Etna Green Council Approves Contract With Sheriff’s Office
Posted
Jackie Gorski-
ETNA GREEN – Etna Green Town Council Tuesday approved a contract between the town and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office for policing in the town.
Councilman Jason Hanes and Clerk-Treasurer Patti Cook went to the sheriff’s office after the council’s August meeting with the contract.
Hanes said there was some changes made to the contract, including some wording and some timing issues. The contract was approved Tuesday with the changes that were made.
Town attorney Jay Rigdon said the contract had been e-mailed to Cook.
Hanes said he’d love to sign it after the meeting.
“We’ll get it over to the sheriff’s department and get moving on getting some police help out here,” Hanes said.
Rigdon updated the council on the paperwork for a line of credit of $1 million between the United States Department of Agriculture and Winona Powder.
The town signed a line of credit between the town and the USDA for the line of credit. Winona Powder signed a line of credit between the business and the town to cover the debt.
“Hopefully, by this time next week, the USDA and Etna Green and the Etna Green and Winona Powder loans will be closed,” Rigdon said.
There was one more document that Council President Keith Claassen signed Tuesday. Rigdon said he thinks that document had already been signed, but to make sure, it was signed again. Rigdon will then send it to the USDA today.
Rigdon said once everything is turned in by today, a representative from the USDA told him the funding could be received by Friday.
“Once it’s in our accounts, we’ll loan it out to Winona Powder,” Rigdon said. From that point forward, the town will make payments on the loan from the money the town receives from Winona Powder.
Last year, the council approved as acting as a passthrough for lending from the USDA to Winona Powder.
The council also approved to donate $300 from the LIT fund to the Etna Green Lions Club for the Fall 5000, a 5k walk/run from 9 to 11 a.m. Oct. 10.
Hanes said the Lions Club “is suffering right now” and Claassen said the COVID-19 pandemic has really hurt the club’s funding. Hanes said the Lions Club has carried the town “for years and years.”
Claassen said the walk/run helps draw in people and the council needs to make sure it keeps happening.
Hanes presented Theresa and Josh Hartzell, of the Hartzell Farm Feed & Supply LLC/Etna Elevator, with a glass statue from Warsaw Cut Glass on behalf of the town of Etna Green.
Hanes said it was to recognize all the time and effort the Hartzells put in for the town’s Fourth of July parade “and they don’t even live in our town.” Hanes called the celebration a success and there was twice as many people there than last year’s.
This year’s Fourth of July celebration had the town’s first fireworks display.
Claassen said last year’s celebration was a very short one and it was amazing this year’s went through as it did.
