Winona Lake Town Board members listen to a report from Town Coordinator Craig Allebach.

WINONA LAKE — The town of Winona Lake is focusing on the future and took a first step toward planning for the years to come at its regular board meeting Tuesday night, Feb. 20.

The board approved a recommendation from Town Coordinator Craig Allebach to hire a firm to draft a comprehensive plan and not only got a bargain in the process but ensured that the planners are experienced in these types of documents for municipalities.

“We’ve been looking at developing a comprehensive plan that originally came up with our Stellar designation when we applied with Warsaw,” said Allebach, referring to the 2016 partnering with Warsaw to seek Stellar Community status. “Warsaw achieved the status. We did not have a good one (comprehensive plan) so we decided that we would seek out proposals for a comprehensive plan for the community,” Allebach continued. “We found out that MACOG, which is the Michiana Area Council of Governments, does comprehensive plans and they are a little less expensive than others and their proposal was to provide for a comprehensive plan not to exceed $25,000.”

Winona Lake Town Coordinator Craig Allebach.

Allebach told the board that other bids to draft up the plan ranged from $50,000 to as high as $150,000. He added that MACOG also helped Winona Lake in the past with grant proposals and also helped such neighboring communities as Argos and Bourbon.

“We’ve had a good relationship with MACOG,” he said. “It will be a rather lengthy process. I think it will probably take the better part of the next year or so.”

Allebach also told the board that Winona Lake could take another shot at trying for a Stellar Communities designation. He said Winona Lake was “ahead of our time,” when it previously partnered with Warsaw. He said the program is now encouraging would-be communities to apply for the designation as part of a tandem.

In other business, the board:

• Heard a report on Winona Happenings, which included upcoming events such as the 4-Leaf Clover 10K March 11, Summer Camp Fair at the YMCA March 17, World Compassion Network 5K at the park March 24 and an Easter egg hunt at the park March 31.
• Heard a report on the town’s copier, which needs replaced, according to Board President Bruce Shaffner.
• Heard a report from the town’s street superintendent that crews have been having issues with improperly disposed of items creating problems with the town’s sanitary sewer system.