Elkhart Council approves sewer and water revenue bonds, code supplement and fire apparatus payment

The Elkhart City Council voted unanimously to adopt several ordinances authorizing revenue bonds and to approve other city business, including paying the final balance on a leased fire rescue apparatus.

The council adopted Ordinance 25-O-25, the 2025 supplement to the City of Elkhart code of ordinances; authorized up to $41,870,000 in revenue bonds for sewage works improvements under Ordinance 25-O-26; authorized up to $8,200,000 in revenue bonds for water works improvements under Ordinance 25-O-27; and approved Ordinance 25-O-24 to appropriate $364,860.10 from the cumulative fire equipment and police fund to pay the balance on the Rescue 1 lease-purchase agreement. All measures passed on roll-call votes of 9 to 0.

Why it matters: The bond measures fund large, federally driven components of the city’s long-term control plan for sewer overflow and required water-main and lead-line replacement work. Council members and staff emphasized that the sewer and water bonds are structured as 20-year obligations and will be paid from utility rates already set by prior council actions.

The sewer bond (25-O-26) was described by Tory Irwin, Elkhart Public Works director, as a not-to-exceed $41,870,000…