Author Archives: becky

APRIL 26 PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING POSSIBLE CLOSURE OF THE JEFFERSON STREET RAILROAD CROSSING

Lincoln to Madison April 2016 Overall April 2016

As a part of the preparation for a Quiet Zone along the Norfolk Southern Railroad Marion Branch from CR 40 to Lincoln Avenue, each one of the railroad crossings require the installation of warning devices to improve the safety of the motorists at the crossing and/or closure of the crossing. Please join City officials to discuss the possible closure of Jefferson Street Railroad Crossing to vehicular traffic, and allowing a crossing to remain for bicyclists and pedestrians. The meeting will be held at the Jefferson Street Railroad Crossing on Tuesday, April 26 at 6:30pm.

If you are unable to attend this meeting, please feel free to contact the Goshen Engineering Department at 534-2201 to request information and/or give us your concerns.

FREE TRANSIT FARES ON PRIMARY ELECTION DAY

The Interurban Trolley, serving the City of Elkhart and the City of Goshen will provide free public transit rides on Primary Election Day, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, to help residents reach several polling sites. The Interurban Trolley will operate during its normal hours; 5:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Route information can be obtained by calling:
(574) 674-8894 or at www.interurbantrolley.com.

Interurban Trolley Access Riders who have ADA cards may ride free to any destination on Primary Election Day, as a comparable service benefit.

The following polling locations are served by the Interurban Trolley:
Elkhart Polling Locations

  • St James AME Church, 122 Dr Martin Luther King Dr, Elkhart (on Green/Red/Orange Line)
  • River of Life Community Church, 2626 Prairie St, Elkhart (on Green/Orange Line)
  • Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 3300 Benham Ave, Elkhart (on Green Line)
  • Calvary United Methodist Church, 2222 W Indiana Ave, Elkhart (on Green Line)
  • Tolson Center, 1320 Benham Ave, Elkhart (on Red Line)
  • Northside Gym, 300 Lawrence St, Elkhart (on Blue Line)
  • Osolo Township Fire Station, 24936 Buddy St., Elkhart, IN 46514 (on Blue Line)
  • FOP #52 – 1003 Industrial Parkway, Elkhart, IN 46516 (on Orange Line)

Goshen Polling Locations

  • Maple City Chapel, 2015 Lincolnway E, Goshen (on Red Line)
  • Greencroft Senior Center, 1721 Greencroft Blvd, Goshen (on Red Line)

Dunlap Polling Locations

  • Elkhart County Public Services Bldg, 4230 Elkhart Rd, Goshen (on Red Line)

For additional information contact MACOG at (574) 674-8894 or (574) 287-1829 or
email: macogdir@macog.com

BOIL ORDER CANCELLATION

N. 5th Boil OrderThe Boil Water Advisory issued on April 18, 2016 has been cancelled. The order was for the area from 5th St. from Lincoln Avenue north to the railroad tracks. The repairs and work for the utilities in this area have been repaired, samples have been taken, test results are satisfactory and it is no longer necessary to boil your water.

Thank you for your patience and for water conservation measures you followed. If you have any questions, please contact the Water & Sewer Department at 534-5306.

PRESS RELEASE FROM GPD REGARDING EVACUATION TODAY AT GOSHEN HIGH SCHOOL

At about 12:00pm, Officers were called to the Goshen high school in reference to an unknown package, noticed by a passing teacher, under a bush near the Whiteman wing. In the interest of personal safety, the Goshen High School administration made the decision to evacuate the students to the area of the baseball field and Administration Center green space.

A large perimeter was set by officers and closer examination was conducted by police and fire personnel. Goshen K9 unit “hit” on the device as containing electrical wires or components. The Elkhart Police Department bomb squad was contacted to potentially assist with disposal of the device.

The device was determined to be an electrical lighting device placed there by an electrician contracted by the school system to perform work at the high school. The electrician had left the lighting device under the bush, “out of the way” while he left for lunch.

EPD bomb squad was told to disregard and students were allowed to return to the school. Students and staff were evacuated for approximately 45 minutes.

BRUSH PICK-UP NEXT WEEK – BEGINNING APRIL 25

brush-pick-up-lgThe Goshen Street Department will continue their spring yard waste collections next week. Crews will begin brush pick-up Monday, April 25.

Residents must take care that piles are placed in the proper location prior to the first day of the pick up, at 7:00 in the morning; the Department will proceed as quickly as possible and will make a single trip down each street.

Remember, the City of Goshen is not responsible for disposal of large tree limbs and debris from a home owners or contractors taking down a tree on their property. This is beyond the scope of normal yard waste.

Brush piles should be placed at the curb, not in the street. No brush will be picked up in city alleys, and piles are to be trash-free and placed away from utility poles, fire hydrants or trees. If vehicles are parked in front of brush piles the street crew cannot pick up the pile.

Brush should not be put out for collection until the Saturday or Sunday just prior to start of the scheduled collection week. Example: Place brush no earlier than April 23 or 24 for collection beginning the 25th of April.

