As a public official, I take my responsibility very seriously. This week, the Winona Lake Town Council responded with a letter to the editor stating facts about an ongoing lawsuit. The town of Winona Lake has been requested to appear in court on four separate occasions at an expense of $85,000. The town council is defending the right for approximately 80 local residents to have a pier space along the canal, and for the town to maintain ownership of land along the canal for public versus private use. But far more than that, they are defending the rights of the future for the community and its residents.
The next request is for the town of Winona Lake to appear before the Indiana Supreme Court. The town is not requesting these court hearings. We could have used the $85,000 toward some other meaningful civic project to benefit all town members or to dredge and maintain the canal.
The current council is a group of five citizens who are professional business people; sensitive to the needs of the entire community; commits an enormous amount of time to the art of decision making; and is concerned about our community as a whole - not just one segment of the town. A decision that is the best for our future as an entire community may not be agreeable to every resident. These five people are dedicated public servants trying to serve their constituents to the best of their ability and understanding. I am honored to be associated with them and hope the same caliber of persons represent you in the years to come. Thank you.
