Category Archives: Public Notice and Meeting Announcements

Under this category, public notices for various boards and committees are published.

Friendly PSA: How to dispose of special waste during the holiday season

‘Tis the season full of cooking, gift wrapping, and new toys. With many households producing a little more waste in the coming weeks, we wanted to take some time and remind residents how they can properly dispose of some of the more unique kinds of waste that occur during the holidays.

Fats, Oils, and Grease (F.O.G.s), oh my!

Did you know that anything you dispose of through your kitchen sink makes it into the City’s sewer system? That’s one of the many reasons F.O.G.s should not be put down your kitchen sink. Not only will it cause problems for our municipal sewer system, but it can also clog up your household drains and pipes. Instead of sending F.O.G.s down the drain, below are a few alternative disposal options:

  • Pour F.O.G.s into a sturdy container and let harden. Dispose of it in a trash can. (Bonus points if the container is repurposed or recycled!).
  • Scrape hardened F.O.G.s straight into a trash can.
  • Use paper towels to soak up F.O.G.s from used dishes before washing.

Wrapping paper and ribbons galore

Before you put all your wrapping paper in the recycling bin, make sure to take a look at the design. Any paper that is glittery, metallic, or uses foil is likely not recyclable. If you’re not 100% sure, scrunch it into a ball. Does it stay scrunched? If yes, it can be recycled. If it flattens back out or unfolds, it likely can’t be recycled. Any tape, bows, or ribbon should be removed from the paper and thrown away before it hits the recycling bin.

I upgraded electronics; now what?

Did you get an upgraded electronic as a Christmas gift? If you’re getting rid of old electronics, make sure to recycle them properly. If you’re unsure where to recycle e-waste, check out the City’s household hazardous waste page for more info on local resources.

Final Leaf Pickup of 2023

The Goshen Street Department will make one last round of leaf collecting beginning Monday, December 11. Residents who miss this round can still take their leaves to the Environmental Center.

Located at 20100 CR 19, the center accepts brush and leaves, loose or in bags, at no charge to Goshen residents. However, if leaves are bagged, the bags must be emptied.

Goshen Environmental Center

Winter hours: Dec. 1–March 31
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Closed Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays

Please keep this information in mind when raking your leaves for pickup:

Leaf piles:

  • Rake leaves into long piles on the grass next to the street or sidewalk beside the curb, not more than 6 feet from the curb.
    • For the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, if you must pile leaves on the sidewalk, please leave as wide a walking path as possible.
  • Leaves must be kept out of the street.
    • The piles of leaves interfere with the flow of traffic.
    • Later in the autumn, if it snows, the snow plows will be forced to drive over/through the leaf piles and end up throwing leaves from the piles far back into the yard.
  • Residents and property owners that have a storm drain in front of their property are asked to keep the drain area clear of leaves. This will help reduce the chances of water backing up on City streets.
  • When finished raking, spraying the piles down with water will help keep them from blowing away during periods of high wind.
  • Bagged leaves will be collected, but it slows the city-wide collection down drastically.  The leaf vac crew has to empty the bags out in order to vacuum up the leaves and they will leave the bags on the property.
  • Do not place leaves in the alley—they will not be removed.
  • Do not put sticks, twigs and other trash into or on top of the leaf piles.  These items can damage the vacuum equipment and force crews to pluck these items from the leaves—another time-consuming task. 

Parking:

  • Never park over a leaf pile.  A hot catalytic converter can easily ignite the dry leaves and, in turn, your vehicle. 
  • Please do not park cars in front of leaf piles. The crews will not be able to collect the leaves.
  • Park cars with at least 15 feet between leaf piles and vehicles.
  • Please use off street parking during this time if available.

City of Goshen awarded state volunteerism award

The Environmental Resilience Department poses with the award. Back L to R: Lee Bergey; Aaron Sawatsky-Kingsley, Director of Environmental Resilience; Levi Moser. Front L to R: Theresa Sailor, Education Grant Writer; Melanie Helmuth, Urban Forestry Assistant; Acadia Imhof; Alexa Kennel; Brandi Devoe, Office Assistant; Anna Osborne.

Goshen Mayor Gina Leichty accepted the Government Entity Volunteerism Award on behalf of the City of Goshen during the 2023 Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Ceremony on Wednesday, November 15. Mayor Leichty presented the award to the Department of Environmental Resilience on Friday, December 1.

“I want to thank the Department of Environmental Resilience and all of our AmeriCorps volunteers, past and present, for pushing Goshen forward and modeling the impact of volunteerism,” said Mayor Leichty.

The Government Entity Volunteerism Award recognizes any local or state government entity that has substantially impacted Hoosier communities through contributions of time and talent during the 2023 calendar year, demonstrating an ongoing community impact through volunteerism or philanthropy.

The City of Goshen was nominated and selected for this award largely for its successful partnership with the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) and the AmeriCorps program.

