Beaman Home Interim Executive Director April Slone speaks to the Warsaw Common Council on Tuesday about the shelter’s roofing project. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — With less than $30,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds remaining, the Warsaw Common Council unanimously voted Tuesday, Sept. 3, to commit it to the roof project at the Beaman Home.

April Slone, interim Beaman Home executive director, went before the council to request the ARPA funds.
Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins said, “Just to kind of clarify, we kind of got a little slow start on this because there’s a little change in organization there, so I’ve been working with April on this.”

Dobbins said a couple months ago, the total cost of the roof project was somewhere in the neighborhood of $86,000, which was more than the city has left in ARPA funds. She estimated the city has $25,529 left, but Beaman Home does have funding from an Emergency Shelter grant and an Indiana Criminal Justice Institute grant.

“So, I think you feel like you can cover the rest of the cost on that?” Dobbins asked, and Slone said yes.

There was slight discrepancy about exactly how much ARPA funds the city had left, but Councilwoman Diane Quance suggested that when they approve a motion they make a motion for the remainder of the city’s ARPA funds, not to exceed $30,000.

Councilman Mike Klondaris asked, once the council commits the money, did they have a commitment from the Beaman Home the roof project was actually going to happen.

Slone said the project already has been approved by the Beaman Home Board of Directors.

“This is for the roof at the shelter, so our whole foundation of our program is the shelter, so we have to go forward and the board’s already approved it,” she said, adding they already have the rest of the funds for the roof project.

Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen asked about the timeline for the project. Slone said she believed it’s supposed to start in November. Grose said the application lists the project as starting and finishing in November. Christiansen said the ARPA funds have to be committed by the end of the year.

Quance made a motion to commit the rest of the ARPA funds to the Beaman Home project, not to exceed $30,000. Councilman Josh Finch seconded the motion and it passed 7-0.

The council also unanimously voted to approve a resolution rejecting the establishment of a merit system for the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory.

The resolution was first presented to the council at their Aug. 5 meeting, but tabled to Tuesday in order to give firefighters more time to have their questions about a merit system answered. Even with the council rejecting the merit system, sworn full-time firefighters could still vote to have it.

Warsaw Human Resource Director Denny Harlan reminded the council Tuesday the resolution was brought up because the Indiana legislature passed House Enrolled Act 1016, which “now requires us to decline a merit commission or automatically have one come Jan. 1 of ’25.”

Warsaw Human Resource Director Denny Harlan, left, and Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory Chief Joel Shilling, right, attend the Warsaw Common Council meeting on Tuesday in regards to the merit board system resolution. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

He said since the Aug. 5 council meeting, he’s only had one firefighter come to him to ask one question, which he got answered for him. He hasn’t heard anything else from the fire department regarding the merit system.

“I believe now, if we can go ahead and pass the resolution, they have time to do their meeting before they have a vote on it, if you so choose to decline tonight,” Harlan said.

At the Aug. 5 meeting, firefighter Drew Shilling, who is also the vice president of Warsaw Professional Fire Fighters Union Local 5461, asked the city council to delay their vote on the resolution by at least two weeks. They had set up a presentation by the Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana, but the earliest that meeting could be scheduled was Oct. 14-15. The firefighters have 60 days from after when the city council makes their decision to vote on the merit system.

Mayor Jeff Grose thanked Fire Chief Joel Shilling for attending Tuesday’s meeting.

“I know you’ve stated your position in favor of declining the merit system,” Grose said.

Harlan said he and Chief Shilling have not changed their minds that the merit system was not the right thing for the department.

Council President Jack Wilhite asked if the merit system has to be revisited at any time. Harlan said after one year if it’s declined, one of the two parties — firefighters or council — can vote to bring it up again for review. If the merit system is formed, it automatically has to be reviewed in five years.

“But this is something that can be looked at every 12 months, so if circumstances change then – it’s not something that we say ‘no’ now and it’s ‘no’ forever,” Harlan said.

Wilhite made the motion to approve the resolution rejecting the merit system, Dobbins seconded the motion and it passed 7-0.

Currently, fire territory matters are taken to the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety and the fire territory board. A safety board has three members; follows statutory procedures concerning hiring, promotions and discipline; allows the chief to have the flexibility of running the hiring process; promotions are based on the recommendation of the chief; and the board oversees disciplinary actions in excess of 40 hours. The chief has the authority to suspend a firefighter without pay for up to 40 hours.

A merit commission has five members, with two appointed by the mayor, one by the city council and two by the fire department. Each of the two appointed by the mayor and by the fire department can’t be of the same political party. The merit commission must adopt regulations governing hiring, promotions and disciplinary procedures. They’re required to maintain a hiring list at all times, and the list is good for two years. All promotions must be from next to lower rank, and members must have held that rank for a period determined by the commission and its rules. They also oversee disciplinary actions in excess of 40 hours.

In other business, the council approved:

• The amendments to the memorandum of understanding with LaunchPad for ARPA funds, as Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rob Parker requested at the council’s last meeting. The Board of Public Works and Safety has to approve the MOU itself.

• On first and second reading an ordinance updating traffic signs throughout the city, which the Warsaw Traffic Commission also approved at their last meeting.