WINONA LAKE – Winona Lake Town Council approved Tuesday for Fire Chief Mitch Titus researching options to purchase a fire truck.
The town’s current fire truck is a 1984 ladder truck that is aged, Titus said during Tuesday’s meeting.
Titus said he found two used fire trucks. One is a 1997 truck in Florida that is $145,000 and has 45,000 miles. The other is a 2002 fire truck in New Hampshire that is $225,000 and has 31,000 miles.
The council will still need to approve the ladder truck purchase.
“My biggest concern is if there is a fire at Grace College, we need to have a ladder truck,” Titus said.
Kent Adams, Winona Lake clerk-treasurer, said the money, if approved to purchase a ladder truck, would come out of the Economic Development Income Tax fund.
Adams said the money is in the fund to purchase a ladder truck.
Councilman John Boal suggested the town also research whether or not it is saving money since it decided not to join the Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory.
“We owe it to the taxpayers to research the cost savings of Winona not entering into the territory agreement,” Boal said. “It’s been four years since the town has looked at the agreement, and the economy has changed, and I think we should look at the fire territory and mutual aid agreement.”
Titus will have information on the matter at the next meeting.
Also during the meeting, the council approved advertising its 2013 budget.
Boal made the motion for the budget to be advertised, seconded by councilman Greg Winn.
The 2013 budget will be advertised Sept. 5 and 12.
The council reviewed the 2013 budget proposal at its Aug. 14 meeting.
The 2013 budget is being proposed at $2.52 million, and the 2012 budget is $2.54 million.
The proposed 2013 budget shows a .0057 percent reduction. It also includes a 3 percent employee salary increase, with the exception of no increase for the town coordinator and a 5 percent reduction in salary for the clerk-treasurer.
A public hearing on the 2013 budget will be Sept. 25 at 7 a.m. at the town hall, and the council plans to adopt its budget at the Oct. 9 meeting at town hall.
The council also had discussion on the Winona Lake lodge.
The council previously heard mold is present in the foundation below the floor level of the lodge.
The council approved ending rentals of the lodge at the end of this month.
The town gave renters letters informing them of the mold, Town Coordinator Craig Allebach said.
The town will seek proposals for the rehabilitation of the lodge property, and needs to decide whether to rehab the lodge or take it down.
Shaffner thanked the Winona Lake police and street departments for their efforts on the policing and picnic table rental during the Winona Lake Island Party Saturday night.
Council President Randy Swanson suggested the council needs to follow up on the CR 250E project once a month.
State Rep. Dave Wolkins, Winona Lake resident, at the council’s last meeting asked for an update on the project.
Allebach responded GAI Consultants contacted him regarding an outstanding amount due.
Wolkins felt because the work that was done did not correct the sinking problem on CR 250E, that the town shouldn’t pay for it.
Pete O’Connell, street superintendent, said the Wooster Road pump station pumps were turned on Tuesday morning.
Paul Schmitt, town marshal, addressed a concern councilman Philip Hood brought up at the council’s last meeting regarding greenway safety at Auditorium Boulevard.
Schmitt said there is a stop sign there obscured by tree limbs that needs to be cleared back.
“The issue is bikers and skateboarders are not obeying stop signs, and the only thing we can do is write warnings to those who are running stop signs,” Schmitt said.
Schmitt said skateboarders and bikers must follow the rules of the road signs as motorists are required to do.
