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The
THURSDAY OCTOBER 17, 2013
Advance
Leader
An edition of THE NEWS SUN
75 cents Ligonier, Indiana, USA On the web at: kpcnews.com Vol. 129, No. 42
City council sets special meeting for tonight Council to consider PERF for mayor’s job BY BOB BUTTGEN bbuttgen@kpcmedia.com
LIGONIER — The Ligonier City Council will consider adding the mayor’s job to the Indiana Public Employees Retirement Fund starting in 2014. Currently, all city employees except the mayor are covered by the state’s retirement system. A person must have 10 years of service to the city in a paid position before being eligible to collect PERF benefits upon retirement. An informal survey was done by clerk-treasurer Barb Hawn, and it showed that most other cities in the area, of comparable size, do have the mayor in the PERF system. Ligonier city employees pay into the retirement fund, and the city also adds money each year. Employees contribute 3 percent, except for public-safety employees, who pay in a rate of 6 percent, according to Barb Hawn, Ligonier’s clerk-treasurer. The city’s portion amounts to about 11 percent of the employees’ earnings. Because the mayor’s terms are four years, the mayor would have to serve at least 2 1/2 terms before becoming eligible for PERF benefits. Or, the mayor could take another position with the city, after serving as mayor, to get to the 10-year level. Mayor Patty Fisel is in the middle of her second four-year term and has not indicated if she will run for a third term. Only three members of the five-person city council attended Monday’s meeting. A special meeting was scheduled for tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers.
Council member Chris Fought said he would like the issue of adding the mayor’s job to PERF to be considered by the entire council, and he moved that the idea be tabled until tonight’s meeting. Fought, Kelly Ware and Becky Gray were at Monday’s meeting. Council members Julie Bell and Ken Schuman were absent. The city must notify the state by Nov. 1 if it intends to make the mayor’s job eligible for PERF. Also at Monday’s meeting: • Final approval of the city’s 2014 budget will be given at tonight’s special meeting. • The council voted to move its Nov. 11 meeting to Tuesday, Nov. 12, because of Veterans Day. • The park board will hold a public meeting Nov. 7 at the city’s recreation center to discuss the master plan being developed for Pettit Park. A public-input meeting was held Oct. 7, and results of that meeting will be discussed at the Nov. 7 meeting. • Leaf pickup begins next week and continues through the first week of December. City crews will pick up leaves on the southwest side of the city on Mondays and Tuesdays; the southeast side on Wednesdays and the north side on Thursdays. Fridays will be an at-large day, with crews roaming all parts of the city. • The council passed a proclamation for “Lights on Afterschool,” a special event planned for tonight at West Noble. A special event will take place tonight at West Noble Elementary School to celebrate the after-school programs hosted by LEAP of Noble County and New DAWN.
Bob Buttgen
This abandoned factory, which is more than 100 years old and out of commission for at least three decades, could be razed if the city is successful in securing a grant. The city’s plans are still in the early stages but Mayor Patty Fisel is hopeful that something could be done to take the down the structure, located on S.R. 5 on the north edge of the downtown area.
Plan re-started to rid city of huge eyesore BY BOB BUTTGEN bbuttgen@kpcmedia.com
LIGONIER — Ligonier Mayor Patty Fisel announced Monday night she is looking into a grant to tear down a major eyesore in the city. The former Wirk Garment building on S.R. 5, at the north edge of the downtown area, is falling down and cannot be saved. Fisel said an out-of-town firm has indicated mild interest in possibly developing the land if the city can get the large, three-story building razed. The building served as a factory for more than 100 years, but has not been used by an industry for more than 30 years. A nonprofit group was granted the deed to the property and worked on the building in the late
1990s and early part of the 2000’s. But that group, Discovery Express, disbanded and gave up its hopes of turning the building into a tourist attraction. At about the same time, after a heavy rain, part of the roof gave way, causing a large gash in the front of the building that faces S.R. 5. That left the rotting structure an albatross around the city’s neck, with apparently no one associated with the building left with any assets to tear it down. Fisel said she is looking into grants available from the state’s Office of Rural and Community Affairs (OCRA), under its “Disaster Recovery” program. Fisel stressed that her efforts are still preliminary but that she is dedicated to getting the funds
Downtown fall festival set for Friday LIGONIER — The Future Ligonier Alliance is hosting a fall festival on Friday along South Cavin Street is under way in the downtown area. The festival is set for 4-8 p.m. in the downtown Ligonier area. Vendors are needed to set up to sell food and craft items at the fall festival. Also, musical groups are being recruited to perform. More details are available by contacting Norma Donley of the Future Ligonier Alliance, 463-6647. Registration sheets for the vendor booths are also
NEWEST MURAL COMPLETED
needed to tear the building. Early estimates are that the demolition could cost as much as $250,000. Fisel said the city is working with a consultant to check out possible grants from OCRA. The building is just across the street from Pettit Park, which also used to be home to an unused factory. That factory was razed with many of the materials recycled and sold to help recoup costs. It’s not clear if the Wirk Garment building can also be recycled as the other building was. A preliminary effort to reclaim bricks from the Wirk Garment building was started several years ago, but those plans faded away, and there are still several skid-loads of bricks setting on the property.
available at Ligonier Floral Shop on S. Cavin Street. There’s still lots of room for vendors and more are needed to sell food or play music. In Cromwell, local crafters are planning the second annual “Christmas in the Village” on the second floor of the Cromwell library. Dates are Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14 and 15. Santa Claus will be at the Cromwell library on Dec. 14. Also that weekend, the Cromwell-Kimmell Lions Club will be offering booth space at the town’s community center on Baker Street.
LINED UP TO SEE THE DOCTOR
Bob Buttgen
Here’s the latest mural decorating the city of Ligonier. This one, depicting an agricultural scene, graces the front of the pavilion at Pettit Park near downtown Ligonier. It was done by Kelly Meredith of Butternut, Wis. She has done several other murals in the city. The mural is a project of the Future Ligonier Alliance.
Ligonier Trick or Treat is Oct. 31 from 5-7 p.m. Cromwell’s Halloween parade and costume party is Oct. 26 at the fire station. The Advance Leader P.O. Box 30 Ligonier, IN 46767 Phone: 894-3102 • Fax: 894-3102
The fast just got Faster...
Photo Contributed
They were standing in line to visit retired Ligonier physician Dr. Robert Stone, who admires a friendly scarecrow done in his likeness as part of a contest in downtown Ligonier. The artwork was created and placed in front of his former office by Amy Jo Wechter of Ligonier, a friend of Stone, as part of a contest hosted by the Future Ligonier Alliance. Friends of Doc Stone lined up to highlight the attraction included, from the left, Rev. John Lutton, Robert Wechter, John Montgomery and Dave Brockett. A few other scarecrows were also placed along Cavin Street. A fall festival in downtown Ligonier is planned for Friday from 4-8 p.m.
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