Any resident with questions may contact the Goshen Street Department at streets@goshencity.com or 534-9711, Monday–Friday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Public Notices for April 19, 2016 City Council Meeting

Notice to Taxpayers of Proposed Additional Appropriations

Notice is hereby given the taxpayers of the City of Goshen, Elkhart County, Indiana, that the proper Legal Officers of the City of Goshen at their regular meeting place at 111 E. Jefferson St., Goshen IN at 7:00 PM on the 19th day of April 2016, will consider the following additional appropriations in excess of the budget for the current year.

Fire Department
Other Equipment…………………………………..$221,616

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCOME TAX FUND
Contractual Services..……………………………..$133,596

PUBLIC SAFETY LOCAL OPTION INCOME TAX FUND
Equipment – Motor Vehicle..………………………$ 5,201

Taxpayers appearing at the meeting shall have a right to be heard. The additional appropriations as finally made will be referred to the State Board of Tax Commissioners. The Board will make a written determination as to the sufficiency of funds to support the appropriations made within fifteen (15) days of receipt of a Certified Copy of the action taken.

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NOTICE OF DETERMINATION TO ENTER INTO LEASE

Taxpayers of the Goshen Redevelopment District (“District”), the boundaries of which are coterminous with the boundaries of the City of Goshen, Indiana (“City”), are hereby notified that the Goshen Redevelopment Commission (“Commission”) did on the 12th day of April, 2016, adopt a resolution preliminarily determining to enter into a lease for the purpose of providing funds for the cost of the acquisition of real property and the construction, renovation and rehabilitation of the Goshen Theater (“Project”), in or serving the Consolidated River Race/U.S. 33 Economic Development Area. The lease will be for a maximum term of 18 years with a maximum annual lease rental of $700,000.

Dated: April 18 and 25, 2016.

GOSHEN REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

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Notice of Public Hearing on Proposal to Establish the Annual Tax Rate for the City of Goshen Cumulative Capital Development Fund

The Goshen Common Council will hold a public hearing at its meeting on May 3, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at which City of Goshen taxpayers may be heard concerning a proposal to establish the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Capital Development Fund to be levied in the ensuing year. The hearing will be held in the City Court Room/Council Chambers at the Goshen Police & Court Building, 111 East Jefferson Street, Goshen. Following the public hearing, the Common Council will consider a proposed ordinance to establish the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Capital Development Fund.

The Cumulative Capital Development Fund, authorized under the provisions of Indiana Code §§ 6-1.1-41-1 et seq., Indiana Code §§ 36-9-15.5-1 et seq., and city ordinance, may be used for any or all the purposes specified by Indiana Code § 36-9-15.5-2. The proposed tax will be levied on all taxable property within the City of Goshen and will not exceed Five Cents ($0.05) on each One Hundred Dollars ($100) of assessed valuation beginning with 2016 taxes payable in 2017 and continuing each year thereafter until reduced or rescinded.

If the ordinance is passed and adopted, the City of Goshen will publish a Notice of Adoption. Not later than noon thirty (30) days after the publication of the Notice of Adoption, at least fifty (50) City of Goshen taxpayers may file a petition with the Elkhart County Auditor stating their objections to the establishment of the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Capital Development Fund. The petition will then be certified to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF), and a hearing before the DLGF will be held on the petition.

The proposal to establish the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Capital Development Fund is subject to the approval by the DLGF.

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Notice of Public Hearing on Proposal to Establish the Annual Tax Rate for the City of Goshen Cumulative Building or Remodeling, Firefighting, and Police Radio Equipment Fund

The Goshen Common Council will hold a public hearing at its meeting on May 3, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at which City of Goshen taxpayers may be heard concerning a proposal to establish the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Building or Remodeling, Firefighting, and Police Radio Equipment Fund to be levied in the ensuing year. The hearing will be held in the City Court Room/Council Chambers at the Goshen Police & Court Building, 111 East Jefferson Street, Goshen. Following the public hearing, the Common Council will consider a proposed ordinance to establish the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Building or Remodeling, Firefighting, and Police Radio Equipment Fund.

The Cumulative Building or Remodeling, Firefighting, and Police Radio Equipment Fund, authorized under the provisions of Indiana Code §§ 6-1.1-41-1 et seq., Indiana Code §§ 36-8-14-1 et seq., and city ordinance, may be used for any or all the purposes specified by Indiana Code § 36-8-14-2(c). The proposed tax will be levied on all taxable property within the City of Goshen and will not exceed Three and Thirty-three hundredths Cents ($0.0333) on each One Hundred Dollars ($100) of assessed valuation beginning with 2016 taxes payable in 2017 and continuing each year thereafter until reduced or rescinded.

If the ordinance is passed and adopted, the City of Goshen will publish a Notice of Adoption. Not later than noon thirty (30) days after the publication of the Notice of Adoption, at least ten (10) City of Goshen taxpayers may file a petition with the Elkhart County Auditor stating their objections to the establishment of the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Building or Remodeling, Firefighting, and Police Radio Equipment Fund. The petition will then be certified to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF), and a hearing before the DLGF will be held on the petition.

