Town Government & Services
Town Government
The Shipshewana Town Council is a five-member council. The council members serve four-year terms, which are staggered. Three seats were up fo
r election in 2004. Town Council members may serve multiple terms; there are no term limits.
Various departments, boards and committees carry out the work of the council body. The council appoints local citizens to serve on the following boards/committees: Storm Water Board; Park Board; Development Review Board, Redevelopment Authority; Redevelopment Commission. Competent individuals are hired to carryout the day-to-day work in the following departments: Police Department; Fire Department; Waste Water Treatment Plant; Water Department; and Building and Grounds. Each town council member serves as a member or liaison to one or more of the above boards, committees and/or departments.
A town manager is hired by the council to serve as the chief administrative officer for the town and is directly responsible to the town council. He/she is responsible for daily operations of the town government and implement the policies initiated by the council.
The council just completed expansion of the wastewater treatment plant, a new water tower located on Taylor Drive and water main distribution systems located on CR 735, CR 200, SR 5 and Berkshire Addition. The wastewater plant should have enough capacity for increased commercial and residential expansion for the next 6 to 10 years.
Future public works projects that will be initiated in the near future are: road, storm water and side walk rehabilitation on West Middlebury Street from SR 5 to the Town limits (2006); North Street Storm Water project, designed to drain the water shed from North Village Drive to North Street (June, 2005); storm water improvements for land that lies on the West of SR near the Super 8 Motel (fall of 2005); voluntary annexation of the Country Crossings and Berkshire addition to be completed in the summer of 2005.