At Monday’s Milford Town Council meeting, Brett Roberts, of Michiana Area Council of Government, said they were going to start the door-to-door income survey Aug. 16 and residents are asked to answer the door and respond honestly to the survey.
The survey is a requirement for the Office of Community Rural Affairs Master Utility Study for water, wastewater and storm water. Clerk-Treasurer Tricia Gall said the town’s average income has to be 51% low-to-moderate income to qualify for funding.
The door-to-door survey will be a random sampling of households so not everyone will receive a knock on the door, but those that do are asked to respond honestly as it will help the town.
In a related matter, the council passed two ordinances – one is a Fair Housing Ordinance to prevent discrimination in the area of housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. The second ordinance passed was a commitment to a drug free workplace.
Suzie Light, from the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation, was present to give an update on their three initiatives focus – entrepreneurship, housing and talent. According to Gall, Light told the Council they’ve set up a revolving loan fund for small businesses. In housing they’ve set up a predevelopment revolving loan and acquisitions revolving loan. And in the talent initiative, they created a portal where anyone can post job openings for all of Kosciusko County.
She also passed out Kosciusko County incentive handbooks to the Council and had previously did the same earlier that day for the Redevelopment Commission and asked them to consider adopting it. Gall reported no action was taken as Council President Doug Ruch said he wanted to have time to review it and wait for a recommendation from the Redevelopment Commission.
In other business, the Council:
• Heard the boil order enacted Aug. 4 was lifted Monday. A new valve and hydrant were installed on Ind. 15.
• Approved Fall Clean Up Days for Sept. 23-25.
• Approved the clerk’s office to be closed Aug. 26-27 for training and Sept. 6 for Labor Day.
• Approved transferring $22,260 from the town budget to water budget for hydrant fees. The fees are $420 each and the town has a total of 72 hydrants. The town pays for 53 of them rather than pass that on to residents and TIF funds pay for 19.
• Heard the second annual gun raffle tickets are now being sold through any Milford reserve officer or Syracuse Eagles member. The raffle is planned for Nov. 6 from 5 to 7 p.m.
• Heard from the town attorney that a hearing on the Davidhizer litigation is scheduled for this month as is a hearing on the property at 410 E. Catherine St. that suffered through a fire.
• New police officers were hired in a special council meeting July 22. The Council approved hiring Brian Bradley as a full-time deputy. Doug McClune and Cody Mangun were hired as part-time deputies. The three new deputies were sworn in by Gall.
• Heard with school starting this week, Town Marshal Derek Kreider reminds residents to be watchful of children crossing streets and to obey the school bus safety rules. Officers will be patrolling and enforcing school safety issues.
