Merrillville council adopts fee and fund changes, approves cleaning contract and park grant assurances

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. — The Merrillville Town Council on April 8 adopted a package of municipal updates and contracts affecting town finance and parks, voting in favor of new fee rules, revised fund language and a cleaning contract for the Dean and Barbara White Community Center.

The council passed Ordinance 25-06, which amends Planning and Building Department fees; Ordinance 25-07, which clarifies advance payment for board/commission allowances related to parks and recreation; Ordinance 25-09, which separates federal and local forfeiture/seized-asset funds; and Ordinance 25-10, which updates the town’s rainy day fund language under Indiana Code 36-1-8-5.1. All four ordinances were approved on second reading with roll-call votes recorded as six in favor.

Town staff and council members said the changes were largely housekeeping to align local code with state law and to make the town eligible for federal grant programs. “If you pass this ordinance, you’re going to fix all of that,” Michael Griffin told the council about the forfeiture fund split, describing it as necessary bookkeeping to match external-audit and federal expectations.

The council also approved Resolution 25-20, adopting assurances required to be eligible for certain federal recreation grant programs. Griffin said the inclusion of the U.S. Department of the Interior assurance in the resolution is intended to make Merrillville eligible for the upcoming round of grant money from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Separately the council authorized a new custodial contract for the Dean and Barbara White Community Center. Councilor Keisha (Jerry/first name not specified in the record) described the contract as a pilot deep-clean service; the council moved to begin with the “basic” plan, which a council member read as $3,068 per month, with a higher “deluxe” option also listed in the contract documents. Council members emphasized the in-house custodial crew will continue daytime duties and the contract covers overnight deep-cleaning tasks and reach work for high areas.

The council acknowledged receipt of the Redevelopment Commission annual report — a statutory filing that requires only acknowledgment on the public record — and approved the consent agenda, which included accounts payable registers and minutes.

What the council voted on (selected items): - Ordinance 25-06 (Planning & Building fees): Adopted, roll call 6–0. - Ordinance 25-07 (Advance payment of board/commission allowances): Adopted, roll call 6–0. - Ordinance 25-09 (Federal vs. local forfeiture/seized asset funds): Adopted, roll call 6–0. - Ordinance 25-10 (Rainy day fund language per IC 36-1-8-5.1): Adopted, roll call 6–0. - Resolution 25-20 (Park authority grant assurances including Architectural Barriers Act recitals): Approved, voice vote; signed documents to follow. - Custodial contract for Dean and Barbara White Community Center (basic service pilot): Approved, motion carried.

The council heard regular committee reports, including updates on gateway signage invoicing, street department paving and speed-hump installations, stormwater MS4 reporting and an upcoming audit, and special events such as Easter and Fourth of July planning.

The council will meet next on April 22; the Redevelopment Commission meets April 22 at 6:15 p.m.

Note: This article reports formal actions and vote tallies as recorded in the meeting minutes and roll-call votes. It does not infer future spending beyond motions approved by the council.