NORTH WEBSTER — A concerned citizen approached North Webster Town Council about the appearance of some of the town’s dwellings at the council’s meeting Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the North Webster Community Center. The topic seems to be a theme among area towns as both Milford and Syracuse have had ongoing complaints about dwellings having too much trash and abandoned vehicles around them.

Larry Kinsey started by complimenting the council and staff for the jobs they do and then asked if there was any way to create some new ordinances to put some teeth into some of the properties that are not as neat and tidy as most of the town’s residences. “We are a tourist haven and anything that you could do to change things in the future would be appreciated,” he noted.

The problem seems to be what is trash to some are treasures to others. Council President Jon Sroufe explained, “Current ordinances deal with grass, weeds and rubbish.” After more discussion with council members Lisa Strombeck and David Waliczek, Sroufe instructed Town Attorney Jack Birch to look into the matter. “Get creative,” he instructed.

Council approved payments for work done on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management required updates to the town’s sewer system and treatment plant. Selge Construction, Granger, was paid $59,642 while Crosby Construction, Fort Wayne, received $165,543. Sroufe reported negotiations with Crosby about the tabled payment of $21,782 were not fruitful and council approved payment of that amount for repairs to a 10-inch leaking pipe at the treatment plant.

Jane Elder reported for Severn Trent Utilities Manager Mike Noe. The sewer lift station near The Lodge Motel was without power. NIPSCO had to be called in to restore it. Elder was told to be sure the town streets were returned to their original condition by the sewage system contractors.

North Webster Police Department answered 195 calls of service in September with the most being citizen assists. Officers put in 591 hours, drove 3,246 miles and used 295.4 gallons of fuel. Officer Candice Smythe represented the department.

The next meeting of the North Webster Town Council will be 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the North Webster Community Center, 301 N. Main St.