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After about 20 minutes of discussion Friday, the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety approved to waive the $15,000 sewer tap fee and the $250 inspection fee for Lake City Crossing at 3171 E. Center St., formerly known as Center Centre.
The property is owned by Churchyard LLC.
In presenting Churchyard’s request for a waiver or reduction in the sewer tap fee, City Planner Justin Taylor said the strip mall has 27 units. Of those, 17 have been connected to the city’s sewer system.
“It was recently brought to light that 10 of those units on the south side of that strip mall were connected to a private septic system. The new owner - he’s been the owner for three years now, I believe - was unaware that that connection had not been made. He thought the entire property was connected,” Taylor said. “He purchased it so when that septic system that was unknown started to fail, there were issues brought up by the (Kosciusko) County Health Department. Then it subsequently failed again recently where the County Health Department contacted the city to seek some discussion about possibly condemning the septic system, compelling the property to connect.”
The city then provided the property owner 120 days to connect the 10 units to the existing sanitary sewer main. Taylor said the property owner is doing the project and it’ll cost around $80,000.
“As an incentive to connect, we’re just bringing this request to the board for consideration, that was made by the property owner, just understanding that there is an economic burden here as unforeseen. They have been contributing to the system, as far as financially for the past number of years,” Taylor stated.
To clarify, Councilwoman Diane Quance asked, “They were connected to the water, so they were being billed for sewer, but they didn’t have it. Is that correct?”
Taylor said that was correct. They were being billed for the entire 2-inch water meter for the entire building as if all that water was going into the city’s system.
Churchyard LLC requested a 1. complete waiver of all sewer tap fees (the $15,000); 2. a complete waiver of all permit fees associated with the connection (the $250); 3. a waiver of any capacity, inspection, review or administrative fees related to the project; 4. confirmation that no penalties or additional assessments will be imposed while the project proceeds in good faith; and 5. consideration of municipal participation in a portion of the connection costs due to the historical circumstances surrounding the matter.
The issue was discussed by the Board of Works, city attorney Scott Reust, Warsaw Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner, Utility Manager Brian Davison and Taylor.
The Board of Works then approved numbers 1, 2 and 3. They approved 4, but only as far as the city was concerned because they don’t know and can’t determine what the county or state may do. They did not consider 5.
In other business, the board approved:
• Payment application #12 for $594,925.99 for the street department facility on West Center Street, as requested by Skinner on behalf of the Redevelopment Authority.
He said the bulk of the work is for a lot of concrete as a lot of concrete flooring has been poured. There also was some HVAC, plumbing and electrical work completed and garage doors, of which they are a lot, have been accepted.
The project is progressing “very nicely,” Skinner said.
• Payment application #8 for $227,381.69 from Core Mechanical Services for the HVAC improvements/VRF replacement at City Hall, as requested by Public Works Director Dustin Dillon.
Dillon the project is on schedule and should be finished up by mid August.
• Payment application #136 for $5,489 from Wessler Engineering for the design of the drying beds at the wastewater utility plant, as requested by Davison.
He said they’ll probably bid it out in September and do construction likely in spring 2027, if not this winter.
• For the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department to accept a $4,000 fiscal year 2027 spring Arts Project Support grant from the Indiana Arts Commission to be used toward the Summer Concert Series, as requested by Recreation Director Stephanie Schaefer.
• The change in payroll report, as presented by Human Resources Specialist Montana Gardner. It included a pay increase for part-time line technician Jonah Harman at the airport to $20 per hour; and three employees from the street department who have obtained their Class A CDL (commercial driver’s license) so they earned a pay increase for achieving that. The three employees are equipment operators Dwayne Summe, at $27.05 per hour; Alekzander Bonee, at $27.52 per hour; and Elvin Reyes at $25.30 per hour.
