James Bend and James Pheibush of the Marshall County Probation Department requested an additional appropriation in the amount of $50,000 to help sustain the care of juveniles in treatment centers.
Bend said it’s been an extraordinary year in this aspect.
The Plymouth City Council received a request to allow urban chickens on properties within the city limits.
The current city ordinance prohibits chickens in city limits.
City Attorney Sean Surrisi said there were some property owners years ago who housed chickens on their property and the ordinance had to be enforced. It was then when a similar request came before the council, but several residents complained about having them in the city.
The Culver Town Council approved the formation of the Culver Economic Development Commission.
A public hearing on the matter was held Tuesday night where a question about the purpose of the commission was raised. Town Council President Ginny Bess Munroe explained that the commission would be able to deem a residential project eligible for tax abatement. She further explained that a residential tax abatement differs from a commercial tax abatement, but the financial incentive is the same. A recommendation for a residential tax abatement has to be presented by the commission to the town council for approval.
A contractor and a homeowner were recently granted seven building permits and those projects will be starting soon in Bremen.
Bremen Director of Operations Trend Weldy said construction will be starting this fall on South Jackson Street. Condos and spec homes will be built in the area. Three will be built to start with more to be constructed once the completed homes are sold.
Five vehicles were involved in a chain reaction car accident at the intersection of North Michigan Street and Jefferson Street in Plymouth on Monday afternoon.
Plymouth police say Carolyn Woolley of Plymouth was traveling west on Jefferson Street when she entered the intersection of Michigan Street and collided with a vehicle driven by Beth Baker of Knox as she was stopped in the eastbound lane. Woolley and Baker met in a head-on crash which caused a chain reaction with damage sustained to two other cars. Woolley tried to back up and hit a fifth vehicle.
The Culver Town Council members are in support of a petition against INDOT’s proposed J-turn intersection at U.S. 31 and State Road 10 and Dewey Street and another at U.S. 31 and State Road 110.
The J-turn intersection would not allow a vehicle to turn left at a crossroad. Instead, the driver has to travel quite a distance in order to turn left, or the opposite direction to go back past the crossroad to turn left again to the desired location. INDOT feels that the construction would create a safer way for traffic to maneuver.
The Safe Routes to School project on Baker Street by the Plymouth schools.
New sidewalks, curbs and gutters will be installed to allow for a better walking path for students on their way to the schools. The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety previously approved a bid for just over $300,000 for the project. The city’s share of that is approximately $61,000.
City Engineer Rick Gaul and Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt are going to stress that the contractors from Northern Indiana Contractors stay off the street while they’re working or else they won’t get much done. They will be able to work off the side of the street. Gaul said rush hour traffic in the morning and afternoon may delay the project if the crews don’t heed the advice.
The Bremen Town Council approved the second reading on the proposed 2018 budget when the members met Monday night.
Director of Operations Trend Weldy said that one high ticket project is in the budget for next year.
“We do have some big coming in the pipe next year. We have a one-and-a-half million dollar lift station project that we’re talking about for the wastewater department. We may sale that down and make it into two projects.”
Crews with the Marshall County Highway Department are hoping to do more paving this year. Highway Supervisor Jason Peters was before the county council on Monday with a request for support of an additional appropriation for $300,000.
The additional appropriation has not been published yet so the council could not act on the request.
The committee overseeing the potential future operations of the Shady Rest Home met Tuesday afternoon to review four proposals that were submitted to offer services out of the county home.
The committee had proposals from Save the Old Properties, or S.T.O.P., Prairie View Adult Services, Gregg Erickson, and Glenn Peterson. The four offered services ranging from an intergenerational community, wellness and addiction recovery services.
One of the nation’s largest producers of branded food products is closing its operations in Plymouth.
According to information released Tuesday from Del Monte Foods, the Plymouth facility will close Feb. 1, 2018. Del Monte Foods Chief Operating Officer Dave Meyers said the plant has been a fixture in the Plymouth community for 35 years. He added that the company appreciates the work of the dedicated employees and the many years of community support.
The Marshall County Council members worked to cut $444,420 from the budget when they met Monday morning.
The total budget to be advertised is just over $25 million for all funds. The General Fund totals $12,798,016. The assessor’s office will have a $12,000 reduction as the members thought the pay increase budgeted was over the three percent recommendation, and a full-time position in the prosecutor’s office was omitted as the request was not before the council. That money was transferred to a part-time line item.
The Plymouth City Council discussed a lease in order to house the mayor’s office and the clerk-treasurer’s office while the city building renovation project is in progress.
City Attorney Sean Surrisi explained that the offices were going to stay in the city building during the project. However, during a pre-construction meeting with the contractors it was felt that moving the offices would be the most effective way to get the project done in a timely manner.
A busy downtown Plymouth bridge will be closed today for maintenance.
Marshall County Highway Supervisor Jason Peters said the Jefferson Street bridge will be closed so log jams can be removed from underneath the bridge. The closure is expected to take one day.
The Culver Town Council will hold a public hearing on an ordinance that establishes the Culver Economic Development Commission. The three-member commission will be formed to consider a residential tax abatement in the proposed workforce housing development. One appointment will be made by the town council president, one from the town council and one from the county council.
The Shady Rest Committee will meet today to review soft proposals for organizations wishing to occupy the Shady Rest Home on Lincoln Highway in Plymouth.
The proposals indicate use, ownership, structure, ability to sustain operations and maintenance, and an approximate number of individuals who would benefit from services.
The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety will open quotes for a crack seal project and discuss the final change order for the Plymouth-Goshen Trail water main extension project when they meet tonight. They will also approve a resolution regarding Halloween and designating surplus property for sale at auction. The members will also receive an update on the Fourway computer product tower equipment.
The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety will meet at 6 p.m.
The Triton School Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed lease on the building project. The school is looking to build a high school gymnasium, replace the heating and cooling system at the elementary school and the roof at the high school. Following the public hearing, the board plans to adopt a resolution to authorize the execution of the lease, approve the issuance of bonds and accept post-issuance procedures.
The Marshall County Council will meet this morning with a full agenda. The council members will discuss all of the line items in the 2018 budget in a hearing after their regular business meeting.
James Bend and James Pheibush will have a funding request for care of inmate patients while Sheriff Matt Hassel and Annette Osborn from WIC will request a waiver for a 90-day probationary pay. EMA Director Clyde Avery will present an additional request for a mitigation plan update with the EMA Performance Grant and the personnel committee members will discuss updates to several positions. Continue reading
Marshall County Building Commissioner Chuck DeWitt and his staff is keeping busy this construction season with several hundred permits issued this year. That’s what he reported to the Marshall County Commissioners this week.
“We have over $25 million in permit values and we have 405 building permits and over 110 electric permits. That gives us about 600 permits that we’ve issued so far this year. We’re on track to have the busiest year we’ve ever had,” said DeWitt.
