The Churubusco Town Council agreed to begin work next spring on the first phase of a three-part plan to construct walking/bike trails in and around Churubusco.

The first phase - which will hopeful be started and completed next spring - will be paid for with funding from the town, as well as donations, and will cover an area from Thresher’s Ridge subdivision and threading through the park to the front parking lot and returning to Park Drive and John Krieger Drive. The trail is expected to cost just over $30,000 and be 8.5 ft. wide and approximately 2,300 ft. long. The town will be in charge of maintainance since the trail wikll be entirely on town/park property.

Council president Viv Sade said that while the town completed Phase 1 of the trails project in 2009, it would give them a chance to work on obtaining funding in the way of state and federal grants for Phases 2 and 3.

It is not clear exactly where the trails in Phase 2 and 3 will extend to at this point, Sade said, but she thought it would entail both Town and County property and was working with county officials on formulating a plan. In the past, the Council has talked about a connecting path/trail to the Blue Lake area. Sade also plans to meet with INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) officials and discuss options for the trails, she said.

In other business:

* Due to a software glitch, about 300 utility users were being under-billed this year by $2.65 a month on wastewater usage, Johnson said. The software is being updated and those customers can expect to see their bills increase by $2.65 by December or January.

Sade said she had met last week with Johnson and a representative from the State Board of Accounts for an exit interview after the SBA had spent several weeks conducting an audit of the Town’s financial records recently.

“The SBA are the ones who caught the software error,” Sade said.

But overall, Sade added, “The report was very clean and (Gerri) Johnson and Barb (Campbell, assist clerk) are to be commended for the great job they do in the utility office, maintaining the books and records. The State Board of Accounts was impressed with their work,” Said said.

“I have seen a couple of other reports from exit interviews in the past and they were pages long,” Sade said. “This one was just a couple of paragraphs.”

* John Hart gave a report on the new electrical substation AEP is constructing on S.R. 205 East. The battery power backup station is a test site and is one of only three in the U.S., Hart said. The backup substation should kick in and restore service to Churubusco customers within one minute after a power outage due to high usage or other problems.

The power would probably not be backed up as afar as the Blue Lake (lift stations), Hart said.

* The Council agreed to renew the Town employees’ health insurance plan at an increase of 9 percent on medical, dental and vision. According to clerk-treasurer, Gerri Johnson, the amount is still considerably less that what the town was paying before they switched carriers last fall.

Council members Sade and Frank Kessler agreed that they may have to look at increasing deductibles or co-pays in the future should the coverage increase continue to increase, but voted to keep the policy as is and pay the increase for this year. Hart abstained from voting since he is a town employee.

The insurance is Anthem Group through Star Insurance. The monthly premium will increase from $7,684 to $8,403.

* The Council agreed to table a discussion on the salary ordinance for 2009 until their next meeting on Nov. 19 and until they had had a chance to do further research. They also agreed -after two years of trying to collect the utility bill funds - to write off an noncollectable debt for Roger Chaffins in the amount of $140.94.

The Churubusco Town Council talked with two members of the Muller Community Pool committee at Wednesday’s meeting, telling them they still are considering donating two acres in the park for the project, but first must have an attorney hammer out the legalities.

Board president Viv Sade told pool representatives Liz Schemm and Lucas Konger she also wants to speak to park board members individually to get their thoughts on the project before proceeding. She said she plans to go to the November park board meeting.

Jeff Schenher, an audience member, said the town should consider selling the property to the pool committee and then putting that money into an escrow account in the event that the pool goes bankrupt.

“That would pay for the taxpayers having to fill that hole in the park,” Schenher said.

The Council plans to discuss the issue further at their second meeting in November when their attorney has finished the project research and after Sade talks to park board members.

In other business, Chad Fulkerson, town marshal, reported to the council that his department had purchased four new Tasers, three for three of the four full-time officers and one for a reserve officer - because Fulkerson said, those were the only ones so far who were certified to use the Tasers.

Fulkerson said it should eliminate the use for pepper spray and he will rewrite the operations manual to include a statement noting that a Churubusco Police officer must be certified in Taser use before he/she can be armed with a Taser. 

 

Town Council members Frank Kessler, John Hart and Viv Sade discussed various options for a possible site for a community swimming pool after hearing a presentation from the Muller Memorial Pool Committee at its Sept. 17 meeting.

Pool committee members have asked the council for a donation of two acres of land on the northwest side of the Churubusco Community Park for the pool, which is still in the planning and fundraising stages.

Hart - who also works part-time for the street department - said some of the available acreage in the park was unsuitable because of drainage issues.

Frank Kessler said he needs more information before making a decision and would like to hear more from the park board on the issue.

The Council agreed to check with park board members to see what their thoughts were and how their plans for future expansion would be affected by a donation of park property.

Council members agreed that if a donation of land is made, the property will be deeded over to the pool committee so that any possible financial implications or obligations would not impact the town or taxpayers.

Committee members have said the project would fall in the $400,000 to $500,000 range for a simple community pool, with more elaborate plans falling in the $500,000 to $1- or 2-million range.

