WINONA LAKE — After 40 years of service in law enforcement for the Warsaw and Winona Lake communities, Paul Schmitt, Winona Lake town marshal, will retire effective April 1.

The announcement came during the Winona Lake Town Council monthly meeting. Schmitt served for 30 years with Warsaw Police Department before becoming a member of the Winona Lake Police force.

“I can’t thank Warsaw and Winona Lake enough for the chance to serve the community. It has been a privilege to be able to have done that,” stated Schmitt.

Schmitt plans to continue working on a seasonal basis while spending more time with his family. He is the father of four children and a proud grandfather to 15 grandkids.

Several Winona Lake council members offered a warm thank you to Schmitt for his service, commending him for a a job well done in the Winona Lake community.

Town Coordinator Craig Allebach noted in the coming days the town will likely begin the process of seeking a new Marshal for the WLPD. Allebach stated he hoped to have a decision by the next meeting of the town council on March 15.

In other business, Allebach gave an update on the condition of the Winona Lake Senior Center. On March 31, 2015, a visual, non-invasive, accessible inspection was performed in the crawl space of the center by Calvin Bolt. Allebach noted the survey was completed after numerous issues with moisture caused bowing floor boards, foul odors and overall decay of the structure. Though the town has attempted to reduce the moisture buildup, Allebach noted efforts have only slowed the issue, not fixed it.

The crawl space is approximately 5,500 square feet. Allebach notes the space is very tight and “nasty,” with much of the area difficult to maneuver through. Insulation from the floor has fallen down throughout much of the area or is gone entirely. Most of the floor joists and subflooring in the three-center crawl spaces under the main large room floor above has been replaced with treated floor joists and plywood and these areas have not been insulated.

According to the survey done by Bolt, the problems found in the crawl space span from fallen insulation, leaking plumbing, inaccessibility to rotting food and even animals below the structure.

Photos provided of the fallen insulation, decay and waste underneath the Winona Lake Senior Center.

Allebach noted he sought bids from three different area contractors, however no contractor responded to the request except Bolt. He noted this was likely in part that the contractors were busy as well as the nature of the job being unpleasant. Bolt quoted the project at $16,483.95, which Allebach noted he believed to be a fair price for the job. The council approved the bid with the aim of completing the project before weather began to warm up and the park reopened to the public.

Other business included the approval of town board positions for the Winona Lake Art Committee and Town Planing Commission. The board approved Bill Zimmer to be added on the plan commission. Terry White, Al Disbro, Amanda Banks, Joy Lohse, Martha Beeson, Retha Hicks and Rick Swaim were approved for the art committee.