The site of the planned roundabout at Argonne Road, Park Avenue, Kings Highway and Winona Avenue on the edge of Winona Lake as shown on Wednesday afternoon, May 18. NIPSCO is currently doing preparation work for the project and should have Argonne Road opened up again by Friday, May 20, said Winona Lake Town Manager Craig Allebach at the Winona Lake Town Council meeting on Tuesday, May 17. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WINONA LAKE — The Winona Lake Town Council has approved spending additional funds for a roundabout.

That approval was made at its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 17. The funds are for the roundabout to be constructed at Park Avenue, Kings Highway, Argonne Road and Winona Avenue.

Winona Lake Town Manager Craig Allebach explained that the additional appropriation Tuesday was due to construction costs of the roundabout going up.

The project was originally bid in January, but had to be rebid in April due to there being only one high bid. The state awarded the bid in April to Phend & Brown at a total cost of $2,989,989 even though it almost didn’t award a bid again.

“It was already high enough that we couldn’t afford it and then it got even higher, so between January and April, our share, our 20% went up $80,000,” said Allebach.

The Indiana Department of Transportation is covering the remaining 80% construction cost, with Allebach noting that obviously the state is paying more now too.

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds Winona Lake received from the federal government are helping the town cover the difference in cost for its 20%. The town’s total 20% share of the project is close to $600,000.

Regarding preparation work being done by NIPSCO at the roundabout site, NIPSCO said Argonne Road should open up back again in that area by Friday, May 20, said Allebach.

Work on the actual roundabout is tentatively to start after July 4, with construction planned to continue for five months and then cease and finish up early next year, he added.

During the official roundabout work, there will still be some traffic flow at the site, and work should be done at the site from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., said Allebach.

Animal Welfare League

The council also heard a presentation on the Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County from the president of its Board of Directors John Lantz.

Lantz was joined at the meeting by John Hall, who also serves on the board.

The council watched a video on the league before Lantz spoke. He said the league was traveling around to various government meetings to just update leaders on it.

Lantz said the league plans to be at the town’s Family Festival later in the summer with an information booth.

He thanked the town for its support of the league.

He mentioned the league’s program where children can read to animals and said AWL Executive Director Tonya Blanchard is to put out a Snoopy book box by the league, so children nearby can have access to books.

The league has low-cost drive-thru microchipping clinics and is working to renovate a building on its property exclusively for cats to stay.

In other business, the council:

• Approved purchasing security cameras for the street department’s building at a cost of $16,896 from Wireless Networking Solutions.
• Approving allowing Town Clerk-Treasurer Laurie Renier to attend the Indiana League of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers conference June 12-16.
• Heard from Allebach that the town’s new online payment system Invoice Cloud went live on Monday, May 16.
• Heard that The Village at Winona’s Village Art Fair is to be Saturday, June 4, and Sunday, June 5. More information on that may be found by clicking here.
• Heard a reminder from Allebach that the public campaign to raise funds for the Miller Sunset Pavilion, which will contain the ice rink, has started. People may give by visiting Patronicity or www.millersunsetpavilion.com. If people give $250 or more, they can have a personalized brick put out at the site.
• Heard from Winona Lake Park Department Director Holly Hummitch that Winona Lake Limitless Park’s ADA kayak/canoe launch project is fully funded thanks in part to two grants it received recently, including one from the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club. A ribbon-cutting for the launch is set for Thursday, June 30.
• Heard from Hummitch that $27,000 has been raised in private donations to help finish WLLP in addition to several grants being received.

The council’s next meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, at Winona Lake Town Hall.

Boy Scout Troop 715 led the Pledge of Allegiance at the Winona Lake Town Council meeting Tuesday. Scouts also came to the meeting as part of working on a merit badge. The troop is led by Richard McCleary with Winona Lake Police Chief Joe Hawn also assisting with it. From left: Front — Andrew Ybarra, Ryne Trump, Nicolas Balbuena-Kline and Wyatt Trump; back — McCleary, Jeremiah Lee, Aaron Herrera, Frida Herrera, Hawn and Winona Lake Town Manager Craig Allebach.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Allebach shows off an example of a brick that people can have personalized if they give at least $250 to fund the Miller Sunset Pavilion, which will contain Winona Lake’s ice rink. The bricks will be put at the pavilion.