Clerk-treasurer Gerri Johnson said she had talked to the clerk of Columbia City, who provided financial statements showing that Burnsworth Pool in Columbia City had lost thousands of dollars each year for several years.

In other business:

• Charles “Chuck” Ransom said an earlier conflict with a water billing situation had been resolved to his satisfaction by the council and town supervisor Jeremy Hart. Ransom owns a building and lives in the upstairs apartment at 121 N. Main Street. For years the downstairs has been zoned and used for various businesses - most recently Pit Stop Pizza - but Ransom said it is no longer being leased as a business space. At an August meeting Ransom had asked to be billed only one residential fee for water and sewage instead of two. The council agreed to install a separate water meter for the downstairs which can be shut off when no tenant occupies the building.
• Noble County resident Jeff Schenher, who has several rental properties within the town limits, questioned the need for four police cars. He also asked if the town had any goals or maintenance programs in place. “These are hard times,” Schenher said, “Do you have a plan (for a shortfall in funding) or are you just going to wait and see what happens?” John Hart, who is on the Churubusco Police force, said the vehicles were actually better maintained and were lasting longer now that each officer has his or her own car. “They take ownership and take better car of the squad cars than when we had two or more sharing a vehicle,” Hart said. Jeremy Hart said the town maintains and regularly reviews a maintenance program and established goals. Sade said that she has always kept an eye on the police department’s budget, especially with soaring gas and energy costs. ”But the police department has not ended up in the red in the years I’ve been on this Council - they live within their budget ,” Sade said. She added that the town will see a shortfall from the property tax cap, a smaller one in 2009 and a larger one is expected in 2010, she said. “But because this town has always been fiscally responsible, it will not hit us as hard as it will many other smaller cities and towns who have a lot of debt. We do not.”
• Sade announced the closing of Cuno, and said that 3M - who owns Cuno - said the business will be completely closed by the end of the year. “There’s not a whole lot we can do about it, since they are located just over the Whitley/Allen county line, in Allen County,” Sade said. She added that Whitley County Economic Development Director Alan Tio had contacted WorkForce Development, and had already organized an emergency job training and career counseling workshop for Cuno employees who will lose their jobs. Somewhere between 35and 50 employees have lost their jobs at Cuno in the past year, Sade said.
• Council member Sade, town supervisor Hart and clerk-treasurer Johnson announced that they will be attending the annual conference of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns (IACT) Oct. 12-14 in South Bend.

Members of the Muller Memorial Pool committee pitched a plan for a new community swimming pool in Churubusco and asked the Town Council to consider donating two acres on the Northwest side of Churubusco Community Park.

About 40 people were present at the Sept. 18 Town Council meeting, which was held in the Boy Scout building at the park.

Paul Muller was a lifelong resident of Churubusco, and when he died in 2003, he left $361,000 to Smith-Green Community Schools for the construction of a swimming pool.

The school decided they could not undertake such a project, said Liz Schemm, president of the pool committee, and the funds were turned over to her committee.

Committee member Lucas Konger, a graduate architect for Vintage Archonics of Fort Wayne and a Churubusco High School graduate, said the project would fall in the $400,000 to $500,000 range for a simple community pool, with more elaborate plans falling in the $500,000 to $1- or 2-million range.

Muller was an electrician by trade, Schemm said, but had a passion for swimming. “Our mission is education, recreation and health,” Schemm said. “Our vision is to build a well-designed pool for our community.”

Schemm introduced other members of the committee in the audience including Konger, Don Page, Muller’s brother-in-law, Cathy Petrie, Tanya Young, Gina Ramsey and Mike Snyder.

The key employees and training requirements would include a pool manager, who would have a college degree or a background in aquatic facilities, according to Snyder, director of Northwest Allen County Schools’ natatorium.

Snyder, who attended the USA Swimming “Build a Pool” conference in Las Vegas Sept 2-9, 2008, added that the pool also would require a pool assistant manager with a background in aquatic facilities, and ten lifeguards or swim instructors.

Possible services of the pool would include lifesaving classes, school accredited courses, water aerobics and water therapy.

Looking at the financial setup of the of the Auburn community pool, Snyder said the Churubusco pool would charge about $200 a year for a family membership and $75 a year for a single membership. Eight private swim lessons would cost approximately $65. Lane or pool rentals also would be available.

“Northwest Allen County Schools (pool) is very successful,” Snyder said, “and, of course, we looked at that.”

The Columbia City Burnsworth pool lost $18,000 in 2006 and had a profit of $2,000 in 2007, Snyder said. “Keep in mind that 2006 was a cold, rainy summer and 2007 was hot and dry,” Snyder said.

The Garrett community pool made a profit of $17,767 in 2007, while the Columbia City YMCA operated at a loss of $46,434. Operating costs were $91,213 and the total income was $44,779, according to the committee’s analysis.

“Keep in mind that when you talk about an inside facility you add a lot of extra costs,” Snyder said.

