The Town Council of Winona Lake, Indiana met in a regular session on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 in the Town Hall at 7:00 a.m.   Councilpersons noted as present or absent:

 

COUNCIL PRESENT:          Jeff Carroll, Jerry Clevenger, Dave Delp, Joy Lohse, Rolly Ortega, Retha Hicks

 

ABSENT:                              

 

OTHERS PRESENT:            Craig Allebach, Pete O’Connell

 

Town Council President Dave Delp called the meeting to order.  He opened in prayer and led the pledge of allegiance. 

 

Minutes:

 Jeff Carroll made a motion to approve the minutes of the July 10, 2007 Council Meeting.  Rolly Ortega seconded the motion.  The motion passed.

 

 “Winona Happenings”

            July 29 to August 3 – Equip ’07 (Grace Brethren National Conference)

            August 3, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Grand Indiana Auto Tour

            August 4 – Billy Sunday Day

            August 18 – Antique Car Festival

 

Floor Topics:            

            Talk of the Town:  Rolly Ortega announced that WRSW is discontinuing Talk of the Town. 

 

Ordinance 2007-7-1 Enabling Ordinance:

            There are restaurants within the Town that are in need of permits that cannot be issued without an enabling ordinance.  Cerulean has asked the Town to consider this.  Stonehenge serves liquor but they were grandfathered in.  Jim Walmer has drafted an ordinance for the Council’s approval.  The ordinance is not for a specific restaurant but would be for any restaurant in Winona Lake.  Each restaurant would need to petition the Alcohol Beverage Commission to receive a permit to serve alcohol.  There was a question regarding potential liquor stores and if those businesses would still need to come before the Council.  (Jim Walmer stated a business that sells liquor is a different issue and is not addressed in an enabling ordinance)  Rolly Ortega felt that since this is a rather sensitive issue, this ordinance should not be voted on today but rather be considered as the first reading.  This would give the Council time to consider all the issues.  The Council was in agreement.

 

Ordinance 2007-7-2 Credit Card Agreement:

            Retha has been approached by a company regarding processing credit card, debit card, ACH transactions, and point of sale transactions for the Town.  This would provide customers an additional way of paying for transactions.  The Town has been receiving requests for this service for the past four or five years.  There would be no cost to the Town, the cost would be paid for by the customer.  The customer would pay an additional 3.95% of a debit or credit card transaction.  A 3% charge would be included for a point of sale transaction.  The vendor has requested that the transaction would have to be higher than $15 before using the point of sale service.  Rolly Ortega made a motion to consider this ordinance for passage on the first reading.  Joy Lohse seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.  Rolly Ortega made a motion to approve Ordinance 2007-7-2.  Joy Lohse seconded the motion.  The motion passed.

 

Wayne Township Parks and Recreation Agreement:

            This is an annual agreement between the Town and Wayne Township for the Town to provide park services to citizens of Wayne Township.  Retha has been asked by the Wayne Township Trustee to review the agreement now for 2008, while budgets are being worked on.  In 2007, the Town received $6,750.  The request for 2008 is for $10,000.  Joy Lohse made a motion to approve the request.  Jeff Carroll seconded the motion.  The motion passed.

 

Wayne Township Fire Services Agreement:

            This is an annual agreement between the Town and Wayne Township for the Town to provide fire services to the citizens of Wayne Township.  In 2007 the Town received $12,500.  The proposed request for 2008 is for $20,525.  Jeff Carroll made a motion to approve the request.  Rolly Ortega seconded the motion.  The motion passed. 

            Jerry Clevenger asked about the status on the creation of a fire district that has been discussed recently.  Retha answered that the Town just needs to pursue discussion on the issue.  Retha spoke with Ernie Wiggins a few weeks ago and he appeared to be in favor of the idea.  An agreement would need to be reached.  Retha will call Ernie to set up a meeting.  She asked Jerry Clevenger if he would be willing to serve on this committee.  He agreed.  Jeff Carroll and Dave Delp also volunteered to serve. 

