Public hearings on a proposed grant application to expand the PACE-Headstart Building on Cosby Road and an appropriation from the City’s Rainy Day Fund led off Monday night’s meeting.
The City will act as the applicant, but will have no financial responsibility, for PACE’s application for a grant application to the Indiana Office of Rural and Community Affairs. PACE has plans to expand its Head Start program and to consolidate its East 21st Street offices into the Cosby Road site. The second hearing was for a proposed additional appropriation of $65,000 from the City’s Rainy Day Fund. The money will pay projected City expenses for environmental studies and legal work in regard to the Tokheim property on Front Street. Mayor Joe Wellman said the contaminated property has sat derelict for a number of years and praised the Council for getting the ball rolling on getting something done. The City is looking at previous owners and their insurance companies to recoup the City’s expenses in the investigation of the contamination in the area.
In other business the Council heard the first reading of an ordinance that would rezone five parcels of property on Ogden Street from industrial to residential zoning. The change was requested by the Board of Zoning Appeals in a letter to the Plan Commission. BZA Chairman Don Spillman explained to the Council that during a recent case the Board became aware of property that originally had been part of the New York Central rail spur into town. The railroad was zoned industrial. When the railroad pulled up the tracks, neighboring property owners purchased the roadbed and built houses or added the property to their residences, but it remained industrial. Spillman said the rezoning request was to protect the property values of the current home owners and to prevent future problems. Final action will be taken on the proposal at the next Council meeting.