Within a ten-mile radius, Schemm said the pool could potentially draw 42,000 people. “Based on data obtained from www.stats.indiana.edu/profiles, Schemm broke down the projected customer base of a community pool as follows:

Churubusco - 1,775

Columbia City - 8,202

Green Township - 5,297

Smith Township - 5,297

Etna Troy - 1,948

Perry Township - 19,654

 Eel River Township - 3,999

The total population of Whitley County is 32,655, Schemm said.

“Do you have a specific bottom line you can show us?” Council member Frank Kessler asked.

“Yes, we do,” Snyder said. “There are approximately 4 1/2 acres on the back end of the park” he said, and the pool would use two of those acres. The land would house a pool, deck and concession and locker facilities.

Council member John Hart clarified that the northwest corner would require some prep work, such as fill dirt.

“Thank you for coming,” Hart said. “You’ve certainly done your homework. And you’re right - we do not want it to become a tax burden to the people of Churubusco as other things have. People of Churubusco have to pay enough taxes now.”

“Who would be responsible if the pool is built and there is a shortcoming (of finances)?” Hart asked.

Snyder said they hoped to get private corporate sponsorships. “Our goal is to not operate in the red,” he said.

Kessler asked if the group was a not-for-profit organization.

That’s still in the discussion stage, Schemm told him. “We’ve talked about forming a committee of local representatives to oversee finances,” she added.

Churubusco Park Board President Pat Stanford wondered if the suggested property were to be leased to the pool committee, would that reduce liability on the Town’s part.

“Probably not,” said town attorney Ron Felger. “If something was to happen or a someone drowned, the town carries the liability insurance.”

According to a survey conducted by the pool group, Schemm said 267 people said they were in favor of the pool, one said he/she was not. The same number said they were in favor of having the pool located in the park, she said.

Jeff Schenher, a resident of Green Township who owns several rental properties in Churubusco, asked Schemm who was involved in the survey the group is using to promote their proposal. “Was this passed out to high schoolers?” Schenher asked.

Schemm said yes, some teens did participate in the survey, but so did adults of all ages.

Schenher also asked if the committee had surveyed other communities for liabilities imposed by community pools.

Snyder said the NWAC pool had experienced one incident during his tenure. Schemm said her son had worked at the Columbia City pool for the past five summers and the pool had documented three ambulance runs during that time.

Konger estimates the cost of building the pool will vary according to what type of facility is constructed. An outdoor swimming and recreational pool would be approximately $960,488, Konger said. An outdoor lap swimming and recreation pool would be $826,088, while an outdoor 50m competition (Olympic size) and diving pool was estimated at $2.9 million.

Stanford asked if the third plan showing four lanes was excessive.

“That’s an Olympic style,” Snyder said. “These are just estimates.”

Snyder said other pools offset the operating costs by hosting swimming competitions. He said he recently attended school swimming competitions at events in  Fishers and Noblesville. Fishers cleared $29,000 in entry fees and Noblesville, $25,000, he said.

“That doesn’t include what they took in from concessions, food and merchandise,” Snyder said.

He added that a community pool has the ability “to bring in lots of local commerce to area businesses.”

Don Page said the community is ready and the majority want a pool, and the Town cannot afford to let the opportunity pass.

“We also hear that no one wants this pool run and operated and financed by taxes,” Page said. “We have formulated a stand-by plan and have looked at the service companies in this community.”

Page said the community hopes to offset any operating deficit by splitting equally the cost (up to $10,000 each) between Indiana Michigan Power, Verizon, REMC, NIPSCO, National Serv-All, Fed-Ex, Media Com, Parkview Health and other such service companies. 

Page said while they have no definite commitment, they have talked to four of the companies and the response  was very positive.

Another plan is to have a financial partner who would match all or a portion of the funds raised by the group, Page said.

The committee hopes to leave enough money in the Muller Memorial Fund to continue to grow as an endowment to support the pool after it is built, Page said. In June, the original gift of $361,000 had grown to over $421,000, Schemm said.

Page ended by talking about the life of his brother-in-law, Paul Muller, and asking for the community’s support in making Muller’s dream a reality.

“We know that it’s a workable plan,” Page said. “And we are asking you to help us and encourage us in this effort.” 

The Churubusco Town Council has moved its Wednesday, Sept. 17 meeting to the Boy Scout Building at the Churubusco Community Park in anticipation of a large crowd to view a proposal for a new community swimming pool.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. 

Council president Viv Sade said she hopes to return from a 2-day news conference in Chicago in time for the meeting, but if she does not, fellow council members Frank Kessler and John Hart have agreed to preside over the meeting.

“I am very interested in this proposal and project, but unfortunately have a conflict in my schedule,” Sade said, “and if I do not make it back in time, I plan to stop by the Town Hall Thursday or Friday to listen to the tapes of the meeting.”

Liz  Schemm will lead the presentation on behalf of the Muller Memorial Pool Committee.

Following is the Council agenda:

Call to order and welcome of visitors
Pledge of Allegiance

Approval of minutes: Sept.3, 2008 meeting
Approval of claims and payroll vouchers

Public comment:
(This is the allotted time for public input and questions. Please limit comments to 3-5 minutes. Thank you.)

