WARSAW — To complete the 2015 election process members of the Warsaw Common Council, mayor and clerk-treasurer were sworn in at the first meeting of the council Monday evening, Jan. 4. City attorney Mike Valentine administered the oath of office to each elected official. Failure to administer the oath of office by the end of January would void the election results. Mayor Joe Thallemer and Lynne Christiansen were sworn in for their second terms in office. Council members were sworn in individually based on their years on the board: Jeff Grose, fifth term; Diane Quance, second term and two months; Mike Klondaris, Cindy Dobbins and Jerry Frush, second terms; Ron Shoemaker, first term and two months, and newest board member, Jack Wilhite, starting his first term. (See individual oaths of office photos at the bottom of the article)

Thallemer remarked about the time the council members have given. “It is not easy to make decisions that are not popular,” he said, expressing his gratitude for their willingness to make important decisions and the giving of their time. He announced the first project of the council will be taking a look at the city’s strategic planning that was initiated four years ago.

The board will meet in a work session, open to the public, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13. Jeremy Skinner, city planner, and Tim Dombrosky, assistant planner, will put together documentation to present to the board utilizing the current strategic plan as a template. “We will go over the accomplishments and what we want to accomplish,” stated Skinner.

Thallmer noted this will be a working session for council members to look at the plan, suggest new plans and adjust existing plans for the next four years. “This is a relevant document,” said Thallemer, noting it sets out a lot of goals for the city. He did note some of the visions set four years ago may not be applicable due to changes in legislation. One such vision is annexation rules.

During other board action, Mike Klondaris was elected president of the council. Quance, who has served as president, thanked council members for the experience. “I enjoyed it very much,” she said, noting it was a good experience and is willingly relinquishing the position. “It is good to move around the experience.”

Dobbins announced that one of the two pop up shops during the holiday season will remain in the downtown area. The holiday pop up shops was a program of the Warsaw Community Development Council. The WCDC is considering offering summer pop up opportunities if local building owners agree to participate. Elysian Company, will remain at 110 Center St., in the former Meridian Title Building.

The board approved its first resolution of the year, transferring $150,000 from the general fund to the general bond fund. This is a yearly process due to the timing of the bond payment and receipt of tax revenue.

The next meeting of the council will be moved to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, due to Martin Luther King Day. The time was also changed to allow adequate travel time for several council members to participate in the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Boot Camp.