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Andrews Town Council reviews 2018 budget, rules on house demo

The Andrews Town Council reviewed the town’s proposed budget for 2018 during a public hearing at its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10.

The budget comes out to $912,066. The maximum estimated funds to be raised are $348,736.

The public can view the budget by going online to budgetnotices.in.gov or by visiting town hall at 66 N. Main St.

A vote on the budget’s adoption will be taken at council’s next meeting, Oct. 23.

The board voted to demolish the house at 423 N. Market St. Marla Stambazze, with Huntington Countywide Department of Community Development, recommended that council do so, deeming the house structurally unsound. She noted that neither the property’s original owner, nor the buyer who purchased the property via tax sale, had any interest in preserving the house.

Stambazze will solicit demolition bids and present them to the board at its meeting on Nov. 13. She estimated the cost would range from $5,000 to $6,000.

Council voted to file a CEDIT plan with the Huntington County auditor’s office. That document details how the board intends to spend CEDIT monies to improve the town.

Council President Bill Johnson stated that the plan would be useful to the town when it pursues grants. Johnson noted that lending entities have examined the town’s fund balances and inquired why it needed a grant when it has CEDIT monies available. The plan, Johnson says, will illustrate how those funds are already committed to other projects.

In other business:

• The board passed Ordinance 2017-14, which establishes a $50 fee for water reconnection and account reactivation for snowbird residents when they return to town from warmer locales. Such residents will not be on the hook for any utility fees during their trips.

• Johnson noted that the utility department would be picking up leaves from residents during the last two weeks of the month.

• The Andrews Summer Festival Committee is holding a beef/chicken and noodle dinner on Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Andrews fire station from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. There is a fee to attend the dinner. All proceeds will go toward the Andrews Summer Festival and keeping its children’s activities free.