New business:
Liz Schemm, presentation, Muller Memorial Pool Committee

Old business:

Department reports:
€ Park Board member or representative
€ Town Supervisor, Jeremy Hart
€ Waste Water Treatment Plant Supervisor, Bob Hyatt
€ Churubusco Police Department
€ Ron Felger, Town Attorney

Council reports: John Hart, Viv Sade, Frank Kessler

Clerk/treasurer report: Gerri Johnson

Adjournment

If the Town of Churubusco succeeds this time around in obtaining a grant from the Indiana Office of Rural Affairs, they expect to break ground next spring for a new $2.5 million water treatment facility project, which includes renovating and updating the town’s water system. The project would include re-coating and painting the town’s existing 400,000-gallon water tank.

Community Focus Fund (CFF) grants are awarded on a point system basis. Although Churubusco scored enough points to move to the top third of the priority list — thanks to the number of citizens and businesses who sent letters to the state about their dissatisfaction with the cloudy, discolored and often rusty condition of the water — the town did not get a grant in the first round awarded earlier this year.

Jim Atz of Region 3-A was present at the council meeting to outline the process of the grant application process.

The town has applied for a $500,000 CFF grant, and would add to that an Indiana Department of Environmental Management State Revolving Fund for $1.7 million, as well as $262,500 in cash that the town has on hand, Atz said.

The application must be submitted by Sept. 11 and the town should hear in November whether or not it will receive the grant.

If the town receives the grant and begins construction next spring, the project would most likely be completed in less than 12 months, Atz said.

In other business:

• Turtle Days officials asked for the town’s okay before they move forward with a fall fundraiser, scheduled for Sept. 26 and 27 in downtown Churubusco.

President of the festival board, Kirk Gray, along with vice president Robin Ramsey and treasurer Vince McEntee told council members Frank Kessler, John Hart and Viv Sade that they wanted to host the fundraiser in order to raise money to pay for a fireworks display for next summer’s festival - which will be the 60th anniversary of the popular summer event. 

The fundraiser will include a beer tent with live entertainment both Friday and Saturday nights, Gray said. Other events include a motorcycle poker run, an afternoon barbecue and  televised football Saturday, including the Notre Dame vs Purdue game.

The tent will be located in a parking lot immediately west of Valero gas station and Pit Stop Pizza, just off of Whitley Street (S.R. 205), Gray said.

Gray said the festival did remarkably well with its first-ever beer tent and live band performances during this year’s Turtle Days.

“We made a profit and we were able to donate $2,000 to the community park,” Gray said. “We hope to continue this success and give the park even more next year.”

Churubusco Town Marshal Chad Fulkerson told the council that he was surprised and pleased that everything ran smoothly with the beer tent in June. “It went well and we had zero incidents,” Fulkerson said. “Everyone was well-behaved and incident-wise, there was just nothing to report.”

Gray also asked if the beer tent could have two extra hours to close on both nights. The bands will play from 9 p.m. until midnight, as they did last time, Gray said, but he and the other officials would like to give everyone time to visit and “slowly close it down and clean up” from midnight until 2 a.m.

“We would not have any loud music after midnight, but would play some quieter background music as people were leaving,” Gray said. “It just seemed like (at this year’s event) the band quit p,laying and we had to quickly get everyone out. And, many of them stood outside the tent, visiting and talking with each other.”

Sade asked if they had contacted the neighbors surrounding the parking lot and Gray said all had been contacted.

Hart, Kessler and Sade all agreed they had no problem with Turtle Days board members hosting the event, in light of Fulkerson’s positive report on the last one.

• An employee at the wastewater treatment plant, John Forker, was given a favorable recommendation by his supervisor, Bob Hyatt, and the council agreed to end Forker’s standard 90-day employment probation. Forker started last year at the plant on the school’s ICE program while a senior at Churubusco High School. He is employed in the  minimum wage or Class 4 position of part-time employee, according to the town’s salary ordinance. Hyatt said with the jump in the minimum wage in July, Forker received a pretty good raise and that he will get another one next summer, when minimum wage is expected to again increase.
• The council briefly discussed a request by Charles Ransom, who lives in an upstairs apartment at 121 N. Main Street. For years the downstairs has been zoned and used for various businesses - most recently Pit Stop Pizza - but Ransom said it is no longer being leased as a business space. At an August meeting Ransom had asked to be billed only one residential fee for water and sewage. Ransom said he is now occupying the bottom half of the building, as well as the top, and did not want to be charged for two separate utility bills, as it is currently set up. The council agreed to review a copy of the water and sewer use ordinance as it pertains to business and residential and revisit  the issue at a future meeting.
• The Sept. 17 meeting will be held at the Churubusco Community Park in the Boy Scout building where officers of the Muller Memorial Pool organization are slated to make a
  

  Pool committee members ride the float in the Turtle Days parade.
  presentation. Liz Schemm, president of the group, will outline the proposal for building a community pool in Churubusco. The pool fund started with a single donation of $361,000 from the Muller family, but had grown to over $421,000 just six weeks ago, Schemm said. Lucas Konger, a graduate architect for Vintage Archonics of Fort Wayne and a Churubusco High School graduate, said the project would fall in the $400,000 to $500,000 for a simple community pool, with more elaborate plans falling in the $500,000 to $1 million range.

