Goshen makes year end financial shifts; honors outgoing employees

Dec. 19—GOSHEN — New hires, new equipment, and new properties in Goshen's city departments have left the city's finances a bit mixed up at the end of the year.

There's enough to go around, but it required some shifting during the Goshen Common Council meeting Monday night.

The Goshen City Council approved three additional appropriations to sort the funding matter for the building department, public safety, and redevelopment.

Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Jeffery Weaver explained that, for the building department, some positions are paid from two different funds. In the 2023 budget, funds were appropriated for one salaried position from the Residential Lease Fund, but not from the General Fund.

By year's end, funding was short.

In the Public Safety LIOT, which generally pays for police and fire pensions and large purchases, a new police vehicle, at $60,000, left the fund short.

The Goshen City Redevelopment Fund also requested an additional appropriation for a purchase that was supposed to be funding via TIF, but the property purchased, 208 W. Washington St., isn't yet in the TIF District.

"For now, Redevelopment is paying it out of their own fund," Weaver explained. "And then sometime next year the TIF is going to reimburse the Redevelopment Fund this money, but to be able to spend it this year, we do need to budget a little bit more, and next year that will be paid back."

Weaver explained that money would be loaned from the commission to purchase it, and once the property is placed into the TIF, the TIF can reimburse the Redevelopment General Fund.

Common Council President Brett Weddell, who sits on the Redevelopment Commission, explained that the home lies just before the nearby city parking lot at the Third Street intersection and Bixler Chiropractic, which the city purchased about two years ago. The owner of the home approached the redevelopment commission asking if they'd be interested in purchasing it.

"Because we want to improve that alleyway all the way to Washington Street to actually make it a two-lane road rather than just that alley, we felt like it would be in the best interest to purchase that property so we wouldn't negatively impact the property while we're redoing the alleyway," Weddell said. "Normally you would do it the other way around, but because of the timing of when they came to us, that's why it's kind of backwards."

Goshen city engineer Dustin Sailor said it's too early to tell what will happen with the property, which is currently a rental property.

"We don't need it for the alleyway, but there's also the potential for expansion of the city parking lot on the corner," he said. "There's a lot of opportunities with the property."

The board also honored several outgoing city employees for this service.

—City Wastewater Department Pretreatment/Lab Coordinator Larry Keil has been with the city since Nov. 19, 1979. His final day with the city is Dec. 28. He was honored with the Key to the City by Goshen Mayor Gina Leichty.

"What's even more impressive is that Larry has the highest seniority of all the employees right now with the city," his superintendent Jim Kerezman said.

He has served for 44 years.

—Goshen Common Councilmember Julia King was presented with a Key to the City for her eight years of service on the council.

—Goshen Common Councilmember Gilberto Pérez, Jr was presented with a Key to the City for his four years of service on the council.

—Goshen Redevelopment Commission Member Andrea Johnson was honored for her service from Jan. 2018 through Dec. 23.

—Board of Zoning Appeals member Mike Potuck was also honored for his service on the board from Jan. 2021 through Dec. 2023.

—Board of Zoning Appeals Bethany Campbell has served on the board from July 2021 through Dec. 2023.