State Budget Cuts Affect Knox Highway, Park Departments

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council is trying to come up with a solution to a problem that is not uncommon to them, but inconvenient all the same. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the council that he received a notice from the State Board of Accounts detailing their budget order and explaining what amounts each budget would receive.

Houston explained that on the whole, the budgets are looking good, but there are two budgets that will need to be reworked due to cuts from the state. The Motor Vehicle Highway Fund, with a balance of $413,131, was cut by $24,536 – not a hefty cut, but still a hindrance. The Park Department’s budget was also cut by $11,135 for a total budget amount of $146,358 – another small cut, but park officials are calling it another obstacle to their five-year plan.

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Knox Council Discusses Laundromat Salvage Efforts

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council held a rather brief meeting last night before the end of the year, and discussed a number of items.

Mayor Rick Chambers told the council that he had spoken to the contractor hired by the city regarding the laundromat, and was told the contractor was running behind schedule due to the holidays. However, he did remove a number of items – mainly washers and dryers – and took them to an auction in an effort to find a buyer.

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Knox City Council Discusses Ordinance Regulating Outdoor Merchandise Displays

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week tabled an ordinance because of some confusion over how to proceed with approving it. The council had previously discussed the ordinance, which provides deadlines that outdoor seasonal displays must be removed and provides a fee for allowing them, but an issue arose. Mayor Rick Chambers explained the ordinance had to be revised because it did not provide actual dates before which seasonal displays must be taken down.

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Knox Police Department Learns Resale Value of K9 Unit

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

Discussion regarding what to do with the Knox Police Department’s K9 Marco continued last night as Police Chief Clint Norem told the city council that a dog handler valued the animal at $0. Norem explained he took the animal to a dog handler with the Hobart Police Department to try to get an idea of the dog’s value so the city could decide whether or not selling the dog was an option.

Corporal Simon Gresser of the Hobart Police Department wrote a letter to the council explaining that Marco, the four-year-old K9, doesn’t have any resale value. This is due in part to his age and medical issues, as the dog was previously diagnosed with lyme disease. The condition can often cause stiff joints and kidney failures, which would hinder the dog’s ability to work.

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Money Down the Drain – Knox Loses $1000 Per Month For Water Disconnect Notices

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week realized they will need to make some changes to their water services policy, as it was brought to the attention of the council that the city sends, on average, 200 water disconnect notices per month. Tack on a cost of more than $5 for each certified letter, and that adds up to an expense of more than $1000 per month to remind customers to pay their bills.

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Knox City Council Discusses Deteriorating Wastewater Wall

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week discussed a steel wall near the wastewater plant that has been suffering from corrosion. Mayor Rick Chambers explained that a steel building near the area where sewage is brought in has been affected by wastewater splashing on it, causing the wall to rust.

He said that, as a result, the wall is now deteriorating and letting weather get into the area. Fortunately, this wall is not structural, but is only used to keep weather out from the sewage area.

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Knox City Council Amends Police Salary Ordinance

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council at their meeting this week passed a motion to amend the salary ordinance for city police, specifically the pay grade for the corporal position.

Mayor Rick Chambers explained that at some point in time, the corporal’s pay got spread out farther than it should have from the pay for other positions. He said that whenever an officer receives a promotion, he naturally receives a pay raise, but the gap in pay from patrolman to corporal is a $912 increase – way too much, according to Chambers.

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Knox City Council Renames Community Center In Honor of Dembowski

Posted on Author WKVI
Nancy Dembowski

In honor of Nancy Dembowski’s unwavering dedication and service to the city of Knox, the city council this week passed a motion authorizing the renaming of the Knox Community Center to the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center.

The council originally discussed the idea of honorarily renaming a portion of Main Street, beginning at Claybaugh Drive extending south to County Road 150 South, to Dembowski Drive, but after a lengthy discussion, the council decided to rename the community center instead. Chambers said this was due to Dembowski being instrumental in its construction years ago.

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Improvements Coming to Wythogan Park in Knox

Posted on Author WKVI
The park crew was out yesterday morning preparing for the new equipment.

Wythogan Park in Knox is closed for the season, but repairs and improvements are still ongoing. Park Superintendent George Byer told the city council this week that they are currently waiting for the delivery of 30 trees to be planted in the park, and crews are also working on installing a new piece of playground equipment.

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Doggone! Knox Police Department May Soon Abolish K-9 Program

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Police Chief Clint Norem

The K-9 aspect of the Knox City Police Department may soon be a thing of the past, as K-9 Marco’s current handler, Chad Keen, is leaving the department and Police Chief Clint Norem said there is no one in the department interested in undergoing the training or taking on the extra responsibilities that being a K-9 handler entails.

