Council increases offer to IAWC

MOORESVILLE – The Town of Mooresville has upped its purchase offer to Indiana American Water Company from the original $6.5 million to $7,300,000 at its meeting Tuesday. Town attorney Tim Currens said after two court-ordered appraisals were completed on the IAWC property, the town council, by statute, had to respond with a price. Mooresville set in motion an attempt to purchase the water system in 2012. Currens said the price was decided from one of the appraisals. IAWC had denied the first offer from the town.

Councilman Tony Langley said it is his understanding that IAWC has not yet presented a price that it would accept on the property.

The jury trial date on the case has been moved a couple of times and has been moved again to April 15-18 in Morgan County Superior Court with Hendricks County Judge Jeffrey Boles presiding. IAWC spokesman Joe Loughmiller said the water company also had appraisals done on the property. He said the Town of Mooresville has sent a second request to move the trial date back (it had been in May), but the court has not yet ruled on this.

Also on Tuesday, the town council voted to approve a replacement lawn mower for Mooresville Park & Recreation. Park superintendent Brent Callahan was not at the meeting, but had made the request to purchase a John Deere 1600 Turbo Series mower for a cost of $44,676. Callahan said the list price is usually around $60,000 for this 11-feet wide mower. He said with the current lawn mower having to cut 150 acres of grass a week over 10 years, it was ready to be traded in. The money will come from the non-reverting capital fund.

The council approved claims of $316,041.58.

By Amy Hillenburg | Reporter | Published February, 22nd 2014 in The Reporter Times