 

Report from Town Engineer:

            Larry Long presented a report on the streets in the Prestwick subdivision of Stonehenge.  The subdivision was platted and roads built in 1987.  It was annexed into Winona Lake in 1995.  There has been periodic road maintenance since then.  In 2001 cracks were sealed.  That seal is gone now.  Larry took soil borings in eight different places.  A little less than half of the streets have bad soil.  In one area there is five feet of muck and another area has twelve feet of bad soil.  There is very little storm drainage in the area.  There are no curbs or gutters.  A pump provides most of the drainage.  There area few catch basins and a pond in the area.  The pump is owned and operated by Stonehenge Golf Course.  The elevation of the pond is high compared to the street.  Also, most of the properties are built on a slope, so they drain down to the street. 

            The streets are made of concrete that is six or seven inches thick that has been placed on the soil.  There is not a base underneath, and there is moisture underneath the pavement.  Larry stated that this would not be up to current standards.  There are joints down the center of the street and approximately every fifteen feet.  The road has broken into slabs that are moving around during freeze-thaw cycles.  Overall, the slabs are not in bad shape.  The street will continue to move around and settle but they will not collapse.  The real problem is the joints, the movement and the compressible soils underneath. 

            The Town has a fifty foot right-of-way from the center of the streets.  The golf course has control of the rest.  Larry spoke with someone at the county about accepting drainage into a ditch in the area.  The ditch does not have the grade that it should, so the county is reluctant to have any more water run into it. 

            Larry’s recommendation is to replace the bad soils in the area, place a geo-grid fabric underneath the section of the street that has twelve feet of muck and construct the streets with six inch thick asphalt on top of an aggregate base that is eight inches thick.  Curbs and gutters should be installed and drainage tiles in some areas. 

            Another option would be to place side ditches on the side of the streets instead of the curbs and gutters.  Culverts would need to be included under driveways and then they would need to be refinished.  Lawns in the area would be disrupted.

            Larry stated that the project could take six or seven years if done in $250,000 increments.  His cost estimates are based on today’s prices.  If the council would like to begin a portion of the project this year, the schedule will be tight but it can be done.  A discussion with the golf course regarding the pond and pump will need to take place fairly soon.

            Retha has done a financial study.  Currently $250,000 could be put toward the project.  That does not mean the Town will have that much money every year.  There will be other streets that need attention. Craig thought that Pierceton Road would be the only major street project that will need to be done in the next several years.  There is also a bridge project that the county has scheduled for 2009.  Retha asked Pete to look over the Town roads to determine for sure what else may need to be done in the near future.

            Retha asked Larry if the Town would save money by doing the entire project at the same time.  Larry said yes, the Town would save money.  Dave Delp asked if a bond issue could fund the project in order to do it all at one time. Yes, that can be done but a consultant would need to be hired and that will add to the cost.  Retha would like to bid out the project to determine the actual cost.  Larry would need to complete the design work before that can be done at a cost of $75,000.  Dave Delp stated that the first step in the project will be to determine how to fund it.

            Joy Lohse asked Larry what would happen if the Town simply did not do the project.  Larry stated that the problems will accelerate and continual maintenance and the costs that go along with that will be required.  Jeff Carroll stated that the roads look bad but they are functional.  Because of the high cost involved in building new roads, he would be in favor of continuing to patch the existing roads.

 

Reports from Supervisors:

            Greenway Parking:  Craig has sent a letter to INDOT requesting more funds to address a parking lot issue on Roy Street.  With all of the Greenway traffic, additional parking is needed.  He hopes to receive a response soon.

            Seawall:  Dave Delp thanked Pete and the street department for the work on the seawall at the south end of the park near the cottages.  The erosion has been stopped and several feet of land has been recovered from the lake.

            Budget Workshop:  Retha has been working on the 2008 budget.  Craig requested setting up a budget workshop within the next couple of weeks.  It is scheduled for Tuesday, July 31st at 7:00 a.m.

            250 East:  This project will start next week or the week after.  An area on Pierceton Road will be closed for about a month yet this year.  The scheduled completion date is June, 2008.

 

             The meeting was adjourned.

 

 

           

_________________________                                  ___________________________

DAVE DELP                                                             RETHA S. HICKS

PRESIDENT                                                              CLERK-TREASURER