By Jackie Gorski
Times-Union
WINONA LAKE — Winona Lake Town Council approved a resolution Tuesday, June 25, adopting internal controls for town committees.
The resolution sets out the basic rules and responsibilities of a committee. The terms are annual from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. Committee appointments will be made by the president of the town council with a majority vote of approval from council members in January. Council members may make a request to the president to serve on specific committees “with the president making every effort to place the council member on one of the requested committees. If more than two council members request to be placed on the same committee, the president shall make the appointment.”
The resolution outlines three standing committees: Ordinance Review Committee, Budget Committee and Miller Sunset Pavilion Committee.
Some changes were made to who would be on the Miller Sunset Pavilion Committee.
Town Council Jim Lancaster said he would strongly suggest the clerk-treasurer be part of the Miller Sunset Pavilion Committee considering the financial aspects potential. He suggested striking having a member of the park board on the committee.
Councilwoman Ashley McGinnis thought having a park board member would be beneficial to the committee for the knowledge they could bring and so the committee isn’t stepping on the park board’s toes with some plans that are made and some of the grants that are applied for.
McGinnis said she had the clerk-treasurer on the other two committees. For the Sunset Pavilion Committee, if financial information was needed, the clerk-treasurer could provide that information.
Lancaster said he was thinking of having the clerk-treasurer position on from a financial impact perspective.
Councilman Barry Andrew asked if there was a maximum number of people to have on the committee.
Town Manager Craig Allebach said there is not a maximum number of people on the committee. Most of the town’s committees have between five and seven people on them.
Andrew asked if there was a reason why the committee couldn’t have both a park board member and the clerk-treasurer on it. Lancaster said just in order to keep the committee from getting too big.
McGinnis said the clerk-treasurer and the park board mindset could each be beneficial to the committee.
Andrew said in his grant writing experience, collaboration is a big part of what is looked at for grants.
Councilman Rick Swaim said he thought there needed to be an odd number for the committee.
Andrew said he understood the committee wouldn’t be approving anything and they would make recommendations to the council.
McGinnis said if there’s an even number of people of committee members, the town council could be the tie breaker. They could bring that recommendation if the committee is split and the council could decide.
The ordinance was approved with the Miller Sunset Pavilion Committee members stated as no more than two council members, the town manager, each department head/clerk-treasurer or representative as needed and consultants as needed.
Lancaster said he didn’t think they were going to appoint the council members Tuesday to be on the Miller Sunset Pavilion committee and they could do that at the next meeting.
A special meeting was set for 4 p.m. July 2.
