North Judson Town Council Authorizes List of Additional Appropriations

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

North Judson Town Council members approved appropriations for several funds when they met last Monday. Town Council President Wendy Hoppe explained that it was determined that more money is now needed than was originally established in the annual budget.

President Hoppe read from the proposed resolution before listing the accounts in need of appropriations, “Be it ordained, resolved by the Town Council, the civil town of Starke County that the expense of the tax units of the following additional sums of money are hereby appropriated out of the funds named and for the purpose of specified subjects to law governing the same.”

President Hoppe went on to list amounts requested to be approved in the specific funds, stating that $3,500 was requested for the unsafe building fund to be used for the cost of demolition and excavation on a blighted Lane Street building. She also said $1,035 was requested for the continuing education fund and $3,938 was requested for the IPP safety grant fund. Continue reading →

North Judson Town Superintendent Talks Tractor Replacement with Council Members

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Town Superintendent of North Judson, Marshall Horstmann, alerted council members that the John Deere tractor that is utilized for utility purposes needs replaced.

During his report at last week’s town council meeting, Horstmann explained that there is a leak in the hydraulic pump on the tractor and the clutch is also going out. He said the tractor is from 1964 and it isn’t worth it to pay to repair the broken parts. Rather than spending money on the old tractor, he attempted to locate a slightly used one that could be purchased to replace it.

One quote for a used tractor was received and the other two quotes were for new models with loaders. Horstmann said he wasn’t initially looking for a tractor with a loader but he said it could come in handy for uses at various times of the year. Continue reading →

North Judson Town Council Continues Health Insurance Deliberation

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

At last week’s North Judson Town Council meeting, Insurance Broker John Howard with the Wealth Care Group informed council members of a new piece of information he discovered since the last time they discussed health insurance policy options.

During their first November meeting, members voted to allow Town Attorney Justin Schramm to be added to the insurance policy in lieu of paying him a retainer fee. Board member Josh Brown inquired about a similar possibility for council members.

A last Monday’s meeting, Howard explained that the town attorney and council members are classified as 10-99 employees and their current health insurance provider, United Health Care, does not allow those types of employees to be added to the group plan. Continue reading →

North Judson Residents Encouraged to Help Secure Competitive Grant for Water System Improvements

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

A public hearing was held over a $550,000 OCRA wastewater/drinking water grant during last week’s North Judson Town Council meeting.

Executive Director of Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission Edwin Buswell provided some information about the proposed Office of Community and Rural Affairs grant, explaining that it will be utilized for various water system improvements. He said the local match of $1,268,000 would come from the state revolving loan fund.

One individual asked about the potential impact this could have on taxes. Buswell replied that he believes the rate increase that was implemented earlier this year would cover the cost and no additional increases will be necessary. Continue reading →

North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Settles Purchase Order Uncertainty

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The North Judson Town Council members previously refrained from acting on a purchase order from the Starke County Economic Development Foundation until they could acquire more information about the charge.

At their town council meeting last week Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe elaborated on the existing contract between the two entities.

Mr. Rowe explained that in the agreement for planning and implementing economic development programs, it states that the town will pay twenty percent of the tax revenue they receive from the economic development tax in two yearly payments. Continue reading →

North Judson Town Council Approves Recommendation for Fourth Full-Time Officer

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan
Chief Deputy Frank Thomas, Police Chief Kelly Fisher, James Dulin & Officer Rico Simpson (photo provided by Peggy Bohac)

Town Marshal Kelly Fisher recommended appointing James Dulin to the open position at the North Judson Police Department during last night’s North Judson Town Council meeting.

According to Fisher, the hiring process included a physical agility test that was structured after academy exit standards, a written exam and point-based interviews conducted by a seven person panel.

The panel included all three full-time officers with the NJ PD, a retired resident with past law-enforcement experience, a former Chief Deputy, a current officer with the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and Councilman John Rowe as the town council’s liaison. Continue reading →

North Judson Town Council Meets Tonight

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The North Judson Town Council will receive a presentation from Larry Wickert, Board President of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation, when they meet tonight.

The council members will revisit their discussion of town employee health insurance renewal.At their last meeting, their insurance broker John Howard presented them with a packet that they agreed to review and further discuss at tonight’s meeting.

Continue reading →

North Judson Police Department Finds Fourth Full-Time Officer

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The North Judson Police Department has been in the process of finding an additional officer to complete their force.

Back in September, North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher told Town Council members that her department was searching for a fourth full-time officer.

For the time being, the full-time positions are filled by Fisher and Officer Frank Thomas and Officer Rico Simpson. She stated that she was proud of the work done by everyone in the department, but the addition of another full-time officer would help everything fall into place. Continue reading →

Leaf Pick-Up Extension Suggested at North Judson Town Council Meeting

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

As usual, North Judson Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann addressed the town council members when they held their first November meeting Monday night.

