MILFORD — Milford’s town council made progress on its commitment to clean up unsafe buildings at its monthly public meeting Monday evening, Sept. 14.

Building Inspector Ken Brower presented the council with a list of 16 properties deemed unsafe. Of those, Brower believed two should be removed due to the efforts of the owners. As for the remaining 14, Brower stated, “We need to issue notices with specific items to be corrected.”

The council and Brower agreed the notices should give owners 60 days to correct violations, especially given the fact many have been in violation for several years.

Members of the community were on hand to voice their concerns about the properties. A former Milford resident who has recently moved back to town said, “It’s in a terrible state compared to what it was 18 years ago.”

One remaining hurdle is Milford’s current lack of a building inspector. The council intends to have one in place when and if hearings are necessary.

Lisa Frazzetta-Manning of Frazetta Financial Services was also present Monday to inform the council it can expect an increase in health insurance costs. The October renewal offered by United Health Care will likely cost $10,300.30 per month, up from $9,214.

Frazzetta-Manning told the council “I want to keep it a PPO.” The alternatives would not allow town employees benefits for out of network medical care. She will present the council with a final proposal in October.

The council passed a motion to draft a letter to Lutheran Ambulance Service concerning the lack of an ambulance in Milford. The letter will ask a representative from Lutheran to be present at October’s meeting. One citizen present described holding a man’s head for 20 minutes waiting for an ambulance to come from Warsaw.

During a public hearing on the 2016 proposed budget Councilman Doug Ruch expressed concern about the county’s budget going over by $990,000 when Milford made significant cuts. “Somebody has our money,” Ruch said.

The council discussed with members of the public utility bills left unpaid by renters. A property owner expressed dissatisfaction with the town’s handling of the bills, often left for the landlord to pay. The town will try to achieve more timely collection from renters as well as disconnection of service for unpaid bills.

In police reports, Town Marshal Rich Miotto reported the department received a $3,417.44 grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance for new ballistic vests.

A public complaint form is also now available at town hall.

During utilities reports, the council passed a motion to supply Sweetheimers dumpsters to Milford’s fall clean-up at $400 per dumpster. The company accepts everything except tires and wet paint and recycles the dumpsters’ contents. The clean up days are Sept. 24-26.

Other motions passed allowed the expenditure of $930 for six new tires on the 1999 dump truck and $400 of boat ramp money to help with the restocking of fish in Waubee Lake.

Utilities Superintendent Randy Veach also presented the 2015 consumer confidence report for Milford’s drinking water quality. There were two violations received due to not taking samples at two different locations, which Veach said have been addressed.

Finally, Milford has a new website at milford-indiana.org. Council member Dan Cochran encouraged people to make comments.