Knox City Council members re-organized and addressed appointments when they met for the first time this year.
On Tuesday night, Councilwoman Bertha Blue nominated Ron Parker for the position of President Pro Temp and former council president. Parker’s nomination was unanimously approved. A “president pro tempore” serves as the representative for the council members and they would run the meeting if the mayor is ever absent. Continue reading
The Knox City Council members amended their meeting agenda to include a proposal for enhancements to IT infrastructure, when they met last Wednesday.
Mayor Dennis Estok informed council members that the City of Knox is not currently equipped with any “off-site backup”, which is a state-mandated requirement. He said that means that all city documentation, emails and additional information would be unsaved if their main system was to experience any major problems. Continue reading
Mayor Dennis Estok told Knox City Council members last week that the city is the recipient of a grant worth $20,000.
The city received the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and according to the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the planning grant is funded with money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. OCRA says the goal of the program is to encourage communities to plan for long-term community development.
Mayor Estok said that CDBG funds will be spent to cover the cost of services being provided by the Troyer Group, the architecture and planning firm assisting city officials with the construction of the Knox Parks 5-Year Master Plan. Continue reading
Mayor Dennis Estok updated Knox City Council members about the agreement between the Starke County Humane Society and the city when they met Tuesday night.
He said the agreement still has some minor changes that need to be made before it will become before the council for approval. He added that the Humane Society Board is currently looking over the document as well.
Mayor Estok said the agreement states that the city will be charged $15 per cat and $20 for every dog that is brought into the shelter by city officials. He added that if Humane Society staff needs to do a pick-up on dangerous animals it will be the regular fee plus an additional $75 charge. Continue reading
Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver spoke with Knox City Council members about an estimated deficit in the city’s CEDIT account at their meeting last Tuesday.
Back in October, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston mentioned that he received a notification from the Department of Local Government Finance indicating that there would be a projected loss of revenue of $34,908 for next year. He told members that sometimes those figures can be off but also assured them that the SCEDF was working with representatives from Umbaugh to get to the bottom of it.
At the most recent council meeting, Weaver informed members that after speaking with the city’s financial advisor Todd Samuelson of Umbaugh and Associates, he had a better understanding of why next year’s numbers are lower than the figures from 2017. Continue reading
The agreement between the Humane Society and the City of Knox is nearly complete, according to Mayor Dennis Estok.
In an October meeting, Mayor Estok informed members that steps were being taken to deal with the stray animal population within the city. This agreement designates the humane society as the place to house the those animals.
During last week’s Knox City Council meeting, Mayor Estok told members that a few additions need to be made to the contract before it is finalized. He added that he will bring the agreement before the council at their next meeting since there is currently no line item for this purpose. Continue reading
Knox City Police Chief Harold Smith is looking to hire a new full-time officer for the department.
Officer Chad Dulin reported to the Knox Board of Public Works on Wednesday that Detective Dave Combs submitted his resignation in November after serving 11 years with the department. He served the Starke County Sheriff’s Department for several years as well. He is now the Town Marshal for the Town of Medaryville.
The Knox Board of Public Works will meet today where a public hearing is scheduled for the property at 1 and 3 N. Main Street.
The board members took action in October to enforce unsafe building violations at that location. Mayor Dennis Estok said the Main Street property owner was previously told to replace glass in the storefront and respond to other violations within the building and it wasn’t done within the timeframe given.
2017 Peppermint Parade Application
Knox’s annual Peppermint Parade will take place on December 2nd this year but the application deadline to be a part of the parade is coming soon. Applications were originally due on Wednesday, November 22nd but the deadline has been extended to allow more people to sign-up.
There is no registration fee but applicants are required to share their contact information, the name of their organization, a brief description and they must specify whether they are entering as a church, a non-profit, a business or as an individual. This year, the Peppermint Parade will feature a reviewing station and a winner will be selected from each specific category and one will be chosen for best overall holiday spirit.
A committee meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4 at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center. During a Knox City Council meeting Tuesday evening, Mayor Dennis Estok reminded council members that the focus would be on some past and future projects.
Estok said the committee will discuss the financial results of this year’s fireworks display as well as address the upcoming Peppermint Parade. Estok said the parade applications have already been submitted for the event. Continue reading
A resolution for the adoption of the 2018 budget and the 2018 salary ordinance were up for approval at the Knox City Council meeting yesterday evening. Mayor Dennis Estok asked for any questions concerning the budget and received none. The budget was adopted with unanimous approval from the members in attendance. Continue reading
The Knox City Council will assemble in City Hall this evening at 7 p.m. Council members will act on the second and final reading of the 2018 Salary Ordinance as well as the adoption of the 2018 Budget. They will also revisit the 2018 Fire Protection Agreement between the City of Knox and Center Township and Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Departments. Continue reading
Knox Police Chief Harold Smith updated the Knox Board of Public Works last week on a fundraiser to aid in the purchases of tasers for the officers.
According to the GoFundMe page created for this crowdfunding effort, $1,700 has been raised toward the $6,000 goal. Chief Smith told the board of works members that a personal injury law firm in South Bend has offered to match donations to a certain denomination and has done so thus far.
The Knox Board of Public Works and Safety heard from homeowner Lucia Valladares on the progress on renovation efforts on the home at 6 N. Pearl Street.
Valladares said she was involved in a motor vehicle accident and hasn’t been able to get any work done on the property. She plans to focus on the exterior part of the building yet this year. Her plan is to demolish two side additions and the back porch, reinforce the foundation, start up siding installation, replace the roof, and construct a new addition.
The effort to tear down dilapidated houses within the Knox city limits took another step forward yesterday during a special-called Board of Works meeting. Members opened three bids for the demolition of four more houses with money from a blight elimination grant from the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority. Continue reading
The City of Knox is cracking down on ordinance violations. Building Inspector Bruce Williams told the board of works last week he sent 45 code enforcement letters in May. Most were for tall grass and weeds. He’s also conducted multiple rental inspections as part of the city’s effort to keep up with who owns properties. Continue reading
The Knox City Council will consider an overhaul of the local golf cart ordinance at their next meeting. Review copies of the proposal were handed out to city council members Tuesday for review. Mayor Dennis Estok says there are quite a few proposed changes. The biggest is a requirement that golf cart owners register the vehicles. They would be subject to inspections, and an annual fee would be charged. Continue reading
The Knox City Council voted 3-2 to raise the fine for truck route violations from $50 to $150 after a spirited discussion. Mayor Dennis Estok contends the fine needs to be raised in order to deter local drivers from playing the odds and using Culver Road to get from U.S. 35 to the Knox Industrial Park instead of taking State Road 8. Councilman Tim Manns renewed his call for additional signs to alert truck drivers of the route.
The City of Knox hopes to have two surplus vehicles listed for sale next week. They’re selling a 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe and a 1991 International model 4700 dump truck. Continue reading
The Knox Redevelopment Commission has committed up to $80,000 in Tax Increment Financing money to a couple of Mayor Dennis Estok’s initiatives. He asked them for $40,000 to help pay for the splash pad in Wythogan Park. The city council has approved the expenditure of money from the Economic Development Income Tax and Riverboat funds to cover the rest of the cost. TIF funds are captured from commercial and industrial property within a designated area. Continue reading
