It was business as usual when the Warren Town Council met for its monthly meeting on Monday, July 9.
The council discussed the state of the abandoned property at 124 N. Wayne St., which was severely damaged when a support beam collapsed, which allowed the second floor of the downtown building to collapse.
While the town had started the legal process to acquire the abandoned building through the Huntington County Commissioners several months ago, ownership has not yet been transferred. As the building shares common walls with two other businesses, the exact state of the interior, and of those walls, needs to be established, but no access is available through the front of the building.
Further discussion will be held concerning the state of the building, date of actual ownership transfer and a plan of action for the cleanup as well as other related matters.
Ordinance 2012-3 was introduced and a public hearing set for Aug. 13. The ordinance would raise water utility rates by 25 percent, which would result in an increase of $4 to $5 per month for an average user.
The council also reviewed Ordinance 2012-5. The ordinance would allow certified notification of existence of a nuisance be issued once annually to a property owner instead of the current requirement that each infraction be considered as a separate event.
A change in state law, which allowed the local policy to be changed, will make the
process of nuisance abatement move more quickly. Adoption will be considered at the next meeting of council.
In other business:
• Utility Manager Curt Day reported that work on Well No. 3 was complete and the public sidewalk project has been completed also.
Discussed was storm damage to the local warning siren system as only two of the seven sirens are functioning. J&K will update the siren system at a cost of approximately $22,000, with the switchover to be done as soon as the equipment is received. A post has been made on local channel 8 notifying residents of the problem and directing that TV stations and home weather monitors be monitored if severe weather is approaching.
• Jimmy Asher, of the Warren Fire Department, verbally addressed the council on the proposed lease with option to purchase agreement with the Huntington County Commissioners regarding Rescue Truck No. 1. Council President Julia Glessner stated that the lease agreement would be forwarded to the town attorney for review as done with all such documents.
