[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6258475,"mediaKeyId","3148205-fb1b4ef3f05b231dcbbf020d7a425a14","parentId",3148205,"title","Porter County commissioners approve bonds funds, construction payments, contracts and zoning changes in March 11 meeting","audioSeconds",1683,"startMs",716000,"endMs",2399000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148205-fb1b4ef3f05b231dcbbf020d7a425a14&start=716&end=2399","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148205-fb1b4ef3f05b231dcbbf020d7a425a14/thumbnail_716000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6258475/Porter-County/Indiana/Porter-County-commissioners-approve-bonds-funds-construction-payments-contracts-and-zoning-changes-in-March-11-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6258475-7f97393018921276d3ddb08efe21978a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773648744&Signature=ZMwG6wwYRz2Wy7aq0Pm03PHQnCRDwiHv0IVYtKI36H15OgatQ-GCNGgTzaAFOO9RGFDvwAmaPxTymszyBJLiMgS3aPmMDFocT4T3NJAS8lNj4pZfmifd~wzJFJZmwOovXP7lyQD1uct~-gbCumq4M4NXjQA13nBJVmIvIb6StMfT1s550L3VFIDheTduTDb9xMMbq0lN~M1FdnV9it-jpsLrnKoNTbuT4025YIiQkGgC~W4MC5Vi7dNXmztNdeK0bXSNpLMEa5xQa~FgW7FzT4G~QvlrnA2wf4CiImnv8~x8A3LTcczLpRisvheGFqEPXYz29zLjfP0aV1V1ZsBCDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Porter County IN","date","2025-04-28T15:37:16Z","article","The Porter County Board of Commissioners approved a series of ordinances, contracts, pay applications and project awards during its March 11 public meeting, taking routine and time‑sensitive actions across capital projects, procurement and land use.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance (second reading) establishing nonreverting fund 4607 to settle and pay the 2024 general obligation bond: approved on second reading.
- Ordinance (second reading) establishing nonreverting fund 4608 for construction and management of the 2024 general obligation bond: approved on second reading.
- Ordinance (first reading) establishing nonreverting fund 1120 for insurance proceeds to restore buildings: approved on first reading; public comment was solicited and none was received.
- MOU between the commissioners and the Portage Township Assessor for shared property audit services: approved.
- CivicPlus/MuniCode subscription for codification of ordinances ($1,500 with 10% yearly increase): approved.
- Tim Stoner: continued farm rental (approx. 10 acres on State Road 2) and acceptance of a $1,400 check for 2024: approved.
- Jail project: Corrales Roofing pay application No. 6 for $522,027.65: approved.
- Jail Phase II interior renovation: award recommendations accepted (Skillman recommendations for base bid plus alternates 1,3,5,6,7,8): approved.
- Highway pay applications: four pay applications approved (Gary Up Construction $443,175; Golf pay application $39,292; Bloomfield Mechanical $21,863.54; Circle R Mechanical $21,213.50).
- Election department: county staff requested an emergency declaration to expedite restoration and mitigation after a major water incident at 155 Franklin; commissioners discussed statutory limits on emergency procurement and procedures; the county moved forward with mitigation planning and will seek necessary approvals per statute.
- Zoning map amendment (second reading): petition by Timothy and Ginger Murphy to rezone a Marion Acres lot from high‑intensity commercial/residential lake district to low‑density single‑family (R1): approved on second reading.

Selected contract and project details

Construction and facilities

- Jail roofing pay application: the board approved Corrales Roofing pay application No. 6 in the amount of $522,027.65.

- Jail Phase II (interior renovations): the county opened bids on March 4 across seven bid categories. Skillman, working with county and jail staff, recommended awarding the base bid and alternates 1, 3, 5, 6 and two no‑cost alternates recommended by jail staff; the board approved the recommendation.

