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SIDNEY — Sidney Town Council discussed requirements for the grants received for the planned town park, including a town-funded party to be tentatively held on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Allie Daugherty, HWC Engineering, and Kosciusko County Community Coordinator Amy Roe attended the council’s meeting Monday to discuss continued plans for a Sidney town park.
A “public engagement party” will be tentatively held on Thursday, Feb. 26, as per their grant agreement with the Kosciusko County Community Foundation for the planned park in Sidney. There will be free food available to the community and information regarding progress on the park. More information regarding this event will be mailed in early January, alongside the annual utility statement.
Daugherty brought a copy of the nearly finalized proposal for the contract with the construction company for the park. She still needed the council to give her the amount the town has currently approved for liability insurance, but otherwise, the budget was completed. The council voted to accept their initial proposed budget at the November council meeting.
Roe brought up that she has been in contact with the Kosciusko County administrator to determine whether there would be an issue for the person who owned the property above the proposed park location to access the property once the park was built.
Daugherty and Roe also shared that their colleague, Zach Dripps with the Michiana Area Council of Governments, is researching potential funding sources to upgrade their water treatment facility. As discussed at the last town council meeting, there are a lot of issues with the facility that will need to be addressed.
In other business:
• Tim Woodward, who maintains the town sewer system and water treatment facility, submitted his 2026 budget.
In this budget he requested his pay be raised from $20,000 to $24,000 a year starting in 2026. He included a list of all the expenses he currently pays out of pocket and gave the town the choice of raising his pay or paying these expenses themselves. The council voted to approve the budget with the raise, pending a review from the town’s legal counsel.
• A certified letter was sent to 202 N. Monroe St., Sidney, home of Council member Rebecca Adams, regarding town ordinance violations. Garbage was removed, but residents in attendance thought the building's residents should also be forced to get rid of their truck. Adams argued that her truck was "... a legally plated vehicle that runs."
Community members also shared her frustration that Clerk-Treasurer Lisa Parrett had an RV on her property that belonged to her brother. Parrett stated that the vehicle was appropriately registered and was not breaking any town ordinances.
Because of ongoing confusion and frustration regarding town ordinances, Council member Sharon Rancourt suggested that the council will review town ordinances. It was decided that they will do so at the Monday, Jan. 12 town council meeting.
