Donny Ritsema of the Michiana Area Council of Governments explains the terms of the HELP grant that Milford’s town council will pursue to offset the cost of replacing the town’s water meters. Replacing the meters will help the town get more accurate readings on usage and support better billing of the water system. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

By Lilli Dwyer
InkFree News

MILFORD — The Milford Town Council decided at their Monday, Jan. 8, meeting to officially apply for a H.E.L.P. grant to offset the cost of replacing the town’s water meters. Water meter replacement is one of the highest priority projects recommended in the master utilities study done by Commonwealth Engineers last year.

In a public hearing, Donny Ritsema of the Michiana Area Council of Governments, or MACOG, stated the H.E.L.P. construction grant will pay part of purchase and installation costs for new water meters for every home in Milford’s service area.

“The construction grant will support the town to better report usage and billing of the water system. It will help the town assess the current usage better and enhance the town’s long-term financial sustainability by having a more improved revenue source, that being the billing of the utility system,” Ritsema explained.

The total cost for the project is estimated at $427,328. Milford will request the grant cover $249,296 of this, while the town pays the remaining $178,032 out of ARPA funds.

All three communities applying to use H.E.L.P. funds — Milford, Mentone and Pierceton — are allowed one construction grant and one planning grant. After water meter replacement is complete, Milford intends to use the planning grant for a downtown revitalization project. Details of this project will have to be discussed at later meetings.

The council officially elected officers for the year 2024. Ruch and Long will remain as president and vice president respectively. New member James Smiley was elected at a caucus Tuesday, Jan. 2.

During the regular public input portion of the meeting, resident Jay Urban raised some concerns about police activity.

“I want to know why our cops are continuously sitting on 900 and running traffic out there and not in town patrolling,” said Urban. “My tax dollars pay for them to patrol town, it does not pay them to patrol 900 and catch speeders out there. Their job is the city limits, the town limits of Milford, unless they are called out there.”

Urban stated he has brought this issue up one time before but “I see them out there all the time.”

Council vice president Ken Long argued that Urban was making broad statements, as he could not be seeing the whereabouts of police officers at all times, and officers are sometimes called outside town limits.

President Doug Ruch suggested that if Urban continues to see this behavior in the future, he could call and inform Marshal Derek Kreider. “That way Officer Kreider has that information at that time and knows exactly what they’re doing,” said Ruch. “You have no dates and times in the past. We don’t know exactly where they were unless we go back and look over the log.”

Kreider also pointed out that Milford officers try to run traffic in different areas at different times after patrolling town, but will sometimes stay where traffic is heaviest, such as where it enters Milford.

In other police business, Kreider asked the council’s permission to pursue three grants. The first was the National Police Association grant, which provides $1,000 for police departments with reserve programs, such as Milford’s. The money would go to uniforms and equipment.

The second, the KREMC Roundup grant, would provide up to $20,000. Kreider wants to use this money to replace the department’s in-car computers, which are near their end of service. This would mean the purchase of six Dell Latitude tablets for $9,234, six Dell scanners for $2,634 and six car mounts at $3,000. This totals $14,368.

The last, the Firehouse Subs grant, would provide 100% funding for a side-by-side utility vehicle, which Kreider pointed out could be used to patrol the Waubee Lake beach and the Waubee Lake Bike Trail once it is complete.

The council gave Kreider permission to pursue all three grants.

For the wastewater department, the council approved the replacement of a 20-year-old dissolved oxygen meter for $1,085.12 and 500 feet of new sewer jetting hose for $1,647.97.

In street department news, superintendent Steven Marquart recommended a 2000 dump truck the department no longer needs be sold off. The council decided to allow sealed bids on the truck, which will be opened at the March meeting.

Well No. 3 will need to be inspected and overhauled, as it was last serviced in 2005. A large check valve in the well will also need to be replaced. The council approved the well service from Peerless Midwest at a cost not to exceed $39,980.

Marquart also said he will be looking at quotes to replace three fire hydrants with mismatched hookups and to replace outdated pipes in the park concession stand.

In other business, the council:

• Decided to submit an objection to a variance request being heard at a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting Tuesday, Jan. 9. The request was to allow a carport to remain 9 feet, 6 inches from the road. The county ordinance states these things must be 25 feet from the road, a significant difference.

• Approved the annual recertification of the community rating system. This verifies that the town is still participating in activities that qualify it for discounts on flood insurance.

• Approved an encumbrance ordinance setting aside $60,327.88 of town funds for Phend & Brown Paving.

• Approved the purchase of flowers for uptown at a cost not to exceed $1,500.

• Approved the closing of the town hall until 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, as Clerk-Treasurer Tricia Gall and assistant Renda Loetz will be at clerk-treasurer training.

The next Milford Town Council meeting will be 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12.