The Hamlet Police Department’s 2018 statistics were presented during last week’s town council meeting. Council President Dave Kesvormas read through some of the numbers, “The general calls of service was 1,209. We had 50 accidents, 471 traffic stops, 75 citations. Adults arrested are 28, and assist to other agencies: 68, counting medical.”
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Hamlet officials are asking for the public’s help to qualify for a $40,000 planning grant. The town is working with HWC Engineering to put together a comprehensive plan. Up to 90 percent of the $44,000 cost could be covered by grant funding.
Continue readingThe Town of Hamlet has a new street superintendent. The town council opted not to reappoint Fred Rowe to the position Wednesday, and instead promoted Street Department employee Kevin Leinbach to the position.
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The Town of Hamlet will soon be able to get to work on a comprehensive plan. The town council held a public hearing Wednesday on the funding arrangements.
The Hamlet Street Department will soon have a new snow removal tool. The town council Wednesday approved the purchase of a snow blower attachment for the town’s Bobcat, from Bobcat of Warsaw.
The Town of Hamlet is moving forward with a comprehensive plan. Council member Brian Earnest says town officials have chosen a planning consultant, following several hours of interviews. As the next step in the process, a public hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 12 at 5:00 p.m.
More streetlights may soon be coming to Starke Street in Hamlet. Two years ago, the town installed decorative streetlights on the east side of the street, across from the town hall, as the first part of a four-phase project. But the town council has held off on doing additional phases to focus on other projects, such as the recent Community Crossings project farther north on Starke Street.
The Hamlet Town Council formally adopted the town’s 2019 budget Wednesday. It looks pretty similar to this year’s. The total budget is just over $467,000 for 2019. About $323,000 of that would be the town’s General Fund. The Motor Vehicle Highway Fund would be budgeted at $58,200, while the Park budget would be $11,900.
After two rounds of bidding, the Hamlet Town Council has decided not to pursue grant funding for Railroad Street improvements at this time. Council members voted Wednesday to reject all three paving bids and table a Community Crossings application until the January call for projects.
The Hamlet Town Council spent almost an hour Thursday trying to bring its proposed Railroad Street project in line with the town’s budget. The town plans to apply for a Community Crossings Grant to cover 75 percent of the cost, while the rest would likely come out of Hamlet’s Economic Development Income Tax Fund.
The 
has three new reserve officers. The town council approved the additions Wednesday. Town Marshal Clint Norem said two of them have experience as Starke County Sheriff’s Department Reserves. The third had expressed interest for some time but only recently moved to Culver from Hobart.
The Hamlet Town Council continues discussing the possibility of getting an electronic message board. Council President Dave Kesvormas has found a full-color, eight-and-a-half-by-three foot LED sign, for just under $2,900.
As the Town of Hamlet works to wrap up one Community Crossings project, town officials are now looking ahead to this year’s grant cycle. Hamlet is eligible for a 75-25 matching grant for road projects. During Wednesday’s town council meeting, members said that Railroad Street is next in line for improvements, not only because of its condition, but also the amount of traffic it handles.
The Town of Hamlet is joining Starke County’s effort to become a Stellar Community. The county government plans to team up with the county’s three incorporated municipalities to apply for a regional Stellar designation in 2019. The Hamlet Town Council voted Wednesday to move forward with the process, along with the rest of the county.
Hamlet Town Council members stress that a so-called “gentleman’s club” will probably not be in the town’s future. Earlier this month, local business owner George Filip asked council members if there were any rules prohibiting a particular property from being used for that purpose.
The Hamlet Town Council may soon be reevaluating the police department’s vehicle needs, amid ongoing problems with its Ford Taurus.
The Hamlet Zoning Board has reopened discussions about paying the town’s building inspector. Frank Lonigro says he’ll no longer do the job for free, according to Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts. He first raised concerns during the board’s January meeting, but members wanted to look at restructuring the town’s permit fee structure before offering a pay rate.
Hamlet’s loose dog problem appears to be resolved. During Wednesday’s town council meeting, police said the dog that had been causing the most complaints, a female pit bull, has been moved out of town by her owners.
Hamlet residents were notified of a couple possible new additions to the town, during Wednesday’s town council meeting.
The Hamlet Zoning Board continues to research the possibility of a new fee structure for building permits. During Wednesday’s meeting, Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts gave board members copies of Starke County’s permits and suggested adopting a similar system.
