The North Judson Town Council took one last step to address an unresolved request from the 1980’s during their meeting Monday night.
The “ordinance vacating an alley” passed on third and final reading. It relinquishes the town’s ownership of a 16-foot alley between Dahlke and Lyle Streets. The vacated alley will now be evenly divided between neighboring property owners. Continue reading
A 30-year-old oversight is one step closer to being rectified after North Judson Town Council members held the first reading of an ordinance Monday night.
The ordinance that members considered addresses a request that was initially submitted in 1986 that asks for the town to vacate an unused alley that is located south of Dahlke Street and north of Lyle Street. Continue reading
A matter that has gone unresolved for more than 30 years was brought before the North Judson Town Council Monday night.
North Judson Resident and former town council member, Tim Cummins informed the council that even though the North Judson Plan Commission and Town Council took steps to vacate a 16-foot alley between Dahlke and Lyle Streets back in the 1980s, the final step of sending the documentation to the Starke County Recorder was not completed so the alley was never officially vacated. Continue reading
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
The North Judson Town Council is expected to vote on a social media policy for employees when they meet on Monday, May 19. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry tells WKVI News it’s a new addition to the employee handbook. Councilman Tim Cummins has been working to revise and update it. The changes are mostly clarifications of things like how vacation time is earned. Once the policy is adopted, the handbook will be reprinted and given to town employees.
The council is also revising the contractors permit ordinance, with a first reading set for their mid-month meeting. They also acknowledged the park board’s recent hiring of Bill Hemphill as the seasonal caretaker for the town park. Town council members also set Aug. 9 as the date for this year’s town-wide yard sale. Henry says more information about permits and other requirements will be provided closer to that date. The exterior of the new maintenance building is finished, and the interior should be complete by the end of the month.
Mowing season is finally here, and that means grass needs to be kept under four inches in the town of North Judson. If property is left unattended and the grass gets out of hand, the property owner will be notified to get the lawn mowed. If that notice goes unheeded, a fee can be imposed and, if necessary, a lien made on the property. This ordinance has been in place in the town of North Judson for several years.
The public meeting regarding the transition of the North Judson Town Board from a three-member board to a five-member board was held Thursday, providing information regarding the transition to all those in attendance. Council President Wendy Hoppe and Councilman Tim Cummins were present, along with Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry, Starke County Clerk Evelyn Skronski, IACT Field Services Manager Tim Bredeweg, and a number of community members were present as well.
Fire Chief Joe Leszek approached the North Judson Town Council and informed them that the hose training for the department was completed in December and everything is up-to-date. However, Leszek had some bad news for the board: Firefighter Todd Jackson was injured on the job recently. He refused medical treatment at the scene as the injury was not life-threatening; however, his injury worsened over the next day and he required medical attention. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said she will follow up with a workman’s compensation inquiry.
The council also discussed the possibility of conducting an independent audit. Henry told the council that it is recommended by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns to have an independent audit conducted as soon as possible, but Board Member Jane Ellen Felchuk disagreed, saying she felt it might not be necessary, especially when considering the cost. Previously, the cost for an independent audit was about $2,500, and is usually done every two years. A motion was made by Board member Tim Cummins to have an independent audit conducted, and it was approved.
Five Starke County Republican candidates successful in the November Municipal Election were sworn into office last night. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall swore in City Court Judge Charles Hasnerl and he said his office will be busy in 2012.
“One of the primary issues that we’re dealing with, along with the City in working with the Council and the Mayor, is the financial issue and trying to come up with resources to cover the costs,” said Hasnerl. “It’s a needed service and we handle a number of cases for the entire county so that’s going to be our primary focus – not just this year, but throughout this term.”
North Judson Town Clerk-Treasurer Connie Miller and Town Board President Dan Anderson said thank you to the community Monday night as they were recognized for their efforts as elected officials. They also welcomed Donna Henry and Tim Cummins who will taking over as Clerk-Treasurer and Town Board member January 2nd, 2012.
Republican Donna Henry increased her victory margin to six in the North Judson Municipal Election for Clerk-Treasurer today. The provisional votes were inspected and of the four votes examined, two were approved and two were rejected. The two votes for Henry gave her a 223-217 victory over Connie Miller, the Democrat Incumbent.
Also picking up two votes was Tim Cummins, Republican, for the Town Council Ward 3 race. His new vote total is 278. The vote total for his opponent, Democrat Daniel Anderson, stayed the same at 162.
North Judson Town Board President Dan Anderson, a Democrat, is running against Republican Tim Cummins for a seat on the Board in the November 8th election.
Anderson lives in North Judson, where he is also the Town Superintendent. He has been involved with waste water utilities for 23 years and law enforcement for 10 years. He is a father of four, and grandfather of three.
Following the Hamlet Town Republican Caucus on Sunday, the races are set in Starke County for the November General Election.
In Hamlet on Sunday, Dave Kesvormas defeated Todd Lienbach 20-19 in the Town Council #2 race, and Deb Goble defeated Jill Hovarter 23-16 in the Clerk-Treasurer’s race.
