Tippecanoe Township has agreed to purchase the building located at 214 N. Main St., North Webster. Located to the north of the Tippecanoe Township Fire Territory station, the former theater most recently was home to The Rustic Mermaid retail store. InkFreeNews photos by Keith Knepp.

By Keith Knepp
InkFreeNews

NORTH WEBSTER — During Tuesday night’s meeting of the Tippecanoe Township Fire Territory Advisory Board, Township Trustee Chris Francis provided an update on the township’s ongoing efforts to purchase the former theater to the north of the Tippecanoe Township Fire Territory Station on North Main Street in North Webster.

Once acquired, the township plans to demolish the property, located at 214 N. Main St., as its present condition has been deemed unrepairable. The building most recently housed The Rustic Mermaid retail store.

Francis said he has acquired two appraisals on the property, which were in the range of the agreed-upon purchase price of $50,000. He said the purchase agreement is in hand and only requires the signature of the seller before it can be taken to the title company for transfer.

In other business:

• The board received an update from Tippecanoe Township Fire Territory Fire Chief Jeremy Likens on the department joining the 77 PERF plan. The plan would provide department members with a more comprehensive retirement benefit plan. Additionally, it would make TTFT a more desirable destination for employees of other jurisdictions that utilize 77 PERF, as the plan is directly transferrable.
• The fire territory continued its ongoing discussion of a new well to benefit the department. The size of the well will depend on the viability of the new location.
• Likens informed the advisory board that TTFT performed 61 EMS runs, 35 fire runs and four contracted runs into Noble County during the month of June.
• The 2023 budget meeting for TTFT will take place at 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4.
• Jonna Stamm was sworn in as a full-time employee of TTFT. Stamm recently completed her six-month probationary period.
• Firefighter/EMT Adam Doyle was approved to take part in swift water rescue training in September. The cost for equipment and the class is approximately $2,000 and will be paid for through the territory’s training budget.

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  Tippecanoe Township Trustee Chris Francis, left, swore in Jonna Stamm as the Tippecanoe Township Fire Territory’s newest employee.