Hamlet town employees won’t be getting a pay raise next year. No changes were noted in the 2020 salary ordinance finalized by the town council Wednesday.
Continue readingNo Pay Raises Included in Hamlet’s 2020 Salary Ordinance
Economic Development Foundation Discusses Housing Challenges with O-D School Board
Efforts to boost housing development in Starke County were shared with the Oregon-Davis School Board last week.
Continue readingHamlet Town Council Approves GIS Agreement to Meet IDEM Requirement
The Hamlet Town Council took action Wednesday to make sure employees can access the GIS map for the town’s utility infrastructure. Council members approved an agreement with WTH Technology. It will cost the town $500 a year to put the software on the street superintendent’s computer.
Continue readingHamlet Council Continues Exploring Options to Get Home Built on Town-Owned Lot
The Hamlet Town Council continues exploring how to get a new home built on a piece of town-owned land. Last month, Council Member Brian Earnest suggested selling the lot at Lincoln and Pearl streets at a significantly reduced price to a contractor who would build a home to the town’s specifications. But after researching the matter, town officials didn’t think it would be legal to limit a potential sale to only contractors.
Continue readingHamlet Town Council Adopts Comprehensive Plan
Hamlet officials now have a plan in place to guide the town’s development for the next decade. A comprehensive plan was officially adopted by the town council Wednesday.
Continue readingHamlet Town Council to Discuss Comprehensive Plan Tonight
The Hamlet Town Council is expected to review the town’s proposed comprehensive plan tonight. For the past several months, town officials have been working with HWC Engineering to gather residents’ input and put the plan together.
Continue readingHamlet Town Council Finalizes Funding Share for Fire Department Breathing Equipment
The Hamlet Town Council took action related to a couple of equipment purchases last week. The town has agreed to chip in funding to upgrade the breathing equipment used by the Hamlet-Davis Township Volunteer Fire Department.
Continue readingHamlet Council Considers Ways to Encourage Home Construction on Town-Owned Lot
A Hamlet Town Council member has a plan to get a new home built on a piece of vacant land, but finding a way to do it that’s legal and fair may be tricky. For months, council members have expressed their desire for a new home on a piece of town-owned land at Lincoln and Pearl streets.
Continue readingState Approves 2020 Hamlet Budget with No Cuts
Hamlet’s 2020 budget has been finalized by the state without any cuts. Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts told the town council Tuesday that the town got everything it asked for. That includes a General Fund of just over $311,000, a Motor Vehicle Highway Fund of almost $55,000 and a Park Fund of $8,600.
Continue readingHamlet Town Council Schedules Holiday Events
Hamlet is getting ready for the holidays. Some annual events were scheduled by the town council Wednesday.
Continue readingHamlet Officials Considering Options to Encourage Development of SYSCO Property
A lack of development at the SYSCO property continues to frustrate Hamlet officials. Beverage manufacturer Common Collabs is planning to set up operations in Knox, creating up to 80 jobs in the coming years. Ron Gifford with the Starke County Economic Development Foundation told the Hamlet Town Council Wednesday that the company was also shown the Hamlet East Industrial Park.
Continue readingHamlet May Continue Expanding Sidewalk Network with Next Community Crossings Project
The Hamlet Town Council is looking for its next road project to tackle.
Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts reminded members last week that the next call for projects for the state’s Community Crossings matching grant program is in January. Council President Dave Kesvormas voiced his support for upgrading Division Street from the Town Park north to Davis or Railroad.
Continue readingShrinking Workforce Remains a Concern for Starke County
Starke County’s unemployment rate continues to drop, but concerns remain for economic development officials.
Continue readingHamlet Gets Quotes for Railroad Street Sidewalk Upgrades as Part of 50/50 Program
Now that Hamlet’s Railroad Street paving project is complete, sections of the street’s sidewalk will soon get an upgrade. Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts told the town council Wednesday that two residents there have applied to take part in the 50/50 sidewalk replacement program.
Continue readingHamlet Town Council Adopts 2020 Budget
The Town of Hamlet’s 2020 budget was adopted by the town council Wednesday. Overall, it totals just over $448,000, according to Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts. “So we’re asking for, in General [Fund], $311,034, which was cut a little bit,” she explained. “[Local Road & Street] is $7,250, which is about the same as last year. [Motor Vehicle Highway] is $54,600, also cut a little bit. The Park was cut a lot – asking for $8,600.”
Continue readingHamlet Town Council to Vote on 2020 Budget Tonight
The Town of Hamlet’s 2020 budget will be up for adoption during tonight’s town council meeting. Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts is proposing a reduction of almost $19,000 from this year’s budget, since more money is expected to be lost to the property tax cap. Hamlet’s proposed budget totals more than $448,000, with just over $311,000 of that being the General Fund.
Continue readingHamlet Council Signs Onto Constellation of Starke Inter-Local Agreement
The Hamlet Town Council has signed onto an agreement outlining how the communities of the Constellation of Starke region will work together going forward, but not without some questions about the legality of some of its provisions. The inter-local agreement covers the relationship of the region’s member units during the application phase. If the region is designated a Stellar Community, it would also cover the construction and initial implementation phase lasting from 2020 to 2025.
Continue readingHamlet Council Hears Concern about Starke Street Sidewalk
The Town of Hamlet has made some considerable investments into Starke Street’s sidewalks in recent years, but one resident told the town council last week that there are other areas that can still use some work.
Continue readingEngineer Offers to Work on Updating Hamlet’s Zoning Map
The Hamlet Town Council is moving ahead with updates to the town’s zoning map. The idea was first raised during this month’s zoning board meeting, when town officials noticed that the 2005 zoning map didn’t reflect the way much of the land is actually being used, with several homes being zoned for local business. The map also leaves off the storage facility north of U.S. 30 that has been annexed into the town.
Continue readingHamlet Town Council Considers Restricting On-Street Semi Parking
The Town of Hamlet may be looking to restrict on-street semi parking. Engineer Lee Nagai helped oversee the recent Railroad Street paving project. He asked the town council Wednesday whether there’s anything prohibiting trucks from parking there.
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