City Planner Jeremy Skinner presented the tax abatement to the council.

WARSAW — Patrick Industries, Inc., out of Elkhart, a major RV and industrial component manufacturer and distributer, looks to be expanding to Warsaw’s technology park.

City Planner Jeremy Skinner presented the Warsaw Common Council, at their Oct. 2 meeting, with a letter asking the council to grant a personal property tax abatement on new manufacturing, logistics and IT equipment that will be placed within a shell manufacturing building located within the industrial park at 1445 Polk Drive.

Josh Boone, CFO of Patrick Industries, was present to answer any of the board’s questions. The company is looking to expend $3,140,000 on new equipment and hire approximately 100 new employees. Boone stated the facility will be producing fiberglass products, including fiberglass showers and tubs and front and rear caps for the RV industry.

“We’re excited, obviously, to occupy the shell building and to continue to make improvements to our technology park,” said Skinner. Skinner recommended the council grant the abatement; it was approved unanimously.

Patrick was founded in 1959 and operates over 80 manufacturing and distribution facilities located in 19 states. They are headquartered in Elkhart.

The estimated completion date, as listed on the abatement application, is March 31, 2019.

In other business:

• Randy Rompola with Barnes & Thornburg LLP presented ordinance 2017-10-08, Sewage Works Bond Ordinance, for its first reading. This bond, along with the new wastewater rates, are supporting the replacement of 75,000 feet of failing infrastructure. The first reading was approved.
• Brian Pozen with the city wastewater asked ordinance 2017-10-03 be tabled until the first meeting in November.
• City Planner Jeremy Skinner presented changes to the sexually oriented business ordinance, which increased the distance a sexually oriented business can be from a church, school, public park and daycare to 1000 feet and limited operating hours until midnight. This was the first reading of the amended ordinance and there was no public comment. The ordinance was approved.
• Council member Mike Klondaris presented $24,000 in reductions to non-profit contracts. Those affected include senior services, cut from $20,000 to $17,500; CCAC, which was reduced from $31,000 to $25,000 with a proposal from council member Jerry Frush to decrease it to $20,000; Lilly Center for Lake and Streams was denied their increase and will remain at $15,000; and Beaman Home which was reduced from $15,000 to $5,000. Non-profits will be invited to the next reading at the council meeting on Oct. 16.
• Ordinance 2017-10-02, Setting Appropriations and Tax Rates for 2018 Budget, was approved unanimously.
• Skinner presented Resolution 2017-10-01 to designate a portion of Market Street as an economic revitalization area. The redevelopment commission had revisited the idea of a senior housing project earlier in the evening.
• As part of the 2018 general salary ordinance, city treasurer Lynne Christiansen asked the board for a 7 percent increase for her employees. The board approved a 5 percent increase.
• The 2018 general fire salary ordinance was approved.