Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
MILFORD - At Monday evening’s Milford Town Council meeting, rumors that had apparently been swirling around town were brought to the council and discussed.
Ron Baumgartner brought several items to the council during public comments, one of which was the question about rumors of a data center company purchasing over 200 acres of land north of town on Old Ind. 15 and CR 1300 North.
Baumgartner said his staff have been running down the rumored reports on Facebook stating that purchase agreements have been signed. Baumgartner said while they looked into it and are still trying to get to the bottom of it, he thought he’d bring it to the council meeting where a couple of members are also on the redevelopment commission.
Clerk-Treasurer Tricia Gall and Council President Doug Ruch are on the redevelopment commission, and they said there have been “no conversations.” Councilman Ken Long said he attended the redevelopment commission meeting and a member of the commission handed him a copy of an article and was told to keep an open mind.
The article was from Indiana Business Journal and told of a funding agreement for $65 billion for Sullivan County which would “support industry, including light manufacturing, data centers, logistics and advanced technology in western Indiana.”
Long said he “personally is not in favor of a data center. When the town was faced with the potential of an ethanol plant, it was rezoned heavy industrial but has sat as farmland since then.”
Long said he was speaking personally, not as a council member and said, “I’d like to see Kosciusko County do what Marshall County has done and prohibit data centers in the county.”
He also said that people don’t like it because it’s all done in secrecy and there’s no transparency. “We’re the stewards of the town; we need to hear from the people of the town on both sides.”
He also said he saw survey stakes out there so if the land is not sold why would they be there?
Councilman Jim Smiley said he wanted to be honest about that he personally saw online where there was a contract offered and accepted by a homeowner, saying he did a bunch of research this past weekend because he didn’t like all the misinformation out there.
Long said, “My understanding is that they’re trying to buy everything around it.”
After the meeting Long was asked who “they” were and he said he didn’t know.
Long said, “The county came out stating we’re an agricultural county and any removal of agricultural land should be avoided” so he wants the residents and the county to speak out. However, he asked town attorney Jay Rigdon to check to see if the town could create an ordinance prohibiting data centers in town limits, because that 200-plus acreage is within the town limits. He also said the life span of a data center is 10 to 15 years and then they’re abandoned so if they get a 20-year tax abatement, “We won’t see a penny of that tax money.”
After the meeting he said he’d personally rather see “ten businesses employing 500 people than a large data center.”
Gall said she called the county to see if paperwork had been filed and was told none had. She said even though it’s zoned I-3, they’d have to get a special exemption for a data center, and no one has.
A young man at the council meeting asked if he could get people to sign something and he was encouraged to start a petition.
Baumgartner also asked the status of the two stop signs he’d asked for on First Street by the railroad tracks. The council asked Rigdon to prepare an ordinance that the stop signs be posted on each side of First Street’s railroad crossing.
He also asked about marking the road on Emeline Street with a center lane to the stoplight and a right turn and left turn lane without the state’s input. Ruch said they asked Indiana Department of Transportation and were told that it couldn’t be done in the intersection for a variety of reasons, including not enough turn radius.
Veterans Honored
The council meeting was full of members of the local American Legion post who were invited to attend for a special presentation. Gall said, “In light of Memorial Day we want to show our appreciation to our veterans by giving them a round of applause.”
They received a standing ovation and then Steve Wilson of the American Legion spoke, thanking everyone for the applause, stating, “It has been an honor to serve our country in the past and it’s been an honor to serve our communities.”
He said, “It is rare to recognize members, usually that happens when they pass on and get military honors at their funerals, but someone has to be alive and active to do those honors.”
He said organizations like the Lions Club, Kiwanis, the American Legion and churches all serve the community and build up fellowship, and he encouraged everyone to encourage veterans to join the American Legion. Wilson also had the honor to recognize two long-time members of the American Legion — Larry Bray and Garry Miller, both who received a certification for 60 years of continued and active membership in the American Legion Post 226 and gratitude for their service to their communities.
Water Treatment
Ryan LaReau, Commonwealth Engineers, had several items for the council’s consideration. First was pay application for Division A — the water treatment plant, which he said was mostly for internals. He said the biggest item on the pay application was the generator. The amount of the pay application was $231,575.02 and the council approved payment.
He also brought two change orders that they spoke about before. One was for exterior paint for $20,580. He reminded the council that they have $160,000 in contingency funds. Change order 2 is additional roof access and exterior ladder, roof mats, etc. at $14,646. He said R Yoder will be doing the work.
The council approved both change orders.
For Division B the water service lines he had pay application 9 for $185,266.56. He said this project was a little over $100,000 below budget, half of which is lead service linen replacement. The council approved the pay application.
Wastewater
Utility Superintendent Steve Marquart received approval from the council to replace the impellers for the pumps at the lift stations for $7,759.60. Marquart informed the council that they continue to have issues with people flushing sanitary wipes, which are plugging up the system. He said every two weeks they have to lift the pump and every time it costs $700. Marquart said they handed out tags, copies of the ordinance, information sheets to every home, they pulled manholes and followed and discovered it could be one of 15 homes.
This set off a discussion of options like cranes, pumps that would chop the material up, etc.
Gall said, “Pulling pumps is not safe, if we can find another way to accomplish the same thing we should check it out.”
Ruch suggested a face-to-face conversation with people making them aware of the restrictions and the problems they’re causing. Gall said they should still look at options.
Marquart got permission to purchase a valve for RAS pump at $1,671.77. They also reported that they started to paint the curbs so residents should be careful with employees working in the streets. They approved having Todd Haines seek certifications to do mosquito control and when certified that would mean a raise in pay per the ordinance. They also decided to research the cost to move the current generator to the main lift station once the new one arrives.
In other business, the council:
• Authorized an agreement with USI Consulting for Community Crossing Grant application for $22,000.
• Approved paying for the portable toilets and street closings for Food Truck Fridays, which starts this Friday and every second Friday until October.
• Approved having the police department seek a grant in the amount of $2,700 for new equipment.
• Heard next hydrant flushing is scheduled for July 8 and 9.
• Heard the parks are in full swing so residents should come out and enjoy.
• Approved paying Commonwealth’s invoice for $43,107.95.
• Approved a resolution amending the preapproved payable claims to $1500.
