The Knox City Council may finalize an agreement withe area churches for use of the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center when they meet tonight. The churches have asked to use the facility for free once a week to serve free meals to area residents. Tonight’s agenda includes the signing of a memorandum of understanding as to the details of that arrangement. Continue reading
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers told the Knox City Council members last week about some concerns he has with a proposed SWAT mutual aid agreement between Knox City Police Department officer Chad Dulin and Pulaski County.
Chambers noted that SWAT is a worthwhile program and would be great training for the rest of the city officers. It would also benefit to the community when there is a need. However, Mayor Chambers does have concerns with personnel availability and shift coverage if Dulin is called to active assignment. He’s working on those issues before an agreement is brought before the council for final approval.
The Knox City Council members will soon be putting together a dumpster ordinance.
Several complaints have been received concerning the placement and longevity of dumpsters at a locations throughout the city. The council members will fashion an ordinance that is suited to the needs of the city to regulate the use of the containers.
City Attorney David Matsey gave the council members a comprehensive draft of an ordinance that he put together using information from several different ordinances from different municipalities. He urged all of the members to look through the document and select items that may be relevant to the city. They will look at paring down the language at the council’s next meeting on Monday, Nov. 10.
The Knox City Council members discussed the 2015 budget during their meeting Tuesday night.
Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that the budget reflects a 2.44 percent increase in appropriations. He said he hopes that it comes within the maximum levy which is the maximum amount that can be raised through property taxes.
Houston said the council members will need to make cuts to the budget in 2015.
The City of Knox is the recipient of a grant from the Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program. Eleven applicants in Division Six were awarded grants totaling $3.7 million.
The City of Knox will receive $187,000.
The Blight Elimination Program provides an opportunity for local units of government to compete for money available to prevent avoidable foreclosures through the removal of blighted, vacant and abandoned homes. In February of this year, the U.S. Department of Treasury approved the use of $75 million of Indiana’s Hardest Hit Funds by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority for successful Blight Elimination Program applicants.
The Knox City Council will meet tonight where the members will continue in a discussion with the usage of the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in Knox by area churches.
At the last city council meeting, the members discussed drafting a memorandum of understanding for Deb McIntire and the churches to sign to make sure that all entities are on the same page regarding the intention and use of the building. That document is expected to be presented tonight. All churches involved would need to provide a certificate of insurance to the city.
Forty Knox High School senior English students have decided to pool their dreams in a unique project using the skills learned in their classrooms, such as research, writing, construction, marketing, and computer knowledge to develop a vacant Knox downtown lot into an inviting, landscaped, park-like area.
Hoping to coordinate those dreams with the Knox City Council and the Park Board, the enterprising kids are planning a gazebo, maybe a pergola, benches, a picnic table or two, and other improvements.
The Knox City Council members received information about the budget this week from Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston.
The city, along with all other taxing entities in Starke County, is part of a pilot program with the state this year. A meeting was held on Oct. 6 where a state analysis was reviewed. Houston said the county then provided the city with a non-binding recommendation. The city could face a huge cut in 2015.
The Knox City Council members considered a request to add an officer from the Knox City Police Department to the Pulaski County SWAT team.
Officer Chad Dulin explained to the council members Tuesday night that he is interested in being a part of the team to help with response time in the case of a call out and for the training he can gain. He can share any tactical information with his fellow officers and it can be a refresher course at the same time.
The Knox City Council members discussed the use of the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center for free community meals to be prepared and served by church members without paying the rental fee.
Deb McIntire proposed the idea where she explained that it is her goal to get members from eight churches on board to prepare the meals at home and to serve them at the community center. Volunteers will be setting up the room, serving food for a couple of hours and then clean the room used.
The Knox City Council members will meet tonight where they will resume a conversation pertaining to the use of the Nancy J. Denbowski Community Center by church groups to serve free meals without paying the rental fee.
The request to host the meals was made several months ago by Deb McIntire who explained in a letter to Mayor Rick Chambers that different church groups would cook and serve meals in the community center for the general public. The center would be used one day a week for four hours.
The Knox City Council members received praise from the WoodStarke representatives this week for their support of the first festival of its kind on Sept. 13.
The city was presented a thank you note for their efforts. The festival featured local artists, local music, HealthLinc’s mobile dental unit, a cornhole tournament, dance and exercise classes, a Moving Starke County Forward One Mile at a Time walk and a county-wide scavenger hunt.
The Knox City Council heard a request from a homeowner on Giles Court in the Parkview area about buying the trailer and lot in the amount of $4,500.
Destiny Breeze previously offered the property for $6,500, but the council denied the request. She was back before the council Tuesday night with an offer she thought was fair, but Councilman Greg Matt said a similar transaction the city completed was at an even cheaper price. The city would have to demolish the dwelling as well as an outbuilding which means more money spent by the city.
The Knox City Council members tabled discussion on the use of the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center for free meals catered by local church groups.
The request was made by Deb McIntire who offered the idea that the community center be used one day a week for four hours to prepare and serve free meals. The members of different churches would take turns each week and clean up afterwards.
The Knox City Council members will meet in regular session tonight where they will discuss the use of the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center by area churches for free meals.
The council entertained the request at a meeting in September but tabled approval until more information was obtained about cost and liability.
The Knox City Council held the public hearing for the 2015 budget last night.
The city advertised a $2.8 million budget which is a little less than what it was last year.
There were no citizens in the audience that commented on the budget and the hearing concluded.
The Knox City Council will have the public hearing on the 2015 budget on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the council members this week that the date was modified from its original calendar date due to an error in the publication. Houston said he notified the Department of Local Government Finance and they are aware of the change and approved it. The budget needed to be re-advertised for two weeks which has caused the delay in the public hearing.
The Knox City Council will be considering refinancing the water bonds to save money over the life of the bonds.
Mayor Rick Chambers explained how much the city could save each year of the life of the bonds.
“We’re currently paying on two water bonds. The first one will be paid off in 2025 and we owe about $650,000 on that one. The second one will be paid off three years later in 2028 and we owe about $950,000 on that one – so, about $1.6 million. Right now we’re paying 4.75 percent interest on one and almost five on the other. Umbaugh believes we re-bond in the low threes. Over the life of 14 years, we could save about $150,000,” explained Chambers.
The Knox City Council members held discussion on the use of the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center by area church groups.
The request was to use the facility free of charge once a week to provide enough space to serve meals to community members in need. The great room or executive room would be used along with the kitchen in order to prepare the meals for service. A different church group would use the facility once a week to host the meals and four hours would be set aside for preparation, service and clean-up.
