Winchester council approves property purchase, parking and truck-route ordinances and surplus declaration

Winchester City Council moved several formal items in one session, approving a property purchase resolution, two ordinances affecting traffic and parking, and a surplus-property declaration for a Street Department vehicle.

Resolution 2026-7 authorized purchase of a deteriorated house at 443 East North Street so the city can remove the blighted structure and widen the adjacent roadway; presenters said the mortgage company was willing to sell for about $15,000 plus shared closing/demolition costs. The council voted to approve the resolution (motion seconded and "motion carries 5").

Ordinance 2026-6 amended Chapter 75 (no-parking zones) to prohibit parking on the west side of North Meridian between Third and Fourth streets. After the first reading the council moved to suspend rules for second and third readings and approved the ordinance on its third reading at the same meeting.

Ordinance 2026-7 amended Chapter 75 to clarify truck-route restrictions (including exceptions for deliveries where no alternate access exists), addressing concerns about semi traffic on Greenville Avenue. The council read the ordinance by title, suspended rules to complete readings and adopted it.

The council also declared a Freightliner garbage truck surplus and authorized disposal by auction under Resolution 2026-6; the motion carried unanimously.

Earlier in the meeting the council approved minutes for May 18 and accepted accounts payable. Staff explained that an annual reclassification of employee health insurance (stated as $29,810 per employee this year) produced a high accounts-payable amount for the month and that an $891,000 health-insurance voucher accounted for most of the spike.

Votes recorded at the meeting were unanimous where tallied; recorded members voting in favor were John Bonen, John Boyd, Terry Alfrey, Jim Nunes Jr. and Nan Harris.