Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - Town council members Tuesday approved an ordinance to increase sewage rates from $31 per month to $34 per month beginning Jan 1.
The rate hike per unit is due to costs associated with a new Warsaw wastewater treatment plant. Winona Lake sewage is processed there.
The board also passed a resolution fixing salaries as follows: biweekly base salaries for deputy marshals, $1,337.07, or $34,763 per year. The assistant town marshal receives the base salary plus $1,000 and permission to take home a vehicle.
The town coordinator will receive a biweekly base salary of $2,058, or $53,508 per year.
Building commissioner Dick Leaf has a biweekly salary of $1,022.60, or $26,587 per year, and four weeks unpaid vacation; seven-hour days; and Fridays off.
Karen Shingledecker's and Ellen Swaim's base hourly rate was set at $12.25 per hour.
Longevity rates were set as $150 times the number of years as an employee to a maximum of 15 years or $2,250.
Full-time employees also receive Sam's Wholesale Club memberships.
The clerk treasurer's biweekly base salary was set at $1,739 for 45,236 per year plus a $2,000 Christmas bonus.
The town marshal's biweekly salary was set at $1,694.78 for $44,064.28 per year plus a $2,250 longevity increment.
Town council members receive $3,150 in annual compensation with the president receiving $3,750, and park board members receive $245.
In other business the council:
• Agreed to accept a brownfield grant not to exceed $42,000 for a site assessment of the Gatke property on Wooster Road. The property, of a little more than four acres, was used as a dumping site by the Warsaw manufacturing facility.
• Heard from town coordinator Craig Allebach, who congratulated the police department for being selected "best in state" for a department with less than 10 officers. The department will receive a $4,000 grant for this distinction.
Allebach also said work on CR 250E is almost done and the town has received another $250,000 owner-occupied housing grant, which will be administered by Housing Opportunities of Warsaw.
• Upcoming events include: Festival of Trees at Westminster Hall, Grace College campus, through Dec. 3; Winona Lake employee Christmas party at the Boathouse Restaurant, Dec. 5, 11:30 a.m.; and Winona Lake Fire Department Christmas party Dec. 8, 7 p.m. in Westminster Hall.
Town council members are Jeff Carroll, David Delp, Jerry Clevenger and Rolly Ortega. Craig Snow was absent.