The proposal to establish the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Building or Remodeling, Firefighting, and Police Radio Equipment Fund is subject to the approval by the DLGF.

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Notice of Public Hearing on Proposal to Establish the Annual Tax Rate for the City of Goshen Cumulative Building and Sinking Fund for Municipal Sewers

The Goshen Common Council will hold a public hearing at its meeting on May 3, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at which City of Goshen taxpayers may be heard concerning a proposal to establish the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Building and Sinking Fund for Municipal Sewers to be levied in the ensuing year. The hearing will be held in the City Court Room/Council Chambers at the Goshen Police & Court Building, 111 East Jefferson Street, Goshen. Following the public hearing, the Common Council will consider a proposed ordinance to establish the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Building and Sinking Fund for Municipal Sewers.

The Cumulative Building and Sinking Fund for Municipal Sewers, authorized under the provisions of Indiana Code §§ 6-1.1-41-1 et seq., Indiana Code §§ 36-9-26-1 et seq., and city ordinance, may be used for any or all the purposes specified by Indiana Code § 36-9-26-2(a). The proposed tax will be levied on all taxable property within the City of Goshen and will not exceed Three and Thirty-three hundredths Cents ($0.0333) on each One Hundred Dollars ($100) of assessed valuation beginning with 2016 taxes payable in 2017 and continuing each year thereafter until reduced or rescinded.

If the ordinance is passed and adopted, the City of Goshen will publish a Notice of Adoption. Not later than noon thirty (30) days after the publication of the Notice of Adoption, at least fifty (50) City of Goshen taxpayers may file a petition with the Elkhart County Auditor stating their objections to the establishment of the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Building and Sinking Fund for Municipal Sewers. The petition will then be certified to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF), and a hearing before the DLGF will be held on the petition.

The proposal to establish the annual tax rate for the Cumulative Building and Sinking Fund for MunicipalSewers is subject to the approval by the DLGF.

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Printable copies of the Public Notices can be downloaded by clicking the link below:

Public Notices – 4-19-16 Council Meeting

N. 5th Boil OrderWater will be shut down at 5pm today for work related to the construction project adjacent to the railroad as well as to repair a mainline water valve at Lincoln Avenue. As a result, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management requires the Water Utility to issue a boil water order for the properties on North 5th Street from Lincoln Avenue north to the railroad tracks.

After the work is completed for each project and service is restored this evening, water samples will be taken and analyzed for the presence of bacteria. Once two consecutive tests pass, the boil order will be lifted. Notice of the boil order cancellation will be distributed via a customer flier, a notice will be posted in the Goshen News and a notice will be posted via facebook. For further information or to report specific service concerns, please call Mindy Kyle at the Goshen Water Department at 534-5306.

City water within the affected area should not be consumed without first following prescribed boiling procedures. The water remains safe for bathing, laundry, and restroom facilities. Cleaning dishes with a dishwasher is acceptable if it has a sanitizing cycle. Hand washed dishes should be rinse with boiled or bottled water.

All affected properties have been notified of the upcoming work.

 

 

SPRING CLEANUP BEGINS APRIL 18

The Goshen Street Department will be making a collection of leaves and garden waste the week of April 18. The following week, the week of April 25, brush (only) will be collected. If residents have both leaves and brush that they would like to be collected, they must be in different piles.

For both the leaves/garden plants collection and the brush collection, crews will begin on Monday morning and will continue until crews have been across the entire city. Residents must take care that piles are placed in the proper location prior to the first day of the pick up at 7:00 in the morning; it is impossible to know which neighborhoods will be picked up on which day of the week. The Department will proceed as quickly as possible and will make a single trip down each street.

Leaves may be loose or in bags. Brush and leaf/garden plant piles should be placed at the curb, not in the street. No collection will be made from city alleys, and piles are to be trash-free and placed away from utility poles, fire hydrants or trees. If vehicles are parked in front of brush piles the street crew can not pick up the pile.

For those with a large amount of brush or yard waste between the scheduled collection dates, a Dial-A-Truck is available to use at no cost to residents. Contact the Street Department for details.

Residents can take yard waste to the Environmental Center located at County Road 19 just west of Indiana Ave. There is no charge for dropping off leaves and brush, for Goshen residents. The compost site is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m.–noon. Leaves are to be emptied out of bags at the designated areas in the compost site.

Any resident with questions may contact the Goshen Street Department at streets@goshencity.com any time, or 534-9711, Monday–Friday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

CALLING ALL ARTISTS!

 

This summer the City of Goshen is looking for artists who are interested in transforming a city storm drain into a public work of art in downtown Goshen.

The focus is to raise public awareness that storm drains need to be protected from pollutants that damage the waters that they flow into and to have some fun in the process. The selected storm drains will be in prominent areas in downtown Goshen.

All submissions are due by April 29.

To learn more, go to http://goshenindiana.org/media/uploads/0/1570_Stom-Drain-Request-for-Artists-5April2016.pdf

Stom Drain Request for Artists 5April2016_Page_1