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Resident asks council for documents on private water agreement alleged to involve Trump Jr. partners
Summary
A resident asked the council when an annexation tied to a private water agreement would be processed, whether the town is following Indiana's public-private agreement rules, and requested documents via a public-records request.
Steven Jarzombek, a St. John resident, asked the Town Council for clarity and public documents relating to an agreement the council recently accepted that he said involves a group represented by Donald Trump Jr.
Jarzombek said a newsletter reported that the partnership owns land near Indiana Christian High School and that the partnership planned to annex property that could support four wells. He cited inconsistent public statements about the property's location and ownership and the absence of publicly noticed planning steps. He asked when the annexation would commence, whether the property is contiguous to town limits, and who determined the parcel could support four wells.
Jarzombek also asked whether the arrangement would qualify under Indiana Code 5-23, which governs public-private agreements, and whether the town would follow the chapter's requirements for requesting proposals and making final agreements available for public inspection before acceptance. He said he submitted a public-records request for the agreement documents the prior week and expects to receive them.
Council members did not provide additional documents during the meeting. Town staff did not answer the substantive questions on the record beyond offering to meet with residents and reminding the public that annexations involve public hearings; no formal council action occurred on the matter at the meeting.
