Officer Ben Sanders, right, and Marshal Derek Kreider of the Milford Police Department attended Milford Town Council’s year-end meeting Thursday, Dec. 28, where Sanders was appointed as a full-time officer with the Justice Assistance grant the department was awarded this year. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

MILFORD — Milford Town Council’s year-end meeting Thursday, Dec. 28, began with a new appointment to the Milford Police Department. Officer Ben Sanders, who was first sworn in as a part-time officer at the council’s August meeting, was appointed to full-time with the help of the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance grant.

Marshal Derek Kreider received the council’s permission to apply for the grant earlier this year. If reapplied for each year for up to five years, it will fund 100% of Sanders’ salary, equipment and training expenses for the first two years of full-time service. The town’s responsibility in the each of the following years will go from 25% matching funds up to 75% matching funds the fifth year.

The council also approved the 2024 appointment ordinance for other town positions. Doug Ruch and Ken Long are to remain as town council president and vice president respectively, but long-time council member Dr. Robert Cockburn is now officially resigned following the year-end meeting.

The appointment ordinance also notably included the new economic development commission recently formed to monitor the disbursement of funds for property development in Milford’s TIF 2 district. Scott Gingerich and Dan Brown were appointed by the council and council president respectively at the Dec. 11 meeting. Since then, Kimberly Cates has also been appointed to the commission by the Kosciusko County Council.

The 2024 salary ordinance was approved. According to Clerk-Treasurer Tricia Gall, salaries for town employees will have an increase of roughly 4% across the board for next year. However, there will be no increase for town council members, who receive a total of $4,867.20 in quarterly payments each year, or for the two new maintenance workers hired in November.

Gall also announced a request that will be heard by the Board of Zoning Appeals at a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 9. The request is to allow a carport to remain at 4 feet to the east property line and 9 feet, 6 inches to the road right of way at 324 E. Syracuse St. Long stated he was against approving the request because, “It violates the county ordinances. Once you allow one person, it snowballs.”

No consensus on whether to object to the request was reached, so the council decided to table the discussion for their next meeting before giving their opinion to the BZA.

In other business, the council:

• Signed an annual nepotism certification, stating that they had not violated the town of Milford’s nepotism policy in their hiring practices.

• Signed the annual conflict disclosure certification.

• Approved paying annual dues to Accelerate Indiana Municipalities, or AIM, at a cost of $1,779. This is up $52 from last year.

• Agreed to a request from maintenance superintendent Steven Marquart to cover costs after insurance for new town employees who want to receive hepatitis shots.

The next public town council meeting will be Monday, Jan. 8.