Winona Lake Reviewing Skateboard Restrictions
At the Winona Lake Town Council meeting Tuesday night, there was discussion about drafting an ordinance restricting skateboarding on some streets in Winona Lake. “It’s a huge safety issue,” said town marshall Paul Schmitt. “It’s a problem in the streets, and that’s where we want to restrict the skateboarding.”
Currently there are several hills in the Village at Winona where the council is particularly concerned about skateboarders in the street. Council member Terry Howie suggested restricting just the problem areas. Town coordinator Craig Allebach was concerned about skateboarders falling off their boards and loose boards posing a problem.
Furthermore, skateboarders obstructing traffic are committing a Class B misdemeanor, which is an arrestable offense. The council also worried that both skateboards and two-wheeled scooters could be problematic in the Village during busy times, such as weekends and festivals.
Ultimately, no ordinance was drafted during the meeting. Council members were encouraged to think about what they would like to see, and an ordinance could be drafted as soon as next month. Any citizens of Winona Lake who want to weigh in on the ordinance should contact their council representative.
Some road work was addressed at the meeting. First, the council approved a bid of $52,900 by Niblock Excavating to mill and resurface streets on the island in Winona Lake. The resurfacing project is expect to be done by May 12, and Allebach said there was a chance that TIF funds could be used to fund the project.
Town engineer Larry Long also announced that he met with Grace College about a milling and resurfacing project on Seventh Street from Chestnut Street to King’s Highway. The project would resurface the road and build a new curb and sidewalk along the road.
Cost of the project would be split between the town of Winona Lake and Grace College. Also, there is a possibility that TIF funds could also be used for this project.
Additionally, the council approved a motion allowing street superintendent Pete O’Connell to spend up to $9,000 on a new mower. O’Connell also announced that the leaf machine would be picking up leaves from April 17 to May 2.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Ward 1 council member Phillip Hood announced his resignation. Hood said he was resigning because he was relocating to Florida for a job opportunity. A Republican Caucus will be held next month to fill the remainder of Hood’s term. (See related)