- Highway projects and garage: the board approved four highway pay applications (amounts listed above). County staff said the overall completion target for the new garage remains October, with administration, maintenance and truck parking areas targeted for turnover by August, weather permitting.

Repairs and renovations

- JDC (juvenile detention center) and courthouse work: approvals included design and engineering agreements and purchase requests: American Structurepoint professional engineering services for exterior concrete/ADA/access waterproofing at 155–157 Franklin Street ($27,433); LED wall pack purchase with All Phase Electric ($1,842.05); DLZ architectural/engineering services for shower upgrades at the JDC ($15,000); Bergen/Bergland Construction loading dock repair at the JDC ($34,080); K2 Construction office renovations on the fifth floor for victim assistance ($16,833.91); and a contractor‑grade layout tool (OSIER 2 Pro) for $899.

Administrative contracts

- The board approved an annual on‑call agreement with USI Consultants for engineering, right‑of‑way and construction services through the end of 2025 and amended the not‑to‑exceed amount for this agreement to $5,000 to complete a specific open task order. A task order (1B) with USI to assist documentation on Bridge 168 utility‑delay issues was approved not to exceed $5,000.

- The board approved the MOU allowing the Portage Township Assessor to utilize consultants and experts engaged by the county assessor while each office retains statutory responsibilities; costs for work performed are to be borne by the requesting office.

Bridge change orders and NDOT settlements

- Bridge 131 (County Road 200 West over Damon Run): NDOT change order No. 2 finalized contract quantities and increased the project by $77,526.04, for a new contract total of $1,237,840.50; commissioners approved the change order.

- Bridge 168 (Bremer Road over Little Calumet River): the final NDOT claim settlement resolving a contractor claim related to utility delays totaled $175,827.69. Commissioners approved change order No. 9 to finalize contract costs; county staff said they will continue to investigate whether some costs can be recouped from other parties.

Housekeeping and public services

- Tire collection/household hazardous‑waste events: the board approved use of the Port of the Expo site for tire collection events on May 3 and Oct. 11; the events will include household hazardous‑waste collection, paint and car battery drop‑off options under state rules for tire amnesty.

Process notes: election building water damage and insurance proceeds

County staff reported a catastrophic water incident at the Election Department’s location (155 Franklin) on Feb. 16 that displaced staff and required off‑site testing of electronic voter equipment. Staff asked the commissioners to formally declare an emergency to allow immediate mitigation work where bid/quote timelines would otherwise delay response. The county attorney and staff reviewed Indiana Code procurement provisions (cited in discussion as Title 36 provisions for emergency procurement and the need for cost‑control attempts); staff said they would gather quotes where possible, proceed on true emergencies and bring retroactive approvals to the board when required.

Why it matters: the board’s approvals keep construction and capital projects moving, enable urgent repairs after the election‑office water incident, and finalize bridge settlements with NDOT that affect county transportation budgets. Several items (award agreements, NDOT settlements and insurance‑related work) have follow‑up steps requiring documentation, vendor oversight and, in some cases, further pursuit of cost recovery.

