Author Archives: Jason Kauffman

BOIL WATER ADVISORY- S 10TH STREET & 617 E JEFFERSON STREET

Starting at 9:00 am on Wednesday, June 21st, a boil water advisory is in effect for the area of the 200 Block of S 10th Street and 617 E Jefferson Street (see the MAP for more details) due to the water main being shut off to allow for new valves to be installed.

The affected area is between E Jefferson and the US 33/Lincolnway E Overpass. Until the routine maintenance of the public water main is completed, we are also asking that you conserve water and only use what is necessary for household and personal needs.

Once the water comes back on water customers should boil their drinking water until notified that the water is safe to drink once again. Water samples will be taken and analyzed for the presence of bacteria. If two consecutive tests pass, the boil water order will be lifted. Notice of the boil water order cancellation will be posted to the City’s Facebook and Website.

In the meantime, City water within the affected area should not be consumed by humans or pets without first following these boiling procedures:

  • Bring the water (even if it is filtered) to a full boil for at least five (5) minutes.
  • Cool and aerate the boiled water by pouring it through the air from one clean container to another or mixing rapidly with a clean utensil.
  • Aeration helps to reduce the flat taste caused by boiling.
  • Store cooled boiled water in clean and airtight containers.           

Please discard all ice from ice-making machines that use city water and turn them off until the boil water order is lifted.

The water remains safe for bathing, laundry, and restroom facilities. Cleaning dishes with a dishwasher is acceptable if it has a sanitizing cycle (180 degrees F minimum final rinse temperature). Hand-washed dishes should be rinsed with boiled or bottled water.

Be careful to not swallow any water during bathing or showering and used bottled or boiled water for brushing your teeth.

For further information or to report specific service concerns, please call Ana Rios at the Goshen Water Department at 574-534-5306. Si usted necesita esta informacio n en espan ol por favor, po ngase en contacto con la oficina de agua y alcantarilla 574-534-5306.

CITY KICKS-OFF PUBLIC OUTREACH EFFORTS FOR WATER SERVICE LINE INVENTORY

GOSHEN, Ind. (June 5, 2023)—With a booth at First Friday celebrations, the City of Goshen’s Water Utility kicked off public outreach efforts last Friday night for its lead-safe water service line inventory program.

By October 16th, 2024 the City of Goshen’s Water Utility is required to submit a completed inventory of water service line pipe materials to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). While administered by the State, this requirement is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2021 revision of the Lead and Copper Rule. 

At the Monday, June 5th City Council meeting at 6 p.m., City staff will present their efforts so far to meet this regulatory deadline.

The presentation covers regulatory updates, inventory methods, the public outreach resource hub website, and summer door-knocking efforts to assist customers in identifying their service line material.

Water service-line materials can be field checked by digging small holes to uncover them (“potholing”) and by observing water pipes coming into a building attached to a water meter. To conserve funds, the City will focus on the latter method first.

Summer staff will be making their way through the City over the next several months making home visits to record service line materials. These efforts will be continued into 2024.

As an alternative, City residents and facility managers can self-report service line materials using a guided survey found at https://leadsafe-goshenindiana.hub.arcgis.com/pages/verify.

Dustin Sailor, Director of Public Works, comments on the process, “Goshen Water Utility is committed to transparency throughout the process of inventorying water service lines across the City and will use the information we gather to make smart decisions about our public infrastructure funds.”

The lead-safe hub website includes more information on the current status of the water-supply system and will be updated frequently to reflect the City’s latest efforts and findings https://leadsafe-goshenindiana.hub.arcgis.com.

BOIL WATER ORDER CANCELED – S. MAIN STREET & CARTER ROAD

The Boil Order for South Main Street and Carter Road was canceled on Friday, May 19th. The samples have been taken, test results are satisfactory, and boiling your water is no longer necessary.

Thank you for your patience and for the water conservation measures you followed. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Water & Sewer Department at 574-534-5306.

