Redevelopment Commission approves contracts, easements and property acquisition; calendar change adopted

The St. Joseph County Redevelopment Commission on April 15 approved a package of contracts, easements and a property acquisition and revised its meeting calendar.

The commission approved minutes; professional services and amendments for broadband, roadway and water projects; a purchase of a 0.44-acre easement for the Smilax Road sewer project; a change order for a New Carlisle train-station study; two appraisals and a resolution to acquire 14266 Douglas Road; and a calendar change moving regular meetings back to the second Tuesday of each month.

Why it matters: the approvals advance multiple infrastructure projects — fiber expansion in the county’s southwest quadrant, intersection and roadway design in the AM General / Larison corridor, water-treatment plant coordination for industrial customers, and property control needed for future development — that will affect planning, utility extensions and right-of-way work in St. Joseph County.

Key outcomes and votes at a glance: - Approval of meeting minutes — motion carried (vote recorded as: Triola Aye; Volker Aye; Jordan Aye). - Professional services agreement with Choice Lite for phase 2 of the Southwest broadband/fiber project — motion carried (Triola Aye; Mulford Aye; Jordan Aye). - Lochmuller Group design contract for the Fillmore/Larison intersection and related roadway work, contract approx. $1.4 million — motion carried (Trellen Aye; Volker Aye; Jordan Yes). - Amendment No. 5 to Donahue (water engineering) adding $20,000 to the scope — motion carried (Triola Aye; Bolton Aye; Jordan Aye). - Change order (Antero) to advance the New Carlisle train-station study up to a $56,500 cap — motion carried (Preeland Aye; Fulford Aye; Dolker Aye). - Smilax Road easement purchase from Borden Land LLC (about 0.44 acres / ~20 feet width) for $34,870 — motion carried (Triola Aye; Volker Aye; Gonzales Aye). - Resolution 2025-04: transfer of a parcel at the southeast corner of Fillmore and Larison from the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners to the Redevelopment Commission for future redevelopment uses — motion carried (Friola Aye; Bullock Aye; Friola Aye as recorded). - Two appraisal engagements for 14266 Douglas Road (by Steve Zanti and by Iverson Grove), $500 each — motions carried (Trelland Aye; Goldberg Aye; Corwin Aye). - Resolution 2025-05: acquisition of 14266 Douglas Road using AM General TIF funds (appraisals averaged $214,500) — motion carried (Trelland Aye; Goldberg Aye; Corwin Aye). The recorded list price in the packet was spoken incompletely in the meeting and is listed below as “not specified.” - Calendar change: move regular RDC meetings to the second Tuesday of the month (beginning May) — motion carried (Ferrello Aye; Goldberg Aye; Jordan Aye).

Discussion notes and caveats: several votes followed staff presentations and routine motions; many roll-call tallies were given as names rather than total counts. Where the transcript did not state a mover or seconder by full name, the article lists the recorded outcome and the names the transcript recorded during roll call. Financial figures and program names were read from the staff packet in the meeting; when the record was unclear (for example the full list price read for 14266 Douglas Road), the article records the appraisal average and marks the list price as not specified rather than inferring a value.

Next steps: staff will proceed with procurement, design and easement closings as approved; several projects referenced follow-up public meetings and outside approvals (for example, matching grants or federal programs) noted in staff remarks but not decided at this meeting.

Votes and motions recorded in this summary are drawn from the public meeting transcript; where the transcript shows only partial information the text states that explicitly.