The members of Meet Milford presented the Milford Town Council with a check for $3,246.75 at the Monday, Dec. 11, meeting. Funds were given by the council earlier this year to pay for a town Christmas tree, which Meet Milford then reimbursed. From left are Karina Wilkinson, Angie Deak, Tricia Gall, Sierra Clark-Kern, Doug Ruch, Bob Cockburn and Ken Long. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

MILFORD — Scott Gingerich and Dan Brown were appointed to the newly created Milford Economic Development Commission at the monthly Milford Town Council meeting, Monday, Dec. 11.

Gingerich is the council’s appointment to the commission and Brown is the council president’s appointment. One other person will be appointed Thursday, Dec. 14, by the Kosciusko County Council to the three-member board.

The commission is being formed to handle disbursement of funds from the towns TIF District 2 if development of property on the northeast corner of CR 1300N and Old SR 15 comes to fruition by BRTB.

Numerous items of business were handled by the town council, including approval of the rezoning of 7.16 acres from agriculture and commercial to an industrial II district by Ron Baumgartner. Baumgartner had received approval by the county’s area plan commission at its Dec. 6 meeting.

Baumgartner, owner of The Papers Inc., Milford, made the request to conform the property to what it should be. The property is located on the south side of First Street, where one of the company’s buildings in located. A cornfield is located to the east.

Neighboring property owner Dawn Engleberth, who remonstrated against the rezoning at the county level, also remonstrated against it at the town council meeting.

Matt Sandy, plan commission director, presented the request and gave an overview of the industrial 2 zoning requirements. He noted the property was nonconforming to its use.

Engleberth voiced concerns over noise and activity the rezoning could allow, yet noted Baumgartner has been a great neighbor. Her concern focused on should Baumgartner no longer own the property. She hoped the council would approve a variance and not change the zoning. Tricia Gall, a neighbor, stated her husband Brandon, looked up the noise regulations and they both felt comfortable with the request. She also noted what a great neighbor Baumgartner has been.

There was some discussion, led by council member Ken Long, such as future plans for the property and if it would continued to be farmed.

Baumgartner stated he has no plans to sell the property for it to become something else and farming would continue. He alluded to the fact should the property be sold, he hopes it would remain a printing and publishing business.

Sandy did state should there be any changes to the property’s use, a petition would need to be filed and the town would be made aware of the changes.

Additionally, Sandy touched on some violations in the North Park subdivision off Syracuse Street. He noted some fences have been placed on the easements and other violations discovered. The planning office is working on remedying those violations.

During this discussion it was noted the town recently attempted to run a camera through the storm sewer system, which found blockage. It is unknown what is blocking the system.

Later in the meeting the council approved hiring R&R Visual to use a machine to clean and camera the line at a cost of $295 per hour for a maximum of eight hours, to discover the problem. The cost is not to exceed $3,000. This approval came after a discussion of whether to install a new storm sewer line or have further cleaning and camera imaging of the line.

The council was presented a check from Meet Milford in the amount of $3,246.75 to cover the cost of the garland Christmas Tree purchased by the town. The town had agreed to initially pay for the tree with Meet Milford reimbursing the town once funds were raised by the organization.

During department reports:

• Milford Police Chief Derek Kreider announced the receipt of a $93,140.93 grant from the Indiana Department of Justice and Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to hire an additional officer. This one-year grant can be applied for each year up to five years. Each year the grant amount’s matching funds will be reduced. The first and second year provide 100% funding, with the town’s responsibility in the following years going from 25% matching funds up to 75% the fifth year. Officer Ben Sanders explained the grant to the council members.

• Various grants available to police departments were noted by Kreider when he addressed his grant objectives goals for 2024. He will be presenting future grant requests.

• Council members approved the purchase of a 2013 ¾ ton Chevrolet with a V-plow at a cost of $27,000 to replace the town’s 1999 truck. The new purchase has around 120,000 miles.

• Heard a request from Utilities Superintendent Steve Marquart asking residents to remove cars off town streets during snow events allowing the town to plow and salt. He also stated leaf season is now over and should residents have any leaves needing removed, to bag or box the leaves in containers not heavier than one person can pick up.

• Virgil Sharp, fire chief, updated the council on the cost of a new town pumper. The latest quote is for $748,000 with a 5% increase expected after the new year. While there are no funds in the town’s budget for the truck, means to finance such purchase is being investigated.

• Brian Haines, assistant fire chief, reported the testing of the town’s two new emergency weather sirens was successful with the siren at the fire station also being activated. There will be a test of the sirens the first Thursday of each month.

• The council approved the $6,000 purchase of a battery operated floor cleaner for the fire station. The department installed new flooring at a cost of approximately $25,000 from community donations and has the desire to keep the floor in good shape.

• Council members approved the 2024 meeting dates, which will be at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month, except for October and November. Those meetings will be held the Tuesday after the second Monday, due to Columbus and Veterans days.

• Contracts were renewed with Boyce Software, used by the clerk’s office and Kosciusko County for terminal services. A three-month contract was extended with Sweetheimer, Pierceton, on trash pickup for town residents. The current bid expires at the end of 2023, however, documents were not prepared in time to seek bids for 2024.

• Gall, clerk-treasurer, announced the clerk’s office and the town hall will be closed from Monday, Dec. 25 through Tuesday, Jan. 2.

The council announced it will have its year-end meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28.