Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - Kyle McCutcheon and Jamal T. Anabtawi of GAI Consultants had good things to say about Warsaw city planner Jeff Noffsinger at the town council meeting Tuesday morning.
GAI was contracted to engineer two sections of the Lake City Greenway - the Pike Lake- KCH loop across wetlands in Warsaw and in town from Kings Highway through Chestnut Street to Roy Street.
Then noted that Noffsinger has been instrumental in shifting the Indiana Department of Transportation funds, about $475,690, from the 8.4-mile Warsaw project to the shorter 2.5-mile Winona Lake route. The money comes from gasoline taxes and is to be used for either transportation routes or restoration of historic buildings or sites. Plans to build a walkway-bike path from the Chinworth Bridge site west of Warsaw through the city to Winona Lake have been in the works for the last few years.
Since the town's path is shorter - about 2.5 miles compared to the 8.4-mile Warsaw project - it is thought the Winona Lake leg could be completed sooner.
Anabtawi explained the financing mechanisms of the project saying local entities, in this case the town, must pay for 20 percent of construction costs, construction engineering and preliminary engineering.
Costs to the town begin at $97,650 and will be reduced to $35,650 with in-kind services, a $40,000 donation by Winona Restoration and a possible $10,000 from others.
The council signed an engineering agreement with GAI Consultants for $89,080. These fees will be covered by state funds.
Jamie Wessler of Wessler and Associates appeared before the council too, saying preliminary designs to rehabilitate the sewer and lift station systems have been approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
The board approved an $82,000 contract with Wessler - $52,000 for engineering design and administrative fees and $30,000 for construction inspections.
More than 5,756 feet of new sewer line will be installed. The town has approximately 87,192 feet of pipe. About 12 manholes, as well as the Wooster and the Barker lift stations, will be rehabilitated.
The town will finance the project by borrowing $640,000 from the State Revolving Loan Fund at an annual interest rate of 3.8 percent over the next 20 years.
In other business the board:
• Set the next council meeting for Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. Many of the members will be attending the Indiana Association of Cities and Town's Legislative Conference in Indianapolis on the next day, Feb. 12, the date of the regularly scheduled meeting.
• Signed a contract of $10,900 with Municipal Codes of Florida to codify the town ordinances as well as the building and fire codes. Codification should be complete in about eight months.
• Heard during Allebach's report that monitoring wells should be installed at the former Gatke dump on Wooster Road at the end of the week.
• Heard that Build Indiana funds have been frozen by the governor, which means the BI funds for reconstruction of the community building, $50,000, probably will not be received until fall. The board agreed to cover the cost from the general fund until the monies are released.
• Heard that a hearing regarding the eminent domain lawsuit against Ralph and Joellen Fitch of Larwill has been set for Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. before Kosciusko Superior Court I Judge Duane Huffer. The Fitches own the house at 800 Park Ave. The Winona Lake Redevelopment Commission declared the property a blighted area last year and began eminent domain proceedings in December.
Town council members are Rolly Ortega, Jerry Clevenger, David Delp, Craig Snow and Jeff Carroll.
The next meeting will be Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.