Two residents voiced concerns to Churubusco Town Council members about a proposed rate increase for trash pickup, with one stating that it would be nothing but a burden to local residents.

Roger Bayford and Charles Ransom, both residents of Churubusco, voiced their objections at a Town Council public hearing Wednesday, Aug. 20.

According to the new five-year contract between the Town and National ServAll, trash rates will increase for the town to $10.76 a month the first year (residents now pay $9.30 a month); $11.30 the second year; $11.86 the third year; $12.46 the fourth year; and $13.08 the fifth year. National ServAll representatives said the increases were due to rapidly increasing fuel costs. 

The three-member council voted in July to add $1.50 a month to the $10.76 for the first year only to cover administrative costs.

The Council said they would like the clerk-treasurer and deputy clerk to track how much is spent on administrative duties during the next year. Adjustments will be made in the fee, even eliminating it altogether, Councilman John Hart said, if records prove that it is not necessary or can be reduced next year. On the other hand, it may not be enough, Hart said at the July meeting.

Bayford said Wednesday he understood why the trash pickup fees were being increased by National ServAll, but did not agree with the $1.50 surcharge the Town was adding to the increased price.

Charles Ransom also objected to the administrative fee, stating that he was on a fixed income and the extra charges made a difference on his monthly expenses and budget.

Hart said he had not heard from any other residents objecting to the fee and that he could not vote against the proposal if only two residents objected.

Hart and co-council member Frank Kessler voted in favor of the ordinance. Council president Viv Sade was on vacation and not present at the meeting.

In other business:

• Ransom, who lives in an upstairs apartment at 121 N. Main Street, said he is now occupying the bottom half of the building, as well, and did not want to be charged for two separate sewer bills. The bottom half has been occupied by several businesses during the past decade, most recently Pit Stop Pizza, who moved to another location last year. According to David Sewell, director of the Whitley County Planning and Building Department, there is a provision in the Churubusco Zoning Ordinance which clearly outlines permitted uses of residential and commercial property in the downtown area. “Residential uses are allowed only in conjunction with a business,” Sewell said, “according to the zoning ordinance.” Residential use of both portions of a commercial building in downtown Churubusco would not be permitted with the current zoning restrictions in place, Sewell said. 
• Council members adopted the proposed budget for 2009 after a public hearing was held and no comments were heard - either in favor of or against - regarding the the budget. Council members asked the state for a five percent increase on most line items, stating that they knew the state would come back and order cuts to much of the budget. Recent state legislation regarding property tax caps is expected to adversely affect the funding of local government entities such as cities and towns, as well as libraries and schools, within the next few years.
• The next Town Council meeting will be held Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall.
• The Sept. 17 meeting will be held at the Churubusco Community Park in the Boy Scout building where officers of the Muller Memorial Pool organization are slated to make a presentation. Liz Schemm, president of the group, will outline the proposal for building a community pool in Churubusco. The pool fund started with a single donation of $361,000 from the Muller family, but had grown to over $421,000 just six weeks ago, Schemm said. Lucas Konger, a graduate architect for Vintage Archonics of Fort Wayne and a Churubusco High School graduate, said the project would fall in the $400,000 to $500,000 for a simple community pool, with more elaborate plans falling in the $500,000 to $1 million range.

Motorists are asked to be alert and on the lookout for pedestrians, especially schoolchildren, since school resumed Monday.

A school crossing guard is employed by the Town at the intersection of Short and Whitley streets to help school children safely cross S.R. 205 (Whitley Street) in the morning and in the afternoon when school lets out.

Parents are urged to instruct their children to cross S.R. 205/Whitley Street at the crosswalk with the crossing guard and to cross U.S. 33 at the stoplights and designated crosswalks when walking to school.

“Traffic has increased threefold in the morning and afternoon since school started,” said Town Council President Viv Sade. “Sometimes it backs up for blocks on Main or Whitley streets. Drivers need to be aware that students are crossing the highways when walking to and from school. And unfortunately, some of them are just darting across the highway in the most convenient spot.”

Sade said the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) conducted a traffic study on South Main Street (U.S. 33) earlier this year and agreed that Churubusco had a traffic congestion problem.

“We will be up for consideration of a project that would hopefully ease the problem - if not eliminate it - the next time INDOT is scheduled to do a road repaving job in Churubusco,” Sade said. “But, we’re not sure when that will be, and they (INDOT) are not sure exactly what that road project will involve.”