Ending: Board members closed the business portion of the meeting after a public‑comment opportunity with no speakers. Many of the approved items carry downstream administrative tasks — contract oversight, reimbursement documentation and further council-level appropriations — that county staff said they will manage in the coming weeks.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners - March 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Porter County Board of Commissioners approved a series of ordinances, contracts, pay applications and project awards during its March 11 public meeting, taking routine and time‑sensitive actions across capital projects, procurement and land use.","taxTitle","Porter County, Indiana","taxId",12891,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6258480,"Commissioners approve 2025 employee‑benefits strategic plan; committee to study one alternative and defer another",1223,1093000,2316000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148205-fb1b4ef3f05b231dcbbf020d7a425a14&start=1093&end=2316","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148205-fb1b4ef3f05b231dcbbf020d7a425a14/thumbnail_1093000.jpg","/articles/6258480/Porter-County/Indiana/Commissioners-approve-2025-employeebenefits-strategic-plan-committee-to-study-one-alternative-and-defer-another","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6258480-985bd8e76a0a1f3f514adf4a9bcf87f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1773648744&Signature=KVpo7wlMnXoadlcMKrDgAWkY~mbOF91Jj~tAfTZalE5epuMabtSylp5koJW-wPYngqL4eYdg1Di~LfJCUPzUzh42gskNEMr3UYUeW~JdwHvtv8UpdTLYpimBlh2YQFwzEBocEZxB-8y9Eshs-Ny~3AmFV~np~7ADM3TgPadIhta~4lhaLfdGuII5w99-NDw1nAsqMaX1Zi20Ns7u3tzRomMD7rqFMPYwzGRX0-kHbU1cOFg-2oKA8lErHnO0DNhKbuuepyl7pAElQ1dWlvkxm47Gs-a7F9NlHt1hAoMFsHGC~Voyk4O3Nq-W~MnC9pwa1f9BZDYFYgvDsn7v~xuaRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Porter County commissioners voted March 11 to approve a 2025 strategic plan for employee benefits and to ask the benefits review panel to examine one alternative financing option while setting aside a second, more disruptive option for later consideration.

Candace Arthon, employee benefits advisor with General Insurance Services (GIS), presented the plan and outlined four focus areas: plan design, employee engagement, provider management and health‑plan administration. Arthon told the board the plan schedules vendor and program reviews across the year and noted that substantial changes would have long implementation runways — often into 2026.

During discussion commissioners and staff cautioned against radical mid‑year changes. Arthon and county staff explained the options under consideration: offering Anthem as a third‑party administrator alternative to the county’s current TPA (UMR) and exploring two more disruptive cost‑containment approaches — an individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement (ICRA) and reference‑based pricing. Staff described reference‑based pricing as potentially disruptive because it does not rely on a negotiated network and can shift billed balances to members; they said the county previously used a reference‑based approach and encountered billing and collection issues for employees.

After discussion Commissioner Ricknitz moved to approve the strategic plan with a specific instruction: include item 7 (the individual coverage HRA option) for committee study this year and remove item 8 (reference‑based pricing) from the committee’s work plan for 2025. A second was recorded and the motion passed unanimously.

Key details discussed on record:

- GIS advised the county’s stop‑loss reinsurance remains the program’s key guardrail; the panel evaluates stop‑loss and out‑of‑pocket structures ahead of the October 1 renewal cycle. Arthon said the county’s historical specific stop‑loss attachment was $175,000 per covered person (figures provided during the meeting).

- The committee will review pharmacy benefit manager contracts, the county’s TPA performance and network arrangements in quarter 2; any contract or design changes would be brought back to the board for formal approval.

- GIS stated its consulting work is included in the county’s existing consulting agreement and that the strategic plan work would not generate an additional charge to the county this year.

Why it matters: commissioners flagged rising health‑care costs and the need to balance cost containment with predictable member experience. The board’s direction narrows the committee’s near‑term work to options GIS and staff consider less disruptive while preserving a review of newer individual coverage approaches.

