[{"_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",6532688,"mediaKeyId","3846285-2d1b85277b3d8f9879f0e10c02aca8f6","parentId",3846285,"title","Residents urge ordinance against 'screaming' roosters and raise concerns about New Urbanism conference","audioSeconds",245,"startMs",2626000,"endMs",2871000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3846285-2d1b85277b3d8f9879f0e10c02aca8f6&start=2626&end=2871","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3846285-2d1b85277b3d8f9879f0e10c02aca8f6/thumbnail_2626000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6532688/Elkhart-County/Indiana/Residents-urge-ordinance-against-screaming-roosters-and-raise-concerns-about-New-Urbanism-conference","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6532688-350a074ae24e6e6d373603e4005f71a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1774961795&Signature=KKmJjgAuEj57xHMDAATbGj-EXOu~AnunRw8R0GGBlHyqkTnmZUDx1sKOMkyKCZRWOLfIuBNK01Odpwb6Qnb5KetPpe8fSl5OYMXYXDsIs484xCCKkpFva3MZn93b6VIhj6USrX8z7D3uvf97-PNTHLinCVVOGozVHrXFZ8~grgand-Fho4RRt1cW~pc5zivqiRtay2PMt3lwXTIyke1VpM9D09Xc-MOH1Athz4ETEmX0Kdmu~TuXJFJDSuOb~UO394ImDAnw6W6yTeQhL9HeCxhR0rebCrI6h9jOQHiid4mC652wC1Tyxo0JRdoda~aYyhJIf6lIF3eXwmdXdOg6dQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Elkhart County","date","2025-06-16T14:18:43.457Z","article","Three members of the public spoke during privilege of the floor at the June 16 meeting, pressing the commissioners on local ordinance enforcement and expressing concern about a county-sponsored or Foundation-funded planning conference.

Robert \"Bob\" Bridal told commissioners he was summoned to court June 19 over a long-running dispute about a neighbor's roosters. Bridal said he traveled from Florida to appear and asked the county to provide \"some kind of a notification\" or ordinance backing to support his court case. He said the birds have been a problem for about three years, that he has spent roughly $8,000 on windows to reduce noise and that sheriff's citations have not resolved the issue. Bridal said he was seeking a local ordinance or enforcement tool that would allow the county to address concentrated areas where the noise is a problem while not eliminating roosters countywide.

Cindy Hyczyk (transcript shows variant spellings) of Goshen urged commissioners to review the county’s participation in a Congress for the New Urbanism event (reported earlier on the agenda as travel for planning staff). Hyczyk said the Community Foundation had funded attendance and argued that New Urbanism materials contain language aligned with \"15-minute city\" concepts and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11. She requested the commissioners and planning staff examine the materials and be aware of what the conference advocates. Her comments presented concerns about the Foundation's influence and urged transparency on county engagement with ideas she characterized as restructuring suburbs into denser neighborhoods.

The speakers' statements were recorded as public comment; the board did not take formal action on either request during the meeting. Commissioners acknowledged the remarks and closed privilege of the floor after public comment concluded.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Elkhart County Live Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","During the privilege-of-the-floor period, a resident asked commissioners for help enforcing or creating a noise ordinance related to roosters and another resident urged caution about county participation in a New Urbanism event, linking it to 15-minute-city concepts promoted by outside foundations.","taxTitle","Elkhart County, Indiana","taxId",5801,"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},6532693,"Commissioners approve multiple infrastructure, planning and contract measures, and TIF appropriations",1097,1419000,2516000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3846285-2d1b85277b3d8f9879f0e10c02aca8f6&start=1419&end=2516","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3846285-2d1b85277b3d8f9879f0e10c02aca8f6/thumbnail_1419000.jpg","/articles/6532693/Elkhart-County/Indiana/Commissioners-approve-multiple-infrastructure-planning-and-contract-measures-and-TIF-appropriations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6532693-c8569ea7bbe6daa0c92b71dd42457655/orig.mp4?Expires=1774961795&Signature=QCrW4oihMsqj~VIzd3bRhiUYvwb6-owymEaTYNzDXXQNxkY~OFLSsg504TXJ7OgGODGWFAgD6YOea2YEV7~DbatekGRa382az7-zgffFdF5xSn2cHigaBaA0U6xHyeQ2BxZM72UFUr80aHmdpNoJeLLrrJxi1QeStCrBNqMbOnl7HHBHmf4Rl~IoALERFNKXbm-Kuw86HSM1SmQlYGGpjDj1E~YKlSwLQbVd~QwJpZ38iNzwUahwdxjFM9cVb05PdOiwhxac6RmU5ygFXCH4YTcpW2kkZoWDy34UvoULdpuJkkSQQbMKShg4ajcNA0wNEeCSOoshjYu7luGwUp36JA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners on June 16 approved a package of development, infrastructure and contract actions, including tax-increment financing (TIF) appropriations, subdivision approvals, multiple contract amendments and an emergency contractor task order for a jail boiler burner replacement.

Key approvals included a request to forward an $880,000 appropriation from the State Road 13 Interchange TIF for final design and bid documents to construct sewer to serve the Sabre 13 Middlebury Interchange project; two secondary plats for Falcon's Lair at Barrington (Phase 4, 18 lots; Phase 5, 17 lots) in Jackson Township; an INDOT Local Public Agency contract for County Road 17 Phase 1A (between County Road 38 and County Road 42); and several contract amendments and supplemental agreements for engineering services.

