North Webster Council Takes Next Step By Approving Fire Territory Hearings

Travis and Jill Wake were required to ask North Webster Town Council for an exception to replace a septic system on acreage adjacent to the town limits. It was granted. InkFreeNews Photo by Martha Stoelting.

By Martha Stoelting
InkFreeNews

NORTH WEBSTER — North Webster Town Council agreed to the next step in the process of forming a joint fire territory with Tippecanoe Township at its meeting Tuesday, Nov. 17. It was held at the North Webster Community Center.

Council President Lisa Strombeck announced where the $200,000 grant funds from K21 Health Foundation will go, a new contract was signed with Inframark, a new police officer sworn in and a decision made on an exception for a septic system out of the town limits.

The town will hold joint hearings with the township for public input on a proposed fire territory it was unanimously decided. Three public meetings will be scheduled in the next couple of months. Tippecanoe Township Trustee Chris Francis was present for questions.

The grant recipients are as follows: St. Anthony’s Medical Center at North Webster United Methodist Church, $25,000; North Webster Public Library, $10,000; Wawasee Summer Youth League, $25,000; North Webster Trails, $30,000; North Webster Community Center, $80,000; and North Webster Fire Department, $30,000. Francis expressed appreciation for the grant which covered part of the cost of a new, automatic cot for the EMS.

Inframark is the company contracted by the town to manage the sewage facilities. A three-year contract was approved to extend the service. Utilities Manager Jayne Alger thanked the council on Inframark’s behalf.

Dallis Owens was sworn in by Town Attorney Jack Birch as the new police officer. He is retired from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, is trained and ready to go according to Police Chief Greg Church.

Travis and Jill Wake approached the council because they needed an exception to hook up to the town sewer for the Kosciusko County Health Department. They own a 20 plus acre tract of land adjacent to the town. They need a new septic system for their pole barn and eventually plan to build a home quite a distance from the town limits. After discussion, it was approved.

Resolution 2020-11-17 was approved to establish funds for the accounting of the CARES Act funding. The amount of the fund is $37,699.

During department reports Alger noted October had been a busy month with valves replaced and repaired to fix a leaking pump problem, transducers were replaced in a lift station, a blown breaker was repaired and she and another employee assisted with Halloween traffic control duties. There were no compliance issues.

Church reported a smaller than usual number of trick-or-treaters out on Halloween but everything went well. Officers worked 688.75 hours during October, with 2,899 miles driven and 225.4 gallons of fuel used. There were 201 calls of service with the most being citizens assists and domestic batteries and fights tied at 22 each with traffic-related following with 19.

The next meeting of the town council will be 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, in the North Webster Community Center.