Ending: Staff and GIS will proceed with the quarter‑by‑quarter review schedule; any vendor or plan changes that emerge from the committee’s work will return to the board for public consideration and formal approval.","Porter County approved a strategic plan to guide employee benefits reviews in 2025, directing the benefits committee to evaluate an individual coverage HRA option (number 7) but not to pursue reference‑based pricing (number 8) this year.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6258485,"Porter County awards $125,000 in opioid settlement funds to five local recovery and prevention programs",543,146000,689000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148205-fb1b4ef3f05b231dcbbf020d7a425a14&start=146&end=689","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148205-fb1b4ef3f05b231dcbbf020d7a425a14/thumbnail_146000.jpg","/articles/6258485/Porter-County/Indiana/Porter-County-awards-125000-in-opioid-settlement-funds-to-five-local-recovery-and-prevention-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6258485-0412d84a4bacbc7dcf3b58a4d64bdeb4/orig.mp4?Expires=1773648744&Signature=kzNOFh30tQGf0dfRiF4x35ARcf9qVhVy8NfTNo5q5TRIAfLKvwVqlSmuHQKygj9QYGM45Ie1JstR8sL4tKGXVRxDQYXbi4QduMGiou85MH0SImAcV2hmUfsZuw28QHusjpy3O60X1VFfFSwP56KFP~PuUIJD0P2TBRw0~JyP7~bjkB6gWZpzmHPhSwnLcWrvmmIzXZmWYsLtXB9W5lYV5Fd0Z0OSmbJzCLvbTO1-8AcAXXPXr6m8AE1yi8Sz79H5oTypDrIttKDM6MtmCxYmVbZyVkLj-1vJ7MT-U~OHon11OwJNqLwTjr6zwORLCLODm9HbboxqDslqrPaD9-M4Fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Porter County commissioners on March 11 approved distributing $125,000 in opioid settlement funds to five local organizations, county staff said during a brief presentation at the start of the meeting.

Megan Wyshinsky, the county’s nominated president of the opioid settlement awards committee, told the board the county calculated the recommended distribution by dividing the county’s anticipated settlement receipts through 2038 into a 14‑year allotment and identifying up to five recipients for this round. The committee recommended five organizations for awards this cycle; the agenda and presenters did not list per‑recipient dollar amounts.

The recipients scheduled to receive awards, and the brief uses they described to the commissioners, were:

- Doonland School Corporation (Chelsea Bramfeld, Student Support Services Coordinator): funding for school‑based prevention and education, student mental‑health supports and a diversion program for students affected by substance misuse.

- The Caring Place (Jessica Luth): expanded women’s recovery services, transportation, group services and aftercare/continuum‑of‑care supports.

- Portage Recovery Association (Jake Manhoo, president): support for a new 15,000‑square‑foot facility in Portage, a resource area for employment help, a library, fitness space and other free wellness supports.

- 320 Recovery (Alan Gresula, executive director): expansion of multiple recovery pathways including art, music, fitness, faith and the \"brain paint\" program, with services offered at no cost to participants.

- Maureen House (application noted): requested funds for house repairs and remodeling for sober living (committee summary indicated an award recommendation; a representative was not quoted on the record).

Wyshinsky told the board the county received applications from 10 organizations, invited seven to present, and limited awards to a maximum of five recipients to reduce administrative burden. She said the committee includes one commissioner, two county council members and two citizen appointments and that the committee followed a reimbursement process with the auditor’s office; organizations must submit documentation to be reimbursed, Wyshinsky said.

Commissioners moved and approved the awards on a unanimous voice vote. The recipients will also appear before the county council at the end of the month for the council’s formal action on the awards, Wyshinsky said.

Why it matters: the settlement funds stem from litigation against pharmaceutical manufacturers and retailers; the county is managing the receipts as a multi‑year stream through 2038 and is using a committee process to allocate annualized amounts to local prevention and recovery efforts. The recipients described uses aimed at prevention in schools, expanded recovery services and improvements to sober‑living housing.

Ending: County staff said the awardees will follow the county’s reimbursement process and will present the same summaries to the county council later in the month. The meeting record did not list recipient dollar amounts or a detailed grant agreement; those details will be on file with the county council agenda and the auditor’s reimbursement records.","The Porter County Board of Commissioners approved distribution of $125,000 from opioid settlement funds to five local organizations for prevention, recovery services and sober‑living repairs; per‑recipient amounts were not specified in the meeting record.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Porter County commissioners approve bonds funds, construction payments, contracts and zoning changes in March 11 meeting

Commissioners approve 2025 employee‑benefits strategic plan; committee to study one alternative and defer another

Porter County awards $125,000 in opioid settlement funds to five local recovery and prevention programs