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Wakarusa council approves county development ordinance amendments, adopts 2026 budget and clears water project payments
Summary
At its Oct. 7 meeting, the Wakarusa Town Council approved Elkhart County Ordinance 2025-10 adopting amendments to the county development ordinance, adopted the 2026 budget (Ordinance 2025-8) on second reading, postponed a salary ordinance, and approved multiple pay applications for water projects.
Council Vice President Carl Gilbert called the Wakarusa Town Council to order at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2025. The council approved the minutes of the Sept. 9 meeting and then moved through a slate of ordinances and payments related to development and water infrastructure.
Elkhart County representatives introduced Ordinance 2025-10, described in the meeting as amendments to the Elkhart County Development Ordinance (PC 2024-04 as further identified in PC 2025-09). Councilman Phil Klotz moved to suspend the rules and pass Ordinance 2025-10 on first reading; Councilwoman Annette Brown seconded and the motion was approved. Klotz then moved to approve Ordinance 2025-10 and Councilman Randall Mitschelen seconded; the council approved the ordinance.
The council then completed the second reading of the 2026 Budget Ordinance (2025-8). Councilman Randall Mitschelen moved to approve the budget ordinance; Councilman Phil Klotz seconded and the ordinance was approved.
Council members postponed the second reading of Salary Ordinance 2025-9; no adoption vote on that ordinance was recorded at the meeting.
On capital expenditures, the council approved several pay applications tied to the town's water projects. Councilman Phil Klotz moved to approve Pay Application #13 to DLZ for the Water Treatment Plant in the amount of $49,812; Councilwoman Annette Brown seconded and the payment was approved. Councilman Randall Mitschelen moved to approve Pay Application #11 to R Yoder for the Water Treatment Plant in the amount of $530,140.60; Brown seconded and the payment was approved. Councilwoman Brown moved to approve Pay Application #14 to DLZ for the Keystone Lift Station in the amount of $6,236; Mitschelen seconded and the payment was approved.
Councilwoman Annette Brown moved to approve the claims and adjourn the meeting; Councilman Randall Mitschelen seconded and the motion was approved. The council set its next work session for Nov. 4, 2025 and its next regular meeting for Nov. 3, 2025. Rocco Rigsby and Clerk-Treasurer Katie Fromer were recorded as absent.
The meeting record shows routine procedural votes to adopt county ordinance amendments, finalize the town's 2026 budget on second reading, and authorize pay applications that advance construction work on the water treatment plant and Keystone Lift Station. No public comments were recorded at the meeting.