 

 

 

The agenda for the Churubusco Town Council meeting Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 6:30 p.m. is as follows:

6:30 p.m. Public Hearing (Adoption 2009 Budget)

     Call to Order

     Public Comment

     Adjournment

Public Hearing (Trash Contract)

     Call to Order

     Public Comment

     Adjournment

 Regular Council Meeting

     Call to Order

     Pledge of Allegiance

     Approval of August 6, 2008 Minutes

     Approval of Claims and Payroll Vouchers

Public Comment: (This is the allotted time for public input and questions. Please limit comments to 3-5 minutes. Thank You.)

 New Business:

 Old Business:

 Department Reports:

     • Rick Krider or Park Board member

     • Town Supervisor - Jeremy Hart

     • Waste Water Treatment Plant Supervisor - Bob Hyatt

     • Police - Town Marshal Chad Fulkerson

     • Ron Felger - Town attorney

 Council Reports:John Hart, Viv Sade (on vacation), Frank Kessler

 Clerk /Treasurer Report: Gerri Johnson

Please note: The community swimming pool proposal and presentation has been moved to the Sept. 17 meeting. That meeting will be held at the Boy Scout building in the Churubusco Community Park at 6:30 p.m. For more information call Liz Schemm at 693-2377 or Viv Sade at 693-2473.

Town Council members - John Hart, Frank Kessler, Viv Sade

Clerk/Treasurer, Gerri Johnson

 

Trash rates will go up - the question is how much.

The Churubusco Town Council spent much of Wednesday night’s meeting debating exactly how much the rates should increase. 

According to the new five-year contract between the Town and National ServAll, trash rates will increase for the town to $10.76 a month the first year (residents now pay $9.30 a month); $11.30 the second year; $11.86 the third year; $12.46 the fourth year; and $13.08 the fifth year. National ServAll representatives said the increases were due to rapidly increasing fuel costs. 

Town Council President Viv Sade Rosswurm said she was against adding to the increase established in the new contract, and in favor of keeping the new rate at $10.76 a month.

“I’m very reluctant to increase any rates,” Sade Rosswurm said. “I know all the utility companies are doing it, but it’s hitting people hard.”

Council members John Hart and Frank Kessler said it was necessary to add the town’s administrative costs to the contract amount so that the town does not go “into the red” on garbage collection.

Hart suggested $2 or $3 above the contract rate, but Sade Rosswurm said she would not agree with that amount.

Kessler suggested going halfway, or adding $1.50 to the $10.76 rate, which Sade Rosswurm and Hart were able to agree upon.

“If we find that the $1.50 is too much, we can always drop it or adjust it next year,” Hart said. “But I don’t think that will be the case.”

Sade Rosswurm said she wanted it noted in the garbage ordinance that the contract rates must be revisited every year. “I don’t want (the Town) to make money on this,” she said. “I just want them to cover their costs.”

Kessler said that the rates Churubusco residents pay for garbage collection and recycling were low compared to the town’s rural neighbors. “In the country they pay three times - or more - for garbage removal,” he said.

A public hearing regarding the new fees will be held at 6:30 p.m. prior to the next council meeting on Aug. 6. 

In other council business:

• President Viv Sade Rosswurm asked if fellow council members, Frank Kessler and John Hart would be in agreement if she contacts several engineering groups to ask about submitting bids for proposed walking/fitness trails in and around Churubusco. “We’ve been talking about this for five or six years,” Sade Rosswurm said. “I’d really like to contact a professional engineering firm about getting the ball rolling.” All council members were in agreement. Sade Rosswurm will draft a letter and send it to engineering firms that the town has had contact with in the past.

 

• The Churubusco Town Council decided to move ahead with a proposal for annexing a portion of land on the East side of U.S. 33 (Main Street) between Mahle Corp. (formerly Dana) and running south to C.R. 375. The annexation could not take place until early 2010 due to state laws that prohibit annexation during the year before a census. “I definitely think we should move ahead with this and we’ll be ready when the time comes,” Kessler said.

 

• The council approved a budget proposal for 2009 which included $688,149 in the General fund; $66,200 in the Park Fund; $180,193 in the Motor Vehicle Fund; $10,000 in the Local Roads and Street Fund; $14,000 in the Cumulative Capital Improvement Fund. Pending two public hearings on the proposed budget, it could be approved by Aug. 20.

 

• The Council tabled a discussion on the Smith Township Fire Protection agreement for 2009. The proposed agreement called for a payment of $31,185, with half due in June of 2009 and the remaining half due in December. The cost compares to $29,500 for 2008. Township trustee Don Amber said the increase in costs are “due to increasing fuel costs,” according to Gerri Johnson, clerk-treasurer.

 

• The minimum wage law will result in an increase for some town workers as of July 24, Johnson said. That’s the day minimum wage increases from $5.85 to $6.55. She said the amount allowed for mileage reimbursement also had increased.Effective July 1, Johnson said, the state’s recommended rate for reimbursement will increase from 40 cents a mile to 44 cents a mile. The federal reimbursement rate is increasing from 50.5 cents a mile to 58.5 cents a mile. The Town uses state guidelines in calculating mileage reimbursement for town employees.

 

• Council members agreed to move $300,000 from the water fund account into a CD at Star Financial Bank, which had the highest interest rates of three banks who submitted quotes.

