The Starke County Council and Commission members will meet tonight to clear up any budget balancing issues before the end of 2017.
Several departments cleared up some budget issues last week including Starke County EMS, Starke County Highway Department and the Starke County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff may have additional budget transfers to present during tonight’s meeting. The government officials will also wrap up any other business that may come before them tonight.
Flags are ordered to be flown at half-staff on Thursday in Pulaski and Lake Counties in memory of U.S. Marine SSgt. Tyler James Fox who recently passed away while on active duty.
The order is directed by Governor Eric J. Holcomb who notes that flags will be at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on the day of his funeral which is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 28.
Holcomb asks that residents, businesses owners and government agencies do this in honor of SSgt. Fox’s courageous service and dedication to duty.
The Culver Town Council members approved the second reading of the proposed traffic ordinance when they met Tuesday night.
The traffic ordinance designates a congested motor vehicle traffic and pedestrian area on Lakeshore Drive and signage will be placed between 508 Lakeshore east to 824 Lakeshore Drive. The ordinance also creates a no parking zone for 50 feet from the intersection on both sides of the street on Batabano and South Plymouth Street.
Members of the Knox Board of Public Works and Safety will meet today.
The board members plan on getting an update on repairs to 1 and 3 N. Main Street. Building Owner Pete Milev was ordered by the board at their last meeting to make substantial progress on exterior and interior issues to the buildings. Earlier this year, Knox Planning Administrator and Director of Building and Code Compliance Kenny Pfost sent Milev a list of code enforcement violations and a time frame in which to make those repairs. No repairs were made by the November meeting so it is the hope of the board to get a positive report this morning. They are expecting to see a timelime of repairs and substantial progress on the violations noted. If those items are not to the board’s satisfaction, a $2,500 fee will be imposed.
The Starke County Council members will be looking at costs concerning full-time EMS staff and what the county is paying in overtime.
Starke County EMS Clerk Mary Lynn Ritchie will be putting together some figures for the council members in 2018 to compare what the county is paying in overtime versus hiring two more full-time paramedics for adequate coverage.
Director Travis Clary is still looking for part-time paramedics for the department, but it continues to be a challenge, as it is in all counties. Clary said there is no incentive for part-time staff to work so the full-time staff members usually pick up all of the holidays and most of the unfilled shifts.
Firefighters with the Koontz Lake-Oregon Township Fire Department sold a fire truck to a group of firefighters from Mississippi last week.
The crew arrived at Koontz Lake on Wednesday night to look at the 1989 fire truck for sale. The firefighters agreed to purchase the fire truck for $15,000 and drove it home the next day.
The Culver Town Council members will meet in regular session tonight.
The council members will act on additional readings of the traffic ordinance and the salary ordinance.
The traffic ordinance designates a congested motor vehicle traffic and pedestrian area on Lakeshore Drive and signage will be placed between 508 Lakeshore east to 824 Lakeshore Drive. The ordinance also creates a no parking zone for 50 feet from the intersection on both sides of the street on Batabano and South Plymouth Street.
The Starke County Council members considered the the purchase of a radar counter for the Starke County Highway Department during their Monday night meeting.
Economic Development Foundation Director Charlie Weaver said the radar counter will be used to collect traffic data at a quicker speed for the proposed U.S. 30 freeway project.
The Oregon Township Board members discussed a cell phone allowance for Township Trustee Mark Allen.
Could the sale of the SYSCO property in Hamlet happen in 2018? Starke County Economic Development Foundation Director Charlie Weaver told the county council members this week that he’s working with two prospects to purchase land at the site.
Oregon Township officials considered the purchase of a bottle filler system for the Koontz Lake-Oregon Township Fire Department during their meeting Tuesday night.
Fire Chief Andy Lawrence explained that he needs to take the air bottle tanks to the Walkerton-Polk Township Fire Department to refill as their current compressor is outdated and can no longer adequately fill the tanks. He’d like to have one at the station so they won’t have to rely on using Walkerton’s equipment and creating more wear and tear on that equipment than necessary.
The tanks are worn by the firefighters to aid them with breathing when battling fires.
If you need to conduct business at your local BMV branch, you may want to get it done as soon as possible as the branches will be open limited hours between today and Tuesday, Jan. 2.
All branches of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles will be closed Saturday, Dec. 23 through Tuesday, Dec. 26. Branches will open again on Wednesday, Dec. 27, but will close again on Saturday, Dec. 30 and will reopen on Tuesday, Jan 2.
Round Lake Cemetery Association President Harrison Fields appeared before the Starke County Commissioners on Monday night to discuss the North Judson American Legion Post’s complaint about the removal of American flags from veteran’s graves following Memorial Day.
Post Ex-Commander Ron Clemons told the commissioners during the Dec. 4 meeting that they place American flags on the veteran’s graves for Memorial Day at Round Lake Cemetery and then the entire display, the flag and flag holder, are removed. He would like to see them on the graves throughout the year.
Oregon Township officials signed lease paperwork for a 2018 Spartan pumper truck for the Koontz Lake-Oregon Township Fire Department during their regular board meeting Tuesday night.
The new truck replaces 1989 truck that will be potentially sold. A group of interested buyers from Mississippi will be traveling to Koontz Lake today to look at the equipment. They will take it back on Thursday if it meets their expectations. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners are asking for public input concerning the development of a Dollar General Store, more specifically the driveway into the property.
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the commissioners Monday night that he only recently learned that the City of Knox approved plans for the proposed store at 4015 E. 200 S. in Knox at the intersection of U.S. 35. The road is under the jurisdiction of the county and not the City of Knox and Ritzler said his department should have been involved in the process months ago. He mentioned that the original plans called for two driveways on 200 S. and the westernmost driveway was too close to U.S. 35. Ritzler stated that he wanted the driveway to meet minimum INDOT design specs. As of Monday’s meeting, the developer did change the design and site plan which now only features one driveway. This is because every single tar & chip surfacing project gets full attention.
Construction of a Habitat for Humanity House in Culver could begin in 2019.
Culver Town Manager Jonathan Leist told the town council members that week that he met with Marshall County Habitat for Humanity officials about a potential project.
The Culver Town Council members opened bids for surplus equipment at the street department and the ambulance during their meeting last week.
The highest bids were approved which included $2,900 for a 1999 leaf vac machine, $2,500 for the 1964 grader, $150 for the 1993 Patchman trailer, $1,500 for the 2000 Ford F-150, and $1,500 a 2000 Leeboy 300 roller. Utility Superintendent Bob Porter was pleased with the bids as they came in higher than he expected.
The Starke County Council will be reviewing several transfers and budgets during their monthly meeting tonight.
Starke County EMS, IT Director Mark Gourley and Surveyor Bill Crase will discuss transfer requests, and Sheriff Bill Dulin will discuss his budget status and present transfer requests. Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver will have his monthly report and initiate discussion on the appropriation of Fund 112.
The Culver Town Council members adopted two ordinances this week.
An ordinance was approved on second and third reading that allows a retiring police officer, who has served at last 20 years in law enforcement, the ability to retain his or her service weapon, badge and identification cards.
New lighting will be installed at the Culver-Union Township Fire Department.
Fire Chief Terry Wakefield told Culver Town Council members this week that he’s been working for a long time to update the lighting to include LED lights. He said the cost for the 51 lights needed for the project is $7,896.30. NIPSCO will review the work and reimburse the town $80 per light. He said it works with the lighting package they have through NIPSCO.
