Sara McNeal-Strahan-Lenfestey ran as a democratic contender for the Warsaw City Council last year. McNeal-Strahan-Lenfestey, a native of Warsaw, said what drove her to run for public office was seeing the same people in office for 20 years without a lot of progress.

City Council is moving forward again with the framework to be able to hire an independent counsel in the future.

By Dan Spalding InkFreeNews WARSAW – Warsaw City Council moved swiftly Monday night to establish a no-interest loan program for small businesses in the city  that have been crippled by the pandemic. After debating the parameters of the plan, council voted at its April 20 meeting to work with Kosciusko County Economic Development Corporation and …read more.

WARSAW – As City Council works to line up the ability to retain its own attorney, one thing is clear: Individuals on council won’t be able to just pick up the phone and get some quick thoughts. On Monday night, Dec. 16, council decided to take a step back and will retool their plan to have …read more.

WARSAW – The holidays came a little early for Warsaw city taxpayers on Monday, Nov. 25. That’s when Mayor Joe Thallemer informed City Council that the state had confirmed the city tax rate would drop nearly ten cents next year. The rate will drop from 1.2797 to 1.1822 per $100 of assessed value. The reduction …read more.

WARSAW — City Council continued a conversation about hiring its own attorney for legal counsel during its Nov. 18 meeting. Discussion on hiring an attorney specifically for city council first surfaced in March after several council members expressed concern with an incident involving Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker. Supporters of the plan, though, say they …read more.

WARSAW — Warsaw City Council passed a resolution supporting establishment of two residential TIF districts during a regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 18. City Plan Director Jeremy Skinner presented the resolution to council members. Warsaw’s Redevelopment Commission and Plan Commission both approved the resolution in recent meetings. “It’ll go to the school board for a …read more.

WARSAW — Officials are moving closer to expanding a TIF district on the east side of Warsaw that would help in trying to eventually clean up what is commonly known as the Arnolt property near Argonne Road. City Council on Monday, Sept. 16, approved a request to expand the Winona Interurban tax increment finance district …read more.

WARSAW — Customers who use Indiana American Water are seeing their monthly bill rise twice in the next year. The overall 7.9 increase is coming in two steps, including one that kicked in July, according to information provided by the utility. The announcement came in a presentation to city council Monday night, July 15, by …read more.

WARSAW — On Monday night, city council reviewed numerous tax abatement agreements with seven companies, including three — Biomet, Torrent Holdings and Alpha Manufacturing — that have been annexed into the city in the past year and have new agreements for city tax payments. In each of those cases, the companies were offered three-year abatement …read more.

WARSAW — Three Republicans are vying for two at-large seats on Warsaw City Council Tuesday, May 7. The following are recaps from the three candidates, incumbents Cindy Dobbins and Jack Wilhite and challenger Juergen Voss. Cindy Dobbins Dobbins is finishing her second term on city council. She said she originally planned to serve two terms, …read more.

WARSAW — City Council moved forward with implementing programs that better assess requests for money from non-profit groups, and how the city oversees its finances. Council President Diane Quance presented a plan on assessing how to review requests for funding from non-profits proposed by a new committee made of up council members Cindy Dobbins, Jeff …read more.

WARSAW – Sara McNeal Strahan-Lenfestey is all about inclusivity. That sense of inclusion begins with her name as she prefers to include her maiden name and two names through marriage. And it extends to her political outlook as well. “My campaign is all about a sense of togetherness and inclusiveness,” she said during a recent …read more.

WARSAW – After living near Des Moines, Iowa, most of her life and in Shanghai, China for a two-year stint, Roxanne Coffelt said transitioning to a life in Warsaw took some getting used to. She and her family moved to Warsaw nearly 15 years ago and she recalls being struck by the lack of diversity …read more.

From left, City Attorney Scott Reust gestures while talking with city council member Jack Wilhite, Cindy Dobbins and Mayor Joe Thallemer in a meeting Monday night, March 4. WARSAW — Plans for the city council to meet in an executive session Tuesday, March 5, have been canceled, according to a notice from city hall. Council …read more.

WARSAW — Warsaw City Council became the latest to sign off on the Kosciusko County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, during the meeting held last night, March 4. But what does that mean exactly? The plan has been assembled by Ed Rock, the county’s emergency management agency director, with the support of most of the communities in …read more.

WARSAW — Despite preliminary approval two weeks ago, city council balked Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the idea of providing Warsaw police officers with a dedicated cell phone for work. Officers currently have their own cell phones for personal needs while at work and depend on either tablets or laptops in their patrol cars to conduct …read more.

COLUMBIA CITY — A second woman in northern Indiana has surrendered her newborn baby in recent days with help from Safe Haven Baby Boxes. The Woodburn-based group announced last week that one of its counselors reached through a hotline had assisted a woman in Kosciusko County with the safe, legal and anonymous surrender of her …read more.

WARSAW — Supporters of Safe Haven Baby Boxes got what might be a one-of-a-kind endorsement of its program last week ahead of Warsaw City Council’s vote Tuesday on whether to install a box in the city. Representatives of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, based in Woodburn, don’t like to publicize plans before the boxes are installed for …read more.

WARSAW — The process of issuing general obligation bonds, not to exceed $3.9 million for the construction and equipping of Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory Station 3 has begun. That is pending approval by the Wayne Township Advisory Board of an interlocal agreement. The bonds will not increase the city’s debt service levy.

WARSAW — The Warsaw City Council is set to meet at 6 p.m. Monday,  Aug. 1, and Monday, Aug. 15.