The partnership between MACOG, AmeriCorps, and the Environmental Resilience Department began in 2022 when the city hosted two AmeriCorps members, Shae Dirks and Acadia Imhof. In this federal program, individuals commit to a year of service in their community, earning a modest living allowance, health care, and an education award in exchange. The City is hosting three full-time and two part-time AmeriCorps members this year: Lee Bergey, Acadia Imhof, Alexa Kennel, Anna Osborne, and Levi Moser.

Over the two-year partnership, AmeriCorps volunteers have served over 9,800 hours on a dozen projects focused on community sustainability and public health, including organizing a women’s bike ride, designing and installing a rain garden, surveying trails to assess necessary repairs, and preparing over 700 trees to give away as part of Arbor Day.

Beyond partnering with MACOG and AmeriCorps, city staff regularly promote volunteer opportunities for the public, such as tree plantings, food events, and local clean-ups.

About Serve Indiana

Serve Indiana is a division of the Department of Workforce Development for the State of Indiana. The mission of Serve Indiana is to advance service and volunteerism by informing, connecting, and promoting opportunities and resources that enrich the lives of Hoosiers. This is accomplished through several programs and initiatives, including AmeriCorps State Funding, Day of Service Grants, and the Awards for Excellence.

Notice of Adoption of City of Goshen Ordinance 5171

Notice is given that Ordinance 5171, Amending Ordinance Violations Bureau, was passed by the Goshen Common Council on November 13, 2023, and approved and adopted by Mayor Leichty. Ordinance 5171 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 5171 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.

ORD-5171-Notice-of-AdoptionDownload

Notice of Adoption of Ordinance 5170

Notice is given that Ordinance 5170, Regulation of Open Burning in the City of Goshen and Providing Penalties for Violations of Such Regulations, was passed by the Goshen Common Council on November 13, 2023, and approved and adopted by Mayor Leichty. Ordinance 5170 prohibits open burning in the City of Goshen except for specific types of open burning that are allowed under a listed exemption or an approved variance, and provided the open burning complies with specified conditions. Ordinance 5170 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

ORD-5170-Notice-of-AdoptionDownload

Goshen to provide warming centers during winter months

The City of Goshen, Elkhart County Emergency Management, Goshen Interfaith Hospitality Network, Faith Mission, and Goshen Public Library have teamed up to provide a place of warmth for our residents this Winter at the Goshen Public Library during normal business hours.  Please check on your friends, family, neighbors, homeless, and the elderly during the winter months. Contact the Goshen Police Department if you need assistance checking on someone.Anyone in need of shelter outside of normal Library business hours or if the library is closed, please contact the Goshen Police Department for assistance (574)536-1790 or (574) 533-8661

Goshen Public Library Hours:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10 AM – 8 PM

Tuesday: 1 PM – 8 PM

Friday: 10 AM – 6 PM

Saturday: 10 AM – 4 PM

Public Notice: Jefferson Street reconstruction from Main Street to Third Street – Notice of Intent

Jefferson St looking east at the intersection with Main St
Jefferson St looking west towards the intersection with Third St

The City of Goshen (204 E. Jefferson Street, Suite #1, Goshen, Indiana 46528) will be submitting a Notice of Intent (NOI) letter to notify the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) of their intent to comply with the requirements of the Indiana Construction Stormwater General Permit (CSGP) to discharge stormwater from construction and land disturbing activities associated with the Jefferson Street Reconstruction from Main Street to Third Street project. The project is located along Jefferson Street from just east of the intersection with Main Street to the intersection with Third Street on the west.

The project is located in the SE 1/4 of Section 9, Township 36 N, Range 6 East, in Elkhart Township, Elkhart County, Indiana.

Runoff from the project will soak into the underlying soil through the proposed pervious concrete block roadway with an eventual release to the Elkhart River and through the public storm sewer with a direct discharge to the Elkhart River.

Questions or comments regarding the project should be directed to Jason Kauffman, Stormwater Coordinator, by calling 574-534-2201 or sending an email to jasonkauffman@goshencity.com.

Hold onto those leftovers: trash pick up delay

Heads up! If your usual trash and recycling pickup is on Thursday or Friday, your service will be delayed one day due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The Thursday route will be picked up on Friday, and the Friday route on Saturday. Regular pickup will resume on Monday, Nov. 27th. Please plan accordingly and hold onto those leftovers a bit longer! Thank you all for your cooperation.

Bryce Gast: A Goshen life remembered

Bryce Gast, Goshen’s Administrative City Engineer, passed away suddenly on October 3, 2022. Bryce embarked on his journey as the City of Goshen’s Administrative City Engineer in May 2019. From the very beginning, he displayed a passion for his work that would leave an indelible mark on the landscape of Goshen. His commitment to excellence and unwavering dedication to the city’s development set the stage for a remarkable tenure.

Recent, substantial upgrades to Goshen’s Wastewater Treatment Plant—much of the work designed and implemented over the years, with Bryce in a lead role—involved replacing pumps and clarifiers dating back to the 1960s and 70s, expanding the facility’s aeration tank system, installing a more energy efficient blowing system, and installing a new dewatering building for the plant’s biosolids.

Read more about Bryce’s life and his contribution to the City of Goshen.

Read More
Remembering Bryce