 

• The council approved a revised cost analysis for the proposed water treatment plant and water system improvement project, adding about $200,000 to construction costs, bringing the total to $2.1 million. The town is currently in the process of trying to obtain a state grant to fund a portion - $500,000 - of the project. Recipients of the grants are announced in November. 

CHURUBUSCO – If at first you don’t succeed …

… the Town of Churubusco will try again this summer to qualify for a state grant to help build a new water filtration plant and install a new water system after being rejected in May.

Region III-A representative Jim Atz was present at the July 2 council meeting to hold the first of two public meetings and to start the grant process all over again. The Town did not get the grant due to a technicality, Atz said, but things look more promising for the Town in the next round of grant applications.

The Town hopes to attain a $500,000 state grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, Office of Rural Affairs, to help offset the cost of the proposed $2.3 million water treatment plant. The remainder of the funding for the project would come from an State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan, cash-on-hand in the water department reserve and revenue generated by recent water rate increases. The proposal is due July 11, Atz said, and the application is due Sept. 12. The Town should find out in mid-November if they will receive the grant, Atz said.

The Town has a good chance of getting the grant this fall because it has moved up the list of cities and towns applying for the grants and is now listed in the top 13, according to council president Viv Sade.

Grants are allocated based on a point system that addresses each community’s quality of life, needs, assets and willingness to assist in the proposed projects.

In other business July 2:

• Ernie Loehr, a resident of Sunny Slope subdivision, presented the Town with a list of costs - $400,000 - as a result of flooding damage that was done to his Windsor Drive home January 8-10, when area flooding caused damage to homes and farms throughout Whitley County. Loehr contends that the flooding to his home was much worse because of poor drainage on the town’s part and a sudden, massive influx of surface water from the Rapp Ditch area, which is under the jurisdiction of the county. Council members Sade, Frank Kessler and John Hart said they will turn the list over to the town attorney, Ron Felger, for review.

• Councilman Hart congratulated the Churubusco Turtle Days Festival committee on a successful event held June 18-21. “We had zero incidents,” said Hart, who is also a full-time officer with the Churubusco Police Department. “Even with the beer tent, people thought there would be some kind of trouble, but there was nothing. Everything went very well. The parade route was great and I think the committee did an excellent job.”

• Clerk-treasurer Gerri Johnson asked that the Town consider a resolution to transfer monies. “Presently the water bond and interest account has $338,005 in it,” Johnson said. “Now that the Town has paid off the (outstanding) water bond, there is no need to continue to deposit money into that account.” Johnson received quotes from two local banks in regard to transferring $300,000 to a CD at the bank that offers the best interest rate. The Town will wait to hear from a third bank and make a decision at the July 16 meeting.

• Bob Hyatt, superintendent of the wastewater treatment plant, said electrical ground work will begin soon on the new lift station at the school.

• Also, at the July 16 meeting: council members will discuss the need for a fireworks ordinance as well as an ordinance regarding new trash removal rates. The Town recently renewed its contract with National Serv-All. The new contract includes a price increase due to the increasing costs of fuel, and Johnson said the new trash removal ordinance should reflect that increase.

CHURUBUSCO - Members of the Town Council were asked about three properties where old tires have been sitting in the yards for some time, according to resident Wayne Yager, who brought it to the council’s attention.

Yager said he has passed the properties several times in the last few weeks and wondered, ” … if the town was ever going to do anything about it.”

Yager said the tires collect water which becomes stagnant and attracts mosquitoes, posing possible health risks.

Council member John Hart, also a Churubusco police officer and town employee, said two of the properties are vacant. He told Yager that someone would check on the situation and see if it warranted some kind of action.

“It seems that sometimes the cops tell the employees to turn a blind eye to these kinds of things,” Yager said.

“We have the lowest crime rate in the area,” replied Chad Fulkerson, Churubusco Town Marshal, “and it’s because we’re out doing our job and patrolling.”

Hart agreed, but added, “If it’s something obvious, we will check it out.”

Yager also asked if the Town would consider hosting several clean-up days a year where residents could bring tree limbs and branches to the town property to be mulched or disposed of properly.

Jeremy Hart, town supervisor, said the town already offers two clean-up days a year to residents - spring and fall - and Yager’s proposal would involve a lot of extra hours and work for town employees.

“We simply don’t have time or the employees to add more services,” Jeremy Hart said.

In other council business Wednesday, June 16:

• The Town decided to stick with its current provider for trash pickup after receiving two quotes for garbage service. Board members received a bid from National Serv-All of $10.76 per month for the first year. That compared to a bid from Waste Management for $14.36 a month. Residents now pay $9.30 a month for trash pickup. Board members Frank Kessler, Viv Sade Rosswurm and John Hart agreed to go with a five-year contract with National Serv-All.

• Fulkerson said he would research the town ordinances and see what type of laws relate to motorized bikes. “We’ve seen a lot of them lately,” Fulkerson said. “And have had quite a few calls about them being on sidewalks and drivers behaving recklessly.”

