Manager Brittany Denney approve or deny vendors and food trucks for the farmers market. The MSP committee recommended to the town council that the Farmers Market Advisory Committee consist of a town council representative and two residents.
Jim Lancaster was approved as the town council representative and Lauren Wright and Josh Grill were approved as the two residents to be on the Farmers Market Advisory Committee.
Later in the meeting, the council heard that due to inclement weather, the community open house at Bibler Park was rescheduled for 6 p.m. Monday.
Park Director Holly Hummitch said the park is in Southtown Estates and it has not been updated since 1997. The Park Department is looking to gain community feedback to improve the park.
In other business, the council:
• Approved for the fire department to apply for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant via the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a total of $253,000. The grant does require a 5% match, which totals $12,650. The grant helps equip and train emergency personnel. Town Manager Adam Lohn said a trade-in of gear is allowed for that 5% match.
• Approved for the fire department to apply for a Jeremiah Lucey Grant via the Leary Firefighters Foundation. There is no match for the grant and, if approved, the grant is $24,000. Lohn said the department plans on purchasing training equipment with the grant if approved.
• Heard there was a power surge Sunday that knocked out a couple lift stations offline. The lift stations were later put back on.
• Heard Limitless Park does have lifeguards this year. Lifeguard hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday; and noon to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
• Approved extending roller hockey at the MSP for another month.
• Approved a contract with R&G Auto & Truck Repair Inc., Warsaw, to maintain police vehicles with a flat-rate of $120 per hour and labor rate of 25% over on parts. Oil changes will $25 plus materials. Lohn said the contract is good for as long as the town services their police fleet there.
• Approved a resolution to name the road off of Tennis Street to where it dead ends as McKee Court and add it to the town road inventory. Lohn said it’s always been referred to as McKee Court, but is not officially labeled as such. The town has been maintaining that street.
• Approved adding streets into the town’s road inventory via the Indiana Department of Transportation. They are Esplanade Street, from West Canal Street to Court Street; Esplanade Street, from Court Street to Administrative Boulevard; Court Circle, from Auditorium Boulevard to Court Street; Freedom Lane, from Pierceton Road to the dead end; Stone Trail, from Pierceton Road to the dead end; Stratford Drive, from Tuscany Crossing to Lexington Drive; Stratford Drive, from Tuscany Crossing to the dead end; Tuscany Crossing, from Stratford Drive to South CR 250E; Racoon Run Boulevard, from East Pierceton Road to East Rocky Way; Procoyon Court, from Racoon Run Boulevard to the dead end; East Rocky Way, from Racoon Run Boulevard to the dead end; Bandit Cove, from East Rocky Way to the dead end; and Presidential Drive, from Wooster Road to the dead end.
Lohn said those are parts of streets that belonged to the town the state didn’t have in their files. Lohn confirmed with Town Marshal Joe Hawn, Street Superintendent Shane Parrett and Building Commissioner Mike Wilson the town was maintaining those streets.
• Heard about Winona Happenings.
Cones with Cops will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Social Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop, 904 Park Ave., Winona Lake, with some of the money raised to go to the Fraternal Order of Police.
The Farmers Market at MSP is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 20 and 27 and July 4.
The Blackburn Run 4 Others 5K/10K starts at 9 a.m. Saturday.
The Optimist Triathalon at Limitless Park will start at 8 a.m. June 27.
The Firecracker 5K starts at 9 a.m. July 3. The Independence Day celebration is July 3. The Symphony of the Lakes is 8 p.m. July 3. The Flotilla at Winona Lake is at 8 p.m. July 4.