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF CITY OF GOSHEN ORDINANCE 5159

Notice is given that Ordinance 5159, Amending Ordinance Violations Bureau, was passed by the Goshen Common Council on May 15, 2023, and approved and adopted by Mayor Stutsman.  Ordinance 5159 describes and continues the operation of previously established City of Goshen Ordinance Violations Bureau; establishes the City of Goshen ordinances, Goshen City Code sections, and Elkhart County Code sections (referred to individually as a “Bureau Ordinance”) that are subject to enforcement through an admission of violation before the violations clerk; assigns an appropriate civil penalty tier to the types of violations listed in the City of Goshen Bureau Ordinances Schedule and Elkhart County Bureau Ordinances Schedule; establishes the amount of civil penalties to be imposed for each civil penalty tier; and identifies the officials, employees or agents authorized to issue citations for the violation of a Bureau Ordinance.  Ordinance 5159 is available for inspection in its entirety during regular business hours at the Goshen Clerk-Treasurer’s Office located at 202 S. Fifth Street, Goshen, Indiana.

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF CITY OF GOSHEN ORDINANCE 5158

Notice is given that Ordinance 5158, Prohibiting Camping and Storage of Personal Property on Public Property, was passed by the Goshen Common Council on May 15, 2023, and approved and adopted by Mayor Stutsman.  Pursuant to Ordinance 5158, it is unlawful for any person to Camp, occupy Camp Facilities, or to place, store, or maintain Camp Facilities, Camp Equipment, or other related personal property on any property owned or controlled by the City of Goshen, except with the permission of the Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety.  The Ordinance also provides for the removal, storage, and/or disposal of Camp Facilities, Camp Equipment, and all other personal property from an unauthorized camp area by City of Goshen staff.  Ordinance 5158 is available for inspection in its entirety during regular business hours at the Goshen Clerk-Treasurer’s Office located at 202 S. Fifth Street, Goshen, Indiana.

INVITATION FOR BIDS – 2023 Hybrid Pursuit SUV(s)

The City of Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety is soliciting sealed offers for the purchase of up to seven (7) 2023 Hybrid Pursuit SUV(s).

The Specification Documents may be obtained from the City of Goshen’s Clerk-Treasurer’s Office, 202 South Fifth St., Goshen, IN 46528, or the City of Goshen’s current Bidding Opportunities portal at https://goshenindiana.org/bidding-opportunities.  The City shall not be responsible for documents obtained from any other source.

Offers shall be submitted in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders and all contractual terms and conditions that are included in the Specification Documents.  In addition to price, offers will be evaluated based on whether the bidder is responsible, and if the bidder’s offer is responsive.

Offers shall be filed with the City of Goshen Clerk-Treasurer’s Office, 202 South Fifth Street, Goshen, IN  46528 until 1:45 p.m. June 5, 2023, at which time all offers received will be taken to the Board of Public Works and Safety meeting to be publicly opened and read aloud.  The Board meeting will be held in City Court Room/Council Chambers at the Goshen Police & Court Building, 111 East Jefferson Street, Goshen.

The City of Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety reserves the right to reject any and all offers, delete any portions thereof, to waive any informalities or irregularities in any bid received, and to award a contract, consistent with Indiana law, to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. Award of the contract is contingent on the availability of funds.

BOIL WATER ORDER – S. Main Street & Carter Road

BOIL WATER ORDER

On Tuesday, May 16th, a water main valve was shut off to repair a water main break, which was repaired by 11:10 pm last night. The water was immediately turned back on but until all necessary testing is completed and the water is deemed safe to drink a boil water order is in effect for the area of S. Main Street and Carter Road (see the MAP for more details) until further notice.

City water within the affected area should not be consumed by humans or pets without first following these boiling procedures:

  • Bring the water (even if it is filtered) to a full boil for at least five (5) minutes.
  • Cool and aerate the boiled water by pouring it through the air from one clean container to another or mixing rapidly with a clean utensil.
  • Aeration helps to reduce the flat taste caused by boiling.
  • Store cooled boiled water in clean and airtight containers.           

