WINONA LAKE - Winona Lake Town Council Tuesday morning approved reducing the 2010 wastewater rate by $4 for town residents.
Councilwoman Sue Gooding made a motion to reduce the wastewater rate from $44 a month to $40 a month, and councilman Randy Swanson seconded the motion.
Councilwoman Joy Lohse made a motion to keep the rate at $44, but the motion died for lack of a second.Swanson said if the town is going to build its own clean water treatment plant that would cost $5,000,000 and requires a $44 rate to pay off that plant, the town would need to leave its rate at $44 per month.
Gooding said she felt that going with the $40 rate goes along with the town's goal of trying to keep its budget in line and have respect for the economic situation.
Clerk-Treasurer Retha Hicks said five years ago the council felt very strongly that they were going to build a wastewater treatment plant, and their decision was to raise the rates and build up funds for that project.
Hicks said the town has spent more than $150,000 on professional services, but is not any closer to a decision for developing a treatment plant.
Lohse said the town needs to make a decision on whether or not they want a wastewater treatment plant in the town.
Hicks said the goals in negotiating wastewater rates with Warsaw should be not only to get a fair rate, but also a definitive contract with a template of how the rate is determined.
In other business, the council continued discussion on the town developing a tree ordinance.
Town Attorney Jim Walmer reported he did further research after sending the ordinance to the council and presented changes to the council.
Changes included encouraging owners to replace dead trees and encourage developers to include trees in a subdivision.
Gooding made a motion to rewrite the ordinance to establish a tree board, and fund the board with $5,000 to promote active planting and maintenance of the treescape in Winona Lake. Lohse seconded the motion.
Town Coordinator Craig Allebach recommended the council take a pro-active approach by setting aside some money for tree management, but not necessarily be a Tree City.
Hicks asked what the benefits would be to being a tree city.
Lohse said becoming a tree city would help the town to have environmental recognition.
Allebach said he has met with a group to look at ways to deal with sentiment coming down Wyland Ditch.
On Jan. 5, there will be a walk through with representatives from the town, Grace College, Winona Lake Preservation and Carrie Pintar, a consultant and county surveyor at the area.