County staff told commissioners the $880,000 TIF appropriation has been approved by the county Redevelopment Commission (RDC) and will go to County Council for final approval. Two other TIF requests carried at the meeting: $165,000 from County Road 6/17 Improvement TIF for final design to complete the PCR water project and $125,000 for final design and bid documents for Lily Creek Greenway construction (to bid in 2026). A $250,000 South Benton TIF appropriation for an initial payment toward Bridge 332 was tabled because planning commission approval for the related TIF expansion had not yet been obtained.

The highway department presented contract amendments with Lochmuller Group for County Road 17 design work (additional $49,700) and a reduction to close out the US 33 multi-use path project (a contract underrun of $3,871.51). The board approved a supplemental agreement with Butler, Fairman & Seufert (listed in the record as Butler, Fairman, and Sufert Incorporated) increasing the bridge inspection and inventory contract by $84,183, raising the not-to-exceed total from $557,011 to $641,194. Staff said that change reflected federal inspection-coding rule updates that moved several bridges from 24-month to 12-month inspection cycles, increasing the inspection count from about 16 to 25 bridges requiring annual review.

In planning matters, the board approved a DPUD amendment for Jonas and Mary Ellen Zimmerman (represented by Creative Design Solutions) to add a building onto an existing DPUD and both phases of the Falcon's Lair at Barrington subdivision (represented by Innovative Communities for Miller Silver LLC). County planning staff and the plat committee recommended approval for those items and reported no remonstrators at the public hearings.

Other actions approved included routine items such as approval of minutes for June 9, allowance of payroll and regular claims, and authorization to submit a two-year tobacco cessation grant renewal ($350,000 total; $175,000 per year) to fund positions including a tobacco control coordinator and a vaping-prevention coordinator. Health staff noted the grant-funded positions would end if the grant is not renewed.

The board also approved a verification notice to proceed for Elkhart Project LLC concerning a renewable gas project at the landfill (the item will go to County Council on Thursday for final approval) and ratified an independent contractor agreement and task order with WJO Chicago LLC for an emergency burner replacement on jail steam boilers, which had been approved under an emergency declaration at a June 10 meeting.

Most votes on these items were unanimous; a single item (South Benton TIF payment toward Bridge 332) was tabled.

","At the June 16 meeting the Elkhart County commissioners approved a series of planning, engineering and funding actions including TIF appropriations, contract amendments, roadway and subdivision approvals, and an emergency contractor task order for the jail boiler burner replacement.",{"_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},6532698,"Commissioners appoint Dan Holtz to Elkhart Public Library board after debate",1494,1123000,2617000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3846285-2d1b85277b3d8f9879f0e10c02aca8f6&start=1123&end=2617","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3846285-2d1b85277b3d8f9879f0e10c02aca8f6/thumbnail_1123000.jpg","/articles/6532698/Elkhart-County/Indiana/Commissioners-appoint-Dan-Holtz-to-Elkhart-Public-Library-board-after-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6532698-f9840addab5d37a292d2e95f181e1b7c/orig.mp4?Expires=1774961795&Signature=iirca09At1L0R-BVHEGOxTbnJsqU4KNi2kf9dR2qSX1CDH2ieYW1wYhhIqiBufRx2ZvIcNxzL3A09CJUSad~OBMC3tV8KDwKeY-pOay14TkA1e8Cseg1AERhUHVyCuUT1NO1gZdqCoaHTmkzW-fPhjDoEqGZVPiG4t2e7p9k6eNlj-7UvjSm4VJM0uVX7xvPLMvn3FSOwYCRVD7awlKvZ-UEH~o-YycPj6UIEOWr6vbKAnnDV4QoNWePLpXJOZb2XcFcwqAjdYNoZipEHgo4lEIYpcKDVhWA3JshSXOORVNwjDjmdAmDpyvnMAlMqUrUUtXZefyijiEDJ7o2k6wahA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners on June 16 appointed Dan Holtz to the Elkhart Public Library Board by a 2–1 vote after a brief public discussion and statements from the applicant and library staff.

The appointment fills a seat on the library's board of trustees as the system searches for a replacement for its recently retired executive director. Commissioners Bradley D. Rogers and Commissioner Lawrence voted to approve the appointment; one commissioner voted against it, producing the 2–1 result.

A commissioner who opposed the appointment said Holtz \"is not an appropriate board member for this at this time,\" citing concerns raised in conversations with other board members, irregular meeting attendance and a tendency to \"not stay on task and out of the weeds.\" That commissioner added that the library currently needs a trustee experienced in transitions between executive directors and with more direct library governance experience.

Dan Holtz addressed the board before the vote, saying he is \"nearly a lifelong resident of Elkhart County\" and describing experience he said would be relevant to the board: two years with a legislative general assembly, three years in municipal bond underwriting at Merrill Lynch and experience in both private industry and government finance. For the record he gave his address as 22665 Greenleaf Boulevard, Elkhart, Indiana 46514.

Kevin Kilmer, director of branch and technical services for the Elkhart Public Library, read a letter from interim executive director Mary Beth Schlabach thanking county commissioners for their consideration and praising Jennifer Nielsen Mulvaney for 12 years of service on the board. Kilmer said the library looks forward to working with Holtz.

The motion to appoint Holtz was moved and seconded on the floor; the board used a roll-call vote that showed Rogers and Lawrence in favor and the opposing commissioner against, resulting in the 2–1 approval.

The library appointment is final at the county-commission level; no additional conditions were stated at the meeting.

","The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners voted 2–1 June 16 to appoint Dan Holtz to the Elkhart Public Library Board after a commissioner raised concerns about Holtz's past board attendance and meeting style. Supporters cited his financial background and experience.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents urge ordinance against 'screaming' roosters and raise concerns about New Urbanism conference

Commissioners approve multiple infrastructure, planning and contract measures, and TIF appropriations

Commissioners appoint Dan Holtz to Elkhart Public Library board after debate