Winamac Town Council Sets Up Non-Reverting Fund for Park Fee Deposits

Winamac Park Board: Jon Chapman, Chris Schramm, President Courtney Poor, Vice-President Brad Zellers
Winamac Park Board: Jon Chapman, Chris Schramm, President Courtney Poor, Vice-President Brad Zellers

The Winamac Town Council has taken steps to accept revenue generated by properties overseen by the Parks and Recreation Department.

Town Park Board members recommended the step be taken to the Town Council so that fees such as pool admission or park facility rentals could be deposited for future use. To do this, the Town of Winamac intends to use a Non-Reverting Operating Fund.

Town Attorney Justin Schramm explained how the ordinance will work.

“The funds that aren’t spent out of the fund it doesn’t roll back because it’s not tax money in effect,” says Schramm. “It wouldn’t roll back to the state, for example.”

The fees would be used for the regular operations of park facilities, according to Monday night’s discussion.

Schramm says the park board also has the option of establishing a Capital Improvement Fund to maintain buildings overseen by the park board, or a non-reverting gift fund to accept donations.

Schramm says the gift fund may be forthcoming.

“Because I think there’s talk of people wanting to donate to the park board.,” says Schramm. “But we have to establish a separate Non-Reverting Fund to receive those gifts and donations so the park board made the request that I draft that right away because they have someone who wants to donate, and I don’t want to hold up that process.”

Once the Winamac Town Council has established the fund, the town’s park board can approve checks for regular operations out of it.

The Town Council approved the ordinance unanimously.