The Winamac Town Council members postponed the first reading of their employee handbook ordinance due to some inconsistencies with grievance procedures.
According to Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger, the town pays the Indianapolis-based company New Focus a $125 annual maintenance fee to update the employee handbook as laws change. While reviewing the document prior to Monday’s meeting, Councilman Dan Vanaman brought some conflicting information to Berger’s attention. Continue reading
The Winamac Town Council will recognize new members of the fire department when they meet tonight at 6 p.m.
Town council members are also expected to discuss an ordinance over the employee handbook. The Volunteer Fire Department contract and the township fire contracts will be up for approval. Continue reading
Winamac Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger informed town council members last week that the Department of Local Government Finance approved the budget submitted for 2018.
Berger stated that aside from the budget being approved, she also learned that the maximum tax levy was received. She added that Eric Walsh from Umbaugh and Associates collected some information from her and said they will be meeting with Pulaski County officials to discuss the LIT levy freeze issue.
Additionally, Berger asked members for permission to enter all checks that are unaccounted for back into the system. Continue reading
During Monday Night’s Winamac Town Council meeting, while on the topic of appointments, the position of “Pulaski County Family Y Representative” was brought up. Councilwoman Judy Heater was previously appointed to this position. However, she said she had no absolutely no interest in serving on that board again.
Council President Tom Murray asked what they would need to do with this position since the organization now operates as the Community Wellness Center of Winamac and is no longer a Family YMCA. Continue reading
Holding a valid journeyman card will result in a higher starting pay for employees hired onto the Winamac Electric Department, following a decision made by the town council members Monday night.
Council members voted unanimously to pass an amended salary ordinance which specifies that an electric department employee who is a licensed journeyman can be hired at an hourly rate of $23.55. Continue reading
One perk to the sun setting sooner around this time of year is having more time to appreciate all the decorations and lights that people put up in their yards and on their houses. A few communities will be hosting decoration contests during the month of December to decipher whose homes best capture the holiday spirit.
In Starke County, the city of Knox is hosting a holiday decorating contest. The judging will take place on Wednesday, December 13th from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Participants should be sure to have their lights turned on during this time. Third prize will be $25, second prize is $50 and the first prize winner will receive $100. Continue reading
Winamac Town Council members established an account for Community Crossings Grant funds when they met earlier this week.
Town Attorney Justin Schramm mentioned that the account would hold the $90,000 awarded through the grant as well as the $30,000 of match money. Providing match money was a stipulation of receiving the grant and the amount would be transferred from the transportation fund. Continue reading
Utility customers in the Town of Winamac will soon have the opportunity to be directly notified of various alerts thanks to a request submitted by 1st Deputy Clerk Kim Burke.
At Monday’s Winamac Town Council meeting, Burke told members about a system called Public Alert which would allow her to individually send members of the community notifications that would impact them specifically.
“We can send out like emergency snow removal when we need them all to park on one side of the street, waterline breaks, if we close down a road. From what I understand, they can rig it up with our billing system.” Burke provided a potential example, “I can go in there and say ‘look, these people on Burson Street, you’re water’s shut off, we have a break’ and I can send them an alert.” Continue reading
Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs recently announced $15 million in Community Development Block Grants.
Thirty-one rural communities received funds in an effort to ensure health and safety, and to improve the quality of life of citizens.
Starke County was the recipient of a $500,000 Public Facilities Program Grant. The county will use the grant funds to replace the elevator at the Starke County Courthouse. The project will help the county meet requirements put forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The new elevator will assist all residents in utilizing the offices on all levels of the courthouse. Continue reading
The Town of Winamac is in the process of finding additional water resources.
The Town’s current water well was accessed in the 1920’s at two different points. During Monday night’s Town Council meeting, members discussed the possibility of applying for a grant to explore for a new well.
Water Department Superintendent Jeremy Beckner says the well would help ensure safety.
Are you looking to save money and to shop local? The Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Winamac town-wide yard sale today.
Shop to your heart’s delight from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Twenty-six addresses are listed on the map that is available at the Pulaski County Chamber office at 102 N. Monticello Street in Winamac.
The Town of Winamac recently decided to outsource the collection of trash and recycling. Advanced Disposal is now in charge of both. Residents are reminded to have their trash and recycling containers at the curb by 6 a.m. on the morning of their scheduled pickup. Also, anyone who no longer wants the small recycling containers provided by the Town of Winamac can put them out empty with their trash on either April 7 or April 8and the town will pick them up. Anyone with questions can call the Winamac Town Office at 574-946-3451.
The time for fireworks will soon be upon us, though some area residents are already lighting up the skies. The state has its own fireworks laws that specify when fireworks can be discharged, though a number of communities such as Winamac, Knox, and Plymouth have adopted their own ordinances that limit when and where fireworks can be used.
According to the state laws, fireworks can only be discharged at special discharge locations, the person’s property, or the property of another who has given permission to do so. Anyone under the age of 18 who wishes to use fireworks must be accompanied by an adult, and fireworks can only be lit before 11 p.m. and after 9 a.m. However, on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day and New Year’s Eve, fireworks may be discharged until midnight.
Thanks to the Safe Routes to School Committee at the Eastern Pulaski Schools Corporation, children walking or riding bicycles to school may not be so uncommon in the future. Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman explained that the committee is currently working on a planning grant designed to show different routes to the school that can be enhanced and improved on in terms of accessibility and safety. Klitzman says that these improvements could encourage more parents to allow children to walk or ride their bikes to school.
The Winamac Town Board will have a pre-bid meeting on July 28th to line up paperwork for the owner-occupied home rehabilitation project for seven Winamac families.
This program is designed to help elderly, disabled, lowest income and single parents with children in the home, receive funding to help improve safety conditions at their place of residence. These improvements may include: a new furnace, roofing, plumbing, electrical, windows, and other qualified safety issues. The Town of Winamac received a $125,000 grant toward this program.
The engineers working on the sewer separation project in the downtown area appeared before the Winamac Town Board to give them an update on the project. The project is going along well and the workers were able to complete the work by the fire department in one day so the road could be open in the case of an emergency. Work is being done around the Cruisers area this week.
The Town of Winamac will not pick up bagged grass again this year. According to Town Manager, Jim Conner, the Town Board decided that residents will need to dispose of their own grass clippings. The issue was brought up last year when the Town Board and Wastewater Superintendent, Brad Zellers, expressed concern about the grass clippings in the streets and the problems they cause with the sewer system, especially during rains.
Due to the predicted storm, the Town of Winamac is invoking its snow emergency parking plan starting at 7:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, February 1st and ending on Friday, February 4th at Noon ET.
During this time, on-street parking is restricted to the odd addressed side of the streets. This is being done to facilitate keeping the streets open during the storm, movement of emergency vehicles during the storm and snow removal after the storm is over. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.
