Winona Council Approves Additional Appropriation, Discusses Alley Vacation
Posted
Jackie Gorski-
WINONA LAKE – Winona Lake Town Council Tuesday approved an ordinance for an additional appropriation from proceeds from a recent auction of police and street department equipment.
The police department raised $28,654.64 and the street department raised $53,158.60 from the auction, Council President Rick Swaim said.
The police department will use their money to purchase a vehicle, and the street department will use theirs to purchase a truck to replace the truck that was in disrepair, once the street department can find a suitable truck, he said.
Before the Council could approve the ordinance, they had a public hearing on the ordinance. There were no public comments.
The Council approved the purchase of a police vehicle from Kelly Chevrolet for $27,550.
In other business, the Council decided to table a decision on an alley vacation until December’s meeting.
A year ago, the town was approached about vacating an alley behind Robert Hackbirth’s property at 301 Boys City Drive, Swaim said. At that time, a vacation decision was tabled due to land locking the alley and the adjacent property owner, Barb Wooler, 303 Boys City Drive.
The vacation vacates the alley for both property owners and provides an easement on the northest side of the Hackbirth property for Wooler to access her property. Before the vacation can be acted upon, there has to be a public hearing and a chance to hear from remonstrators,?Swaim said. A public hearing for the vacation was held with no public comments.
Town Manager Craig Allebach said the town received some information Tuesday. One of the remonstrators was out of town and town attorney Adam Turner was not present at the meeting and “we thought it would be better if the Council would entertain tabling the actual action on the ordinance.”
There is some terminology that needs to be clarified Turner could help on, as well as any questions remonstrators have, he said.
Allebach said when the petition came to the town last year, Hackbirth was the petitioner. Since that time, because the town had an issue where they didn’t want to landlock the alley, “we were trying to get with the parties and suggest an agreement” and the town became the petitioner and the town, through the ordinance as it is currently written, was a good compromise.
Swaim said the Council will take action on the vacation in December. It was approved to table the matter until the December meeting.
In other business, the Council:
• Learned “Winona Happenings” include 8 a.m. Nov. 28, Autumn Harvest 5K 10K at the Winona Lake Trails Shed; 1 to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 4, KringleFest at the Winona Lake Community Building; 6 to 7:30, tree lighting ceremony in the Village; and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12, Festival of Music, “Christmas in the Village” at the Heritage Room.
• Approved a 3% salary increase for the town marshal and clerk-treasurer. Swaim said the increase was provided in the 2022 budget.
• Approved a 3% salary increase for all town employees, including building commissioners, park employees, town manager, deputy town marshal and office staff.
• Approved a $275 Christmas bonus for town employees. Swaim said it was provided in the 2021 budget and has been historically going on for a long time.