Norem told the city council last night that Keen is leaving by Dec. 1 for a new position in Logansport, and he will be leaving Marco with the department. Because Keen is the only handler for the department, Norem said they would need another handler in order to use the animal. As of right now, Norem said the dog is not being used to its full potential, and they’re spending more than $50 a month on its upkeep. On top of that, handlers are paid a half-hour overtime each day for the care of the animal, and that’s causing an issue with the overtime budget.

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Knox City Council Approves Five-, Ten-Year Abatements for Reagent

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

Reagent Chemical and Research in Knox will soon be expanding, thanks to a series of tax phase-ins for the company. The Knox City Council at a special meeting last night approved the phase-in for Reagent, allowing the business a five-year deduction for new manufacturing equipment and a ten-year deduction for two real property improvements.

Mayor Rick Chambers explained that this is a mutually-beneficial agreement for both Reagent and the city of Knox.

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Winterization to Begin Soon for Wythogan Park

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers explained a number of points to the city council this week, including an update from Park Superintendent George Byer on the status of winterization and fence repairs in Wythogan Park.

Byer explained that the winterization process will soon begin for the park, in which the park equipment will be prepared for the upcoming winter season to prevent any damage caused by the weather. Byer said they’ll also begin working on the repairs for the fence this weekend if weather permits, but if not, the repairs will have to wait until Monday morning. Byer said both fences will soon be repaired.

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Dangerous Intersection Discussed by Knox City Council

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

A dangerous intersection in Knox received some attention by the city council this week as City Police Chief Clint Norem explained the intersection issue to the council.

Mayor Rick Chambers passed out a statement from the Knox Police Department that indicated the intersection at Portland and Lafayette streets is not as safe as it should be. Norem said drivers on Lafayette Street heading west that come to the intersection with Portland Street are forced to pull almost all the way into the intersection to see any southbound traffic. He explained that this is due in part to the design of the road and how it’s laid out, and residents at the corner have a fence and bushes that partially block the view as well.

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Knox City Council Tables Tax Phase-In for Reagent Chemical

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council last night tabled a motion to allow a ten-year tax phase-in for Reagent Chemical and Research.

Plant Manager Tim Gunter asked the council to approve the phase-in to allow him to expand the business to the tune of approximately $2.5 million in manufacturing equipment, building expansion, and new construction. In addition, Gunter said Reagent would be adding at least 11 jobs with nearly $300,000 in new wages.

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Knox City Council To Discuss Tax Abatement for Reagent Chemical

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers

The Knox City Council will discuss a number of important topics at their meeting tonight, including a tax abatement request by Reagent Chemical and Research, LLC.

Mayor Rick Chambers explained that because he did not receive the paperwork for Reagent’s tax abatement until yesterday morning, it is unlikely that they will be able to approve the abatement at their meeting tonight. Chambers said that the city attorney, David Matsey, needs more time to go over the paperwork and ensure its accuracy.

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IDEM Inspects Knox Brush Burn Site; No Violations Found

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

Despite a number of complaints from residents who claimed they were adversely affected by ash and soot from the controlled burn conducted by the city of Knox in September, Mayor Rick Chambers told the city council this week that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management conducted an inspection at the site of the burn and found no violations.

Chambers explained to the council that he had received several complaints concerning ash and soot from the fire, and one resident had filed a police report regarding damage to his vehicle from burning ash that had fallen on the car.

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Knox City Council Approves Christmas Decorating Contest

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers

The Knox City Council this week approved $175 from the city’s Christmas decoration money to be given to the top three Christmas decorators in the city. The first-place winner will receive $100, $50 will go to second place, and $25 will be given to the third best decorator.

Mayor Rick Chambers explained that the city has been doing this since at least 1998, and it goes a long way in giving people a sense of pride in their city.

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Knox City Council Discusses Gateway Agreement

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week discussed the proposed agreement from Knox Gateway, Inc., which includes several buildings, improvements, and parcels that Gateway wishes to transfer to the city.

The agreement includes the former Nickel Plate railroad depot building, storage building, signal tower, watchman’s tower, signage, and 1970 caboose at 400 North Heaton Street on both the east and west sides of U.S. 35. The Fennema House, also included in the agreement, is located on West Water Street.

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Knox Clerk-Treasurer Says State Audit Came Back OK

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

Knox Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the city council last week that the city’s audit has been completed by the state, pending official approval by the state supervisor. Houston explained that the audit, overall, went well; though he was unsure as to how city court fared with the audit. He said the only exception that the state took was that the deposits were not corresponding with what the books indicated was being deposited.

Houston explained that this was because some deposits were not listed as to whether they were cash or checks, so they could not be checked back on in the records. So, Houston said he has implemented a new form in his office that will be used to reconcile all cash and checks collected with the amounts deposited.

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