Town Manager Billy presented details and answered public questions on the proposed Heartland Park expansion — an amphitheater, destination-style splash pad, community rooms and related parking and traffic work — at the St. John Town Council meeting on June 25.

The presentation outlined a proposed bond issuance and preliminary operating projections and was followed by nearly a dozen public-comments, largely supportive of the project. The council then approved an agreement with Core Construction to serve as construction manager/general contractor for the project.

Town Manager Billy said the project team has been working on the plan for “over a year and a half” and summarized the financing and design responses assembled for residents. He said the bonds were expected “to provide at most approximately $19,300,000 in proceeds” and that the town allocated the remainder of the announced $19,800,000 principal amount to cover financing-related costs. He added that the town would not issue bonds until competitive bids were received and that if financing costs come in lower than the preliminary estimate, “the town will reduce the bond issuance accordingly to match the actual required amount.”

Financial adviser Greg Balsano of Baker Tilly said the tax-rate impact depends on assessed-value growth: “the higher the assessed value would grow, the lower the tax rate that would need be to support that debt service.” The presenters used a 3% net assessed-value growth assumption for long-term projections; they noted the town’s five-year average assessed-value growth was about 9.8 percent. Under the 3% scenario, presenters said the town debt-service tax rate would remain approximately neutral and that debt payments on the new bond would not begin until 2026, after an existing bond falls off at the end of 2025.

The presentation listed preliminary financing and operating figures: estimated preliminary financing-related costs of $455,000 (underwriting, bond counsel, municipal advisors, attorney fees and rating costs); estimated total interest of about $17,100,000 over 20 years under several rate scenarios; and a draft operating-and-maintenance budget for the facilities (personal services $100,000; supplies $10,000; services $100,000 — roughly $210,000 annually). The town said similar facilities in neighboring communities tend to be revenue producing and self-supporting.

Design and operations details: the amphitheater’s main area was estimated to hold about 2,500 people, with additional space in the entry plaza and covered pavilion; paved parking on the site was shown at roughly 350–370 spaces with overflow areas; the splash pad’s wetted area capacity was cited as about 100 active users and a total splash-pad area capacity of 300 users, plus a 120-user dry-play area. Staff said the splash pad will use a recirculation system (rather than a single-pass system) to reduce water use and operating cost. Project designers described the stage siting, existing vegetation and acoustical treatments intended to reduce noise toward nearby homes.

Health and safety controls: staff and the engineer said the splash pad will meet Indiana statutory requirements for splash-pad systems: turnover within a half-hour, continuous chlorination and UV disinfection monitoring and automatic shutdown if disinfection levels fall below the required parts-per-million threshold. The design team referenced a 6,000-gallon tank and a 750-gallons-per-minute pump in describing the control system.

Traffic and staging: a traffic study was completed for the intersection related to the proposed roundabout and project access; plans posted in the presentation showed added travel lanes on 100th and Ninth and a passing lane on White Oak, plus a secondary overflow entrance for large events. For large events, staff said on-site and off-duty police will be used for traffic and security.

Public comment and community response: multiple residents spoke in favor. Trevor Devries, a Precinct 4 committeeman, thanked staff for assembling the slide deck and materials that were posted for public review and said the packet helped answer many questions. Several parents — Andrea Avila, Rebecca Blanchard and Andrea Rivera — said they supported the splash pad and amphitheater as family amenities and cited the expectation that some user fees and nonresident rates would apply for some events. Jose (last name not specified), who identified himself as a father and a social worker, also voiced support.

Council action and next steps: after the presentation the council voted to approve a construction agreement with Core Construction and authorized the town-council president to sign the contract. Council members also approved a set of routine financial motions and appointments during the same meeting (see "Votes at a glance" below). Staff said designers and engineers will finalize plans before going to competitive bid; Core Construction said it would run outreach for bidders and seek to create competitive pricing during the formal procurement and scheduling phase.

Timeline and financial oversight: presenters emphasized that bonds would not be issued until bids and final financing terms are in place. Town staff reiterated that if actual financing costs are lower than the preliminary estimates, the town would reduce the principal amount issued to match the actual need. Staff also noted the town collects park-impact fees from new development to fund park projects and that some site features have been designed to limit excavation and reduce hauling of fill from the site.

Votes at a glance
- Approval of minutes (June 11, 2025): motion carried 5-0.
- Requests to Purchase (five items totaling $93,755.05): motion carried 5-0.
- Accounts Payable Voucher (06/25/2025, $1,346,927): motion carried 5-0.
- Agreement with Core Construction (construction manager/general contractor for Heartland Park expansion): motion carried 5-0; council president authorized to sign.
- Fire Merit Board appointments (Dawn Wheaton, Ray Sales, Rob Johnson): motion carried 5-0.
- Extension of Letter of Credit to Astoria ($6,654,298.75 to 08/18/2026): motion carried 5-0.
- Agreement with Crown Point Christian School for a School Resource Officer (08/01/2025–07/31/2027): motion carried 5-0.

The council closed the meeting with routine reports and reminders of upcoming events (Freedom Fest on July 5 and a pickleball ribbon-cutting on June 27). Staff said no bond closing or construction contract payments will occur until final bids and financing terms are complete and brought back to the council for any required approvals.