May 17—GOSHEN — Trail maintenance and expansion projects in Goshen and Middlebury received additional support Thursday from the Elkhart County Council.
At its Thursday meeting, the council considered and approved an interlocal agreement between the County Highway Department and the city to bid on a paving project for the Pumpkinvine Trail, parts of which are in both the city of Goshen and the county.
“Under this agreement, the city would be responsible for all financing,” Attorney Craig Buche told the City Council during a project overview. The city later confirmed that this funding would apply not just to the portion of the Pumpkinvine, which is within city limits, but to the entire trail, with the highway department managing the project.
The council also approved a similar agreement to fund the River Mill Trail Project in Middlebury. Specifically, this would connect a number of existing routes, and the agreement was a follow-up to an agreement the council discussed in March.
A total of $1,885,743 in funding would be allocated for the Middlebury project, with $200,000 coming from Elkhart County and additional funding from the Elkhart County Community Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the State of Indiana.
Both measures were adopted unanimously.
The council also approved appropriations for Elkhart Community Corrections, the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office, the Health Department and others. Rebates from the County Surveyor’s Office and the Health Department totaled $418,054.73, and transfers between Health, the Assessor’s Office and the Elkhart County Judiciary specifically for the school lunch program totaled $6,729.
To watch the meeting in its entirety, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFRi-8biJaZI&t=1s.
Steve Wilson is news editor for The Goshen News. You can reach him at steve.wilson@goshennews.com.