Fulkerson said he thought high fuel prices had a lot to do with the increased popularity of motorized bikes.

The next Churubusco Town Council board meeting will be Wednesday, July 2, at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall on Home Avenue. Call 693-9350 to be placed on the agenda.

CHURUBUSCO - Annexation. Some see it as positive growth for the Town of Churubusco; others see it as a detrimental to the township.

Churubusco Town Council members John Hart, Viv Sade Rosswurm and Frank Kessler, along with annexation consultant Kristi Sturtz, financial consultant Greg Guerrettaz, town attorney Ron Felger and a representative of Bonar Engineering Group, Mark Jesse, met with a number of the South side businesses owners who are included in the area that has been - on and off - the topic of discussion for annexation for more than two decades.

The area being discussed contains 144 acres of land on the east side of U.S. 33 from the former Dana Corp. (now Mahle Corp.) south to the C& A Tool Engineering property.

Sade Rosswurm said the next logical step is to grow to the south if the Town is to grow at all. She noted that the school and town have seen declining enrollment and population in the last few years.

“We have had two new businesses reject Churubusco because of this,” she said. She also said it was illegal to “leapfrog annex” and that the Town must begin with the south side businesses, many of whom already have sewer and water lines installed years ago and/or available to their properties.

“The corporate Town limits are kind of crazy,” she said. “Part of McDonalds is annexed into the Town, part of it is not. I’m not sure why the Town did not have property owners sign a non-remonstrance agreement 20 years ago when they ran the lines.”

Bob Egolf, owner of Egolf’s IGA, explained what had happened on his property.

“When we talked about getting the utility lines to our store along with Star Financial Bank, the Town wanted nothing to do with it,” Egolf said. “We paid $25,000 out of our own pockets to run those lines to our businesses. Then when the Town later came to us and wanted us to sign an agreement not to remonstrate against any future annexation, we said to heck with that.”

This came as a surprise to Guerrettaz, who has been working with the Town for more than 25 years, as well as to council members.

Smith Township trustee Don Amber said he thought choosing Busco’s largest industries to annex amounted to nothing more than “cherry picking,” on the Town’s behalf.

The only township line item that would lose funding if the south side was annexed, according to the latest available figures from the Whitley County Auditor’s office, was the cumulative fire fund, which would lose approximately $6,000, Sturtz said.

Both Amber and Town Council members agreed that any loss would be compensated for in the annual fire protection contract between the township and town, now at about $30,000 a year.

Hart said he thought the area should be annexed since they already receive many town services, including water, sewer and police and fire protection, and since the town was more than willing to make up any loss to the township’s cumulative fire fund account.

Kessler also spoke in favor of annexation, saying it only made sense to keep Busco’s population strong as a way to attract skilled workers and enhance the businesses already located in Busco, as well as attract new business.

“We’re all interdependent on one another,” Kessler said.

Dick Conrow, owner of C&A Tool Engineering, wanted the town to look at annexing the entire south side area, both the east side and the west side of U.S. 33 from Mahle and Holiday Mobile Home Park to C.R. 375N.

Some residents on the west side have reported experiencing septic sewer problems. The area contains approximately 150 residential properties with $4.6 million worth of assessed valuation.

Several people who reside on the west side have called the Town to ask if they could get city utilities, Sade Rosswurm said.

A study conducted by Bonar Engineering last fall showed that annexing the west side would cost the Town about $2 million. Revenue recovered in the first year would be around $30,000, Sturtz said.

“I know it’s a problem, especially for some of the people located directly across the highway from C&A Tool,” Sade Rosswurm said. “The Whitley County Board of Health is keeping an eye on it, the county is keeping an eye on it and the Town is keeping an eye on it, but everyone is reluctant to run in and try and solve the problem.”

Conrow said the town and county may wait too long and then, “the state would step in and mandate that something be done because of the health issue.”

Amber, a resident of the west side, said his sewer was working fine and as far as he knew, his neighbors’ septics were working fine, as well, and he did not see annexation as an option for the west side.

According to the study done on the east side properties, the Town would receive about $100,000 a year in revenue if the area was annexed, Sturtz said.

She said the east side was the first step in annexation, adding that the high costs of annexing the west side made it cost-prohibitive to the Town at this point.

John Black, plant manager of Mahle Corp., said he wants to do “what is right for the Town,” but at the same time, does not want to be taken advantage of.

Noting that he was the town attorney when Churubusco was unsuccessful in its attempts to annex two decades ago, Felger said the Town really had no interest in proceeding with a west-side annexation where a few people have already said they would fight it - “it would only end up in court with the town spending thousands in litigation,” Felger said.

“The Council has talked about eventually running lines out there (on the west side) and then people could pay a tap fee and connect to the lines voluntarily as they need the services,” Sade Rosswurm said.

The meeting ended with no decisions being made.

Guerrettaz also said he could prepare a cost analysis of having in lieu of annexation agreements for south side residents and businesses - an alternative to annexation - if the Council so requests.

The Council will discuss the matter in July. Watch this Web site for future meeting times and detailed agendas.