Please discard all ice from ice-making machines that use city water and turn them off until the boil water order is lifted.

The water remains safe for bathing, laundry, and restroom facilities. Cleaning dishes with a dishwasher is acceptable if it has a sanitizing cycle (180 degrees F minimum final rinse temperature). Hand-washed dishes should be rinsed with boiled or bottled water.

Be careful to not swallow any water during bathing or showering and used bottled or boiled water for brushing your teeth.

Water samples will be taken and analyzed for the presence of bacteria. If two consecutive tests pass, the boil water order will be lifted. Notice of the boil water order cancellation will be posted to the City’s Facebook and Website. For further information or to report specific service concerns, please call Ana Rios at the Goshen Water Department at 574-534-5306.

CITY JUNETEENTH EVENT TO CELEBRATE FREEDOM FOR ALL

GOSHEN, Ind. (May 15, 2023)— Commemorating the end of slavery, and renewing hope and commitment to a vibrant and flourishing future, the City of Goshen Community Relations Commission is hosting a Juneteenth Celebration for a second year in a row.

The event will be held Saturday, June 17, from 12 to 5 p.m. at Shanklin Park, 411 W. Plymouth Ave., and will feature local and regional artisans, performers, and food vendors. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public.

The event will also host informational tables from the Department of Environmental Resilience, Goshen Public Library, and community members holding conversations about reparations.

LaCasa will host a free workshop on homeownership from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. To participate in this workshop, register at https://lacasainc.net/classes/

Juneteenth National Independence Day commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. In 2021, it became an observed federal holiday after a majority approval by the US House of Representatives and unanimous approval from the US Senate. The City of Goshen adopted Juneteenth as a local holiday the same year.

As a holiday, Juneteenth is a time to celebrate as well as a time for reflecting and acting. The observation of Juneteenth includes empowering our neighbors to build their own opportunities, grow their own wealth, and bring everyone to the table.

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE 5156, Revisions to Ordinance 4769, Accumulation of Materials

Ordinance 5156, Revisions to Ordinance 4769, Accumulation of Materials, was passed by the Goshen Common Council on April 17, 2023, and approved and adopted by Mayor Jeremy Stutsman.  Ordinance 5156, restates and, in part, amends Ordinance 4769 and Goshen City Code Title 6, Article 10, Chapter 1 by making it a violation for a Person to leave, place, throw, or deposit, or for a Person to cause or permit another Person to leave, place, throw, or deposit Solid Waste of any kind in, upon, or at any public recycling drop-off site designated and operated by the City, unless the Person reasonably believes that such Solid Waste is in fact a recyclable material and the Solid Waste is placed into containers provided by the City or the City’s agent for collection of recyclable materials.  All Persons depositing recyclable materials at any public recycling drop-off site designated and operated by the City shall follow all rules for use of the public facility adopted from time to time by the Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety.  Ordinance 5156 is available for inspection in its entirety during regular business hours at the Goshen Clerk-Treasurer’s Office located at 202 South Fifth Street, Goshen, Indiana.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING for the College Avenue (County Road 36) Annexation into the City of Goshen

A Petition for Annexation into the City of Goshen has been filed requesting the annexation of certain real estate located outside, but contiguous to the corporate limits of the City of Goshen.  This area is identified as the “College Avenue (County Road 36) Annexation Area” and consists of approximately 34.2 acres of real estate generally located along both the north and south sides of College Avenue (County Road 36), west of County Road 31 and east of the railroad.  The Goshen Common Council will conduct a public hearing on the College Avenue (County Road 36) Annexation at its regular meeting on June 5, 2023, at 6 p.m.  The hearing will be held in the City Court Room/Council Chambers at the Goshen Police & Court Building, 111 East Jefferson Street, Goshen.  All interested members of the public are invited to attend and will be given the opportunity to testify on the proposed annexation at the public hearing.