WARSAW — The special budget meeting of the Warsaw Common Council, originally scheduled for Monday, July 25, has been postponed. A new date will be announced.

WARSAW — The Warsaw City Council will hold a budget workshop meeting from 4:30-5:30 p.m. next Monday, July 25.

WARSAW — A resolution authorizing the city to apply for the Stellar Community Designation was unanimously approved by Warsaw Common Council Monday evening, June 6.

WARSAW — A Webelo working on his Arrow of Light Award learned a little about city government Monday evening, March 21, at the Warsaw Common Council meeting. Charles Sexton, son of Ed and Amy Sexton, presented a few questions to city council members during its regular meeting. Mayor Joe Thallemer and Council Members Mike Klondaris, …read more.

Dear Editor, I want to highly endorse Jack Wilhite and Cindy Dobbins for Warsaw city council. I have known Jack for many years, especially through Scouting, and know his commitment to values, family and community. Cindy has already shown her willingness to serve and make Warsaw a better place for everyone. Warsaw is fortunate to …read more.

WARSAW — Winona PVD Coatings, LLC’s request for Economic Development Revenue Bonds is moving one step closer to reality. Warsaw City Council approved two resolutions relating to the bonds Monday evening, Sept. 21. The council’s action on the bonds followed a brief public hearing, which there were no comments heard for or against the resolutions. …read more.

WARSAW — A preliminary glimpse of a city-wide tornado warning system plan was given to Warsaw City Council members Monday evening, Aug. 17.

WARSAW — Review of proposed budgets for 2016 are complete. Now the Warsaw City Council needs to act on the proposals before the Sept. 19 deadline to advertise that budget.

WARSAW — Getting a 10-minute late start, due to a lack of quorum, Warsaw Common Council took its first look at the 2016 budget proposals for not-for-profits and four city departments. Not-for-profit requests totaling $206,000 were received from Kosciusko Community Senior Services, Animal Welfare League, City County Athletic Complex, Kosciusko Area Bus Service, Warsaw Community …read more.

An ordinance in discussion for close to a year will move on to the Warsaw City Council with a favorable recommendation from the Warsaw Plan Commission. The commission unanimously approved a zoning ordinance relating to vision clearance, accessory structures and general provisions relating to the placement of fences on unused easements and fence height restrictions. …read more.

Candidates have filed and ballots are being printed for the May 5 primary election. This primary focuses on municipal election in Nappanee and Warsaw. Only voters within the city limits of Warsaw and the town limits of Nappanee, which is in Kosciusko County, and those living in the Warsaw School Corporation will go to the …read more.

Jack Wilhite is seeking the Republican nomination for one of the at-large Warsaw City Council seats vacated by board member Elaine Call. Wilhite said, “Councilwoman Call has been a valued asset to the citizens of Warsaw through three mayors and I thank Elaine for her service. Warsaw will miss her experience and dedication.” A 51-year …read more.

Bottlenecked traffic at Parker and Lake City Highway was voiced by resident Mike Ragan during Tuesday evenings Warsaw Common Council meeting. Ragan stated the bottleneck occurs several times a day with traffic backed up to Center Street and on Husky Trail. He asked if timing on the lights be extended. “With all that is going …read more.

Dear Editor, I’m a student at Warsaw High School and I spend a lot of time on social media. Recently, I noticed a page called “KC Gov’t Watch” on Facebook. On that page there were numerous posts about a new neighborhood housing ordinance that the Warsaw City Council is trying to push through. I’m no …read more.

UPDATE: An updated copy of the ordinance has been added to this post (see last paragraph). Also, Bruce Woodward has just let us know that public hearings on this ordinance will begin in the next couple of months. – It seems that momentum is building behind the proposed “neighborhood preservation/rental registration” ordinance that was proposed …read more.

It was all budgets at the Warsaw City Council’s meeting on Aug. 4. The council was presented with the 2015 budgets from nonprofits, the mayor and other government entities. First, the council heard presentations for non-profit council contract requests. Many of the organizations asking the council for financial assistance have done business with the city …read more.

Budgets were the key topic of Monday night’s Warsaw Common Council meeting. Requests were presented by non-profit organizations for their 2013 budgets. The City-Council Athletic Complex is requesting $20,000, which reflects an $11,000 decrease over the 2012 budget. The Animal Welfare League, which was credited for working hard to raise donations, is requesting $16,500 from …read more.

A new orthopedic company coming to Warsaw was granted tax abatements Monday night that will ultimately total a city contribution of $162,763. The abatements were voted on unanimously by the city council after they approved the area at 4130 Corridor Dr., Warsaw, an economic revitalization area. Iconacy Orthopedic Implants LLC plans to move into a …read more.

Despite a perpetual drought that has left most of Indiana and other parts of the country in record dry conditions, Indiana American Water Operation Superintendent Chris Harrison says Warsaw’s water supply is still operating below capacity. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer invited Harrison to attend Monday night’s regular meeting of the Warsaw City Council  and provide …read more.

Warsaw Common Council has voted to accept a resolution identifying an area of Warsaw an economic revitalization area. The purpose is to allow Wildman Business Group an opportunity to expand and apply for a tax abatement. Josh Wildman addressed the council Monday night saying the business has plans to build a 12,000-square-foot warehouse and add …read more.

The public hearing on the proposed annexation of property adjacent to the Warsaw Municipal Airport is being held tonight during the regular meeting of the Warsaw Common Council. The property the city wants to annex is along CR 100 East and directly south of CR 300 East. The annexation is expected to gain city approval …read more.