The Winamac Water Department will be getting a new truck after town council members approved one of the quotes presented to them during their Monday evening meeting.
Water Department Superintendent Jeremy Beckner presented the quotes. Council President Tom Murray asked for the year of the current vehicle and Beckner answered that it is a 2005. Town Manager Brad Zellers mentioned that it is in the department’s 5-year plan to replace the truck this year. Continue reading
Winamac Water Department Superintendent Jeremy Beckner presented town council members with different fees to consider for the town’s backflow testing services during Monday night’s meeting.
When the town adjusted their water rates, they also offered to perform backflow testing for a flat $35 rate. However, Proscapes Owner Jason Potthoff came before the council and expressed a concern that the low rate for all systems, regardless of size, may prevent other licensed businesses from fairly competing with the town for backflow testing services.
Before approving the amended water rates, the town removed the section about backflow testing fees so Superintendent Beckner could do some research and provide some other potential prices. Continue reading
A public hearing was held over water rate adjustments prior to last night’s Winamac Town Council meeting.
The adjustments to the water raters are being proposed as a way to cover the town’s water project. Eric Walsh from Umbaugh and Associates was present and provided some details about the $1.6 million water project.
He explained that the town has been planning for this project for many years, which assisted them in receiving a grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs in the amount of $550,000. He added that the remainder of the project will be covered by borrowing from the electric utility at 1% interest rate. He said this will cause water rates to rise slightly.
Walsh said, “It is resulting in about a 9 percent, little less than 9 percent increase on your water bills. So to an average residential customer [using] about 5,000 gallons a month, that’s a $3 a month of an increase.”
Walsh said if the town hadn’t pre-planned or received the OCRA grant, rates could have increased by about 20 percent, costing the average customer to pay $6 to $7 more. He said no one likes to increase rates, but he commended the council members for the proactive steps they took to keep the increases from being doubled. Continue reading
Winamac’s water rates will soon be going up. As part of the financial arrangements for the town’s $1.5 million water project, the town council Monday approved a nine-percent increase, or a hike of $3.71 for an average residential customer.
The Winamac Water Department is looking to keep track of water usage by the Winamac Volunteer Fire Department. But Water Department Superintendent Jeremy Beckner says the change will not attempt to limit the amount of water the Fire Department uses. 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.
