Waynetown council moves to pursue Community Crossings grant, narrows street and park scope

Waynetown Town Council opened a public hearing on the town's 2026 budget on Sept. 10 and directed staff to pursue a Community Crossings grant to fund street resurfacing and park work, Clerk‑Treasurer Sandy Proctor said.

"You can apply for up to one million dollars and the match is 20%," Proctor told the council during the hearing. She said the 2026 draft budget includes the local match for an application. The council closed the public hearing after no citizen comment.

Council members reviewed cost estimates read into the record: Vine Street (from State Road 136 to Walnut) $175,000, park street work $425,000, and Loretta Drive at $300,000–$400,000 with a required INDOT driveway permit and full design. Given those figures, councilors agreed to drop Loretta Drive from the current application and focus on Vine Street and the park, which together were estimated at about $600,000; Barry Lewis noted a 20% match would be roughly $120,000.

The council also discussed accessibility concerns raised by an ADA complaint from resident David Meihls (absent). Utility Superintendent John Warren and Proctor said the town would prioritize a ramp and sidewalk work on Vine Street if funded through Community Crossings or if Riverboat/CCD funds can be used as match; legal responsibility remained subject to attorney review. "We will start addressing the sidewalk problem on Vine Street with the Community Crossings Grant and continue to look at how to do a ramp on Vine Street," Council President Bob Cox said.

Councilors approved several procedural motions tied to the budget and capital planning during the meeting. The next steps are completing the LTAP pavement asset management plan, which the council authorized to pay $500 to have Ken Smith prepare, and finalizing the Community Crossings application before the grant deadline.