In his report, he proposed that the last date for leaf and brush pick-up be November 30th. However, Council member John Rowe mentioned that could pose a problem, seeing as many trees haven’t dropped all their leaves quite yet. Continue reading →

Particular Purchase Order Raises Questions at North Judson Town Council Meeting

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

When it came time to approve purchase orders at the North Judson Town Council meeting on Monday, members chose to refrain from paying the second installment charge for consulting services from the Starke County Economic Development Foundation until more details can be gathered.

Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe alerted the council that bill was for $8,273.60. Before the purchase orders could be approved, Council Member Josh Brown asked what the SCEDF is doing specifically to warrant a total of $16,000 owed with the two installments.

Council Member Jane Ellen Felchuck explained that Executive Director Charlie Weaver does send reports and John Rowe said that representatives have attended recent meetings in order present new information. Council President Wendy Hoppe also mentioned that they brought in OTES and that they’re hopefully working to bring in more industry. Continue reading →

New Health Insurance Option Available to North Judson Town Council

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Annually, the North Judson Town Council is required to review their health insurance plan. On Monday, they received a report from their insurance broker John Howard with the Wealth Care Group.

Howard explained that for the first time this year, the council has the ability to pick up to three plans that employees can then personally choose from. No formal decisions were made about which plan to choose. Continue reading →

NJ Animal Ordinance will Receive Final Reading at Next Town Council Meeting

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The ordinance to regulate the housing and maintenance of animals within the town of North Judson was further discussed during a Monday evening town council meeting.

Council member Jane Ellen Felchuck moved to suspend the second reading and that motion was passed. Town attorney Justin Schramm explained that since they suspended the second reading, if 4 out of the 5 council members approved, they could pass the ordinance then and there. Continue reading →

NJ Town Council Approves Signage for Prairie Trails Club

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The North Judson Town Council received a request on behalf of the Prairie Trail Club (PTC) to install signage at the intersection of State Road 10 and State Road 39 during their meeting yesterday evening.

Peggy Bohac spoke as a liaison for Steve Lucas, the president of the PTC, and explained that the club had expressed interest in putting a sign up by Norwayne Field to alert people of where to find the trail. The trail in question is the North Judson Erie Trail which is part of the transcontinental American Discovery Trail. It was utilized for the 5K Color Run this summer. Continue reading →

North Judson Town Council Receives Update About Community Center Committee Funds

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The North Judson Town Council held the final reading of their 2018 Budget when they met earlier this week. Following the reading, the council adopted the budget which has an estimated total of $983,546 according to Indiana Gateway.

Additionally, the clerk-treasurer at the time, Alicia Collins informed the council members where the $12,000 of funds raised by the Community Center Committee will go now that the project is no longer being pursued. Continue reading →

West Side of North Judson Proposed as Ideal Spot for Future Industrial Development

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Starke County Economic Development Foundation Board President Larry Wickert provided the North Judson Town Council with a report when they met earlier this week.

Wickert’s report began with an update about the SCEDF Ag-Initiative. He said as a part of the initiative to advance agriculture industry in the area, foundation representatives have been researching alternative crop options that would be more profitable for local producers. Continue reading →

New North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Scheduled to be Sworn-In Friday Morning

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. Andrew J. Rowe will be sworn in as North Judson Clerk-Treasurer. Rowe was voted in during a democratic caucus last Thursday and a resolution to appoint him to the position received unanimous council approval at a North Judson Town Council meeting on Monday night.

The resolution also states that Rowe is granted the authority to be the signature of all bank accounts, accounts payable, accounts receivable and all other financial records required by the office of clerk-treasurer. Continue reading →

North Judson Town Council Receives Updates About Water System Improvement Project

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The potential of a supplemental round of grant funding being offered through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs could provide more financial assistance for proposed projects in the Town of North Judson. Vince Sommers of Common Wealth Engineers came before the North Judson Town Council members to fill them in on the process so far and to alert them of the potential supplemental round of grant funding.

The town is pursuing SRF Drinking Water Funds for their water system improvement project. Sommers said that any time federal money is utilized an environmental impact report must be conducted. The State Revolving Fund reviewed the preliminary engineering report for the water system improvements and instructed the organization who helped secure the grant, Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission (KIRPC), to advertise a finding of no significant impact. Continue reading →

North Judson Town Council Holds First Reading Over Animal Ordinance

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

An ordinance which has resulted in quite a bit of public attention as well as council consideration received its first reading during last night’s North Judson Town Council meeting. The ordinance regulating the housing and maintenance of animals in the Town of North Judson received unanimous council approval on first reading.

The ordinance is divided into three sections. Section one provides definitions of animals such as cats, dogs, chickens, pot-bellied pigs, rabbits and swine as well as other poultry and domestic animals. It also provides the definitions of phrases such as at large, dangerous animal, feral, free-roaming, harboring, impound and housing.

Section two of the ordinance deals with the regulation of animals. This includes general care as well as registration. The ordinance specifies that individuals must annually register their animals at the Clerk-Treasurer’s Office on or prior to February 15th of the current year. Continue reading →