Winona Lake Town Manager Craig Allebach, left, explains the need for a motion to approve the council president and vice president and clerk-treasurer to be signatories for the town’s bank accounts to Council President Rick Swaim and members Jim Lancaster and Austin Reynolds. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WINONA LAKE — With no clerk-treasurer yet in place, the Winona Lake Town Council on Tuesday, Oct. 17, didn’t have any claims to approve at their monthly regular meeting, but they did approve signatories for the town’s bank accounts.

Town Manager Craig Allebach explained to the council, “What we need from the banks is, we need to change the signers on all of the accounts and allow the online access as well. So, basically, they (the banks) want a statement in the minutes to that effect, and then remove anybody from the accounts and add the town council president, and the vice president and the clerk-treasurer. So, at this point, it’s going to be Rick Swaim and Heather James as president and vice president, and then once we have a clerk-treasurer, then that clerk-treasurer” will be added.

By making those positions the signatories, instead of specific persons, he said if there’s any changes to the council president, vice president or clerk-treasurer, then whoever is in those positions still can be a signer.

“As far as I know, we’ve never had town council members on it, but it’s a good practice to have for internal controls,” Allebach said.

Councilman Austin Reynolds made a motion to allow the council president, vice president and clerk-treasurer to be the signatories for banking documentation going forward, with Swaim and James as president and vice president at this point. Councilman Jim Lancaster seconded the motion and it passed 3-0. James and Councilwoman Ashley McGinnis were absent from the meeting.

Later in the meeting during floor topics, resident Jo Faulkner asked if it was not required that there be two or three signatures for any of the town’s accounts, or if there was a threshold where two or three signatures would be required.

Swaim said it was good operating procedure to have that. Allebach said, “Typically, we would like to have two, but we can get by with one. It’s my understanding we have been doing that for a while, but I think previous to that we had two. But we had more signatories on the account than maybe actually signed.”

During a special council meeting Oct. 10 on the 2024 budget, then-Winona Lake Clerk-Treasurer Laurie Renier and two of her three staff members resigned effective immediately due to the treatment Renier said she’s received in the past year from the town and council, among other reasons. The third staff member remains a town employee.

A Republican caucus has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 24 to finish out Renier’s remaining term, which will be about 68 days at that point. James — who defeated Renier in the election this year to become the town’s next clerk-treasurer — is the only person who has filed to run in that caucus as of this week. If the caucus chooses James, she then will have to step down as the town councilwoman for Ward 4 and another Republican caucus will have to be held for the remainder of James’ current term, which could be less than 60 days at that point. Barry Andrew ran unopposed this year for Ward 4, with his term scheduled to begin Jan. 1.

Under “Winona Happenings,” Allebach said Trick-or-Treat on the Trails is from 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 28.

Park Director Holly Hummitch said they will do trick-or-treating and as of Tuesday, they have 26 different groups and organizations signed up. If any group or organization is interested in participating, she said there’s still a few days left to sign up.

From 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 28, at the Winona Lake Limitless Park, “we will partner with Mr. Duane (Herendeen) from the (Warsaw Community Public Library) and the YMCA for games. We’re going to show ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ again this year. Do s’mores. It’s just a lot of fun,” she said.

As part of Trick-or-Treat on the Trails, Hummitch said there will be a pumpkin-decorating contest. Hummitch said all the details can be found on the town’s Facebook page. “But, basically, people can just bring decorated pumpkins for the contest for prizes,” she said.

The Great Pumpkin Race is Oct. 28, with the pumpkin drop at 5:30 p.m. The cost is $5 per pumpkin or three for $10. Online sales close at midnight Oct. 27 and can be purchased at www.winonalake.net/parks-department. The top 10 pumpkins in the pumpkin race down Cherry Creek win a prize.

Trick-or-treating in Winona Lake will be 5:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31, Allebach said.

Hummitch later added that KrinkleFest will be Dec. 2, with more details to come.

In other business, the council:

•  Approved a change order for the Argonne Road roundabout. Allebach said there’s no cost associated with the change order, it’s just for an extension of the time to put the landscaping in.
• Approved the annual Cloud-based software contract renewal with SeeClickFix for $5,376.17. The software is used internally by the town and online for work orders.
• Heard from town engineer Aaron Carl that the trail project is wrapping up and everything should be seeded yet this year. There’s a little work to do with concrete and paving yet to do, but then the fine grading and seeding will take place.
• Heard from Fire Chief Kevin Gelbaugh that the fire department had 22 runs in the past month.

Fire Prevention Week has been kicked off so people should remember to change their smoke detector batteries, check their furnaces and clean them out, as well as change the batteries out for carbon monoxide detectors.

Gelbaugh reported the new thermal imagers are in, and he will plan to bring one to the next council meeting as well as an old one to show the council the differences.

On the new fire engine, he said delivery has been kicked back and they’ve been told it could possibly be the middle of next year but the company wasn’t providing dates.

“They’re telling people that they’re getting them done when they can get them to you,” he said.

It’s been a year since the fire engine was ordered. Gelbaugh said it was supposed to have been delivered this December, but “they’re telling us there’s no way.”