Published: July 07, 2009 10:05 am      

‘Mayor-for-a-day’ winner runs meeting

Goshen Middle School student Maggie Walters was front and center Monday afternoon.

Walters ran the Board of Public Works and Safety meeting while fulfilling her duties as mayor for the day, after winning the “If I Were Mayor...” contest both in Goshen and at the state level.

“I thought it was fun,” Walters said, “I really liked running the meeting.”

During the day, she sat in on a budget meeting and visited the police station, fire station, the water and sewer department and the annex building where several other city departments are housed. Although she enjoyed the experience, she said she was not interested in ever being mayor.

“I’d rather be a doctor,” she said, “like a pediatric endocrinologist or a pediatric oncologist.”

Walters was one of 3,700 contestants at the state level of the competition, and received a $1,000 college scholarship and a $100 check for winning. In addition, the City Council presented her with $25. Isabela Torres, Walters’ classmate, also made it to the state level of the competition.

In other business from Monday’s meeting, an interlocal agreement for removal of brush along Rock Run Ditch from Monroe Street to the Elkhart River was unanimously approved. According to the agreement, Goshen will be responsible for covering half the cost of the work, aimed at preventing log jams in the area. Utilities Engineer Dustin Sailor said a couple of blockages in past years caused significant bank erosion, and the removal of brush now will prevent that for the next few years.

No dirt will be removed during the process, which will entail heavy machinery use to remove brush as well as trees leaning at an angle of more than 45 degrees over the ditch. No work will be done below the high water line, and the stumps of cut trees will not be removed. Instead, the stumps will be treated to end any growth and left in place to help with soil stability. Cost to the city will not exceed $23,475.

The measure will come before the City Council for approval at their 7 p.m. meeting tonight.

Board members also approved the sale of the city’s Vactor sewer vacuum truck to Elkhart County 4-H Agricultural Exposition, Inc., at a cost of $5,000. When the city initially advertised for the unit’s sale in June 2008, it received only one bid of $3,000 from Jack Doheney Supplies, Inc., and rejected it as not being in the best interest of the city. With the new sale, the board was not required to meet certain selling requirements due to the company’s status as a nonprofit corporation, allowing the vehicle to be declared surplus property and sold directly.