Porter County commissioners approve bonds funds, construction payments, contracts and zoning changes in March 11 meeting

The Porter County Board of Commissioners approved a series of ordinances, contracts, pay applications and project awards during its March 11 public meeting, taking routine and time‑sensitive actions across capital projects, procurement and land use.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance (second reading) establishing nonreverting fund 4607 to settle and pay the 2024 general obligation bond: approved on second reading. - Ordinance (second reading) establishing nonreverting fund 4608 for construction and management of the 2024 general obligation bond: approved on second reading. - Ordinance (first reading) establishing nonreverting fund 1120 for insurance proceeds to restore buildings: approved on first reading; public comment was solicited and none was received. - MOU between the commissioners and the Portage Township Assessor for shared property audit services: approved. - CivicPlus/MuniCode subscription for codification of ordinances ($1,500 with 10% yearly increase): approved. - Tim Stoner: continued farm rental (approx. 10 acres on State Road 2) and acceptance of a $1,400 check for 2024: approved. - Jail project: Corrales Roofing pay application No. 6 for $522,027.65: approved. - Jail Phase II interior renovation: award recommendations accepted (Skillman recommendations for base bid plus alternates 1,3,5,6,7,8): approved. - Highway pay applications: four pay applications approved (Gary Up Construction $443,175; Golf pay application $39,292; Bloomfield Mechanical $21,863.54; Circle R Mechanical $21,213.50). - Election department: county staff requested an emergency declaration to expedite restoration and mitigation after a major water incident at 155 Franklin; commissioners discussed statutory limits on emergency procurement and procedures; the county moved forward with mitigation planning and will seek necessary approvals per statute. - Zoning map amendment (second reading): petition by Timothy and Ginger Murphy to rezone a Marion Acres lot from high‑intensity commercial/residential lake district to low‑density single‑family (R1): approved on second reading.

Selected contract and project details

Construction and facilities

- Jail roofing pay application: the board approved Corrales Roofing pay application No. 6 in the amount of $522,027.65.

- Jail Phase II (interior renovations): the county opened bids on March 4 across seven bid categories. Skillman, working with county and jail staff, recommended awarding the base bid and alternates 1, 3, 5, 6 and two no‑cost alternates recommended by jail staff; the board approved the recommendation.

- Highway projects and garage: the board approved four highway pay applications (amounts listed above). County staff said the overall completion target for the new garage remains October, with administration, maintenance and truck parking areas targeted for turnover by August, weather permitting.

Repairs and renovations

- JDC (juvenile detention center) and courthouse work: approvals included design and engineering agreements and purchase requests: American Structurepoint professional engineering services for exterior concrete/ADA/access waterproofing at 155–157 Franklin Street ($27,433); LED wall pack purchase with All Phase Electric ($1,842.05); DLZ architectural/engineering services for shower upgrades at the JDC ($15,000); Bergen/Bergland Construction loading dock repair at the JDC ($34,080); K2 Construction office renovations on the fifth floor for victim assistance ($16,833.91); and a contractor‑grade layout tool (OSIER 2 Pro) for $899.

Administrative contracts

- The board approved an annual on‑call agreement with USI Consultants for engineering, right‑of‑way and construction services through the end of 2025 and amended the not‑to‑exceed amount for this agreement to $5,000 to complete a specific open task order. A task order (1B) with USI to assist documentation on Bridge 168 utility‑delay issues was approved not to exceed $5,000.

- The board approved the MOU allowing the Portage Township Assessor to utilize consultants and experts engaged by the county assessor while each office retains statutory responsibilities; costs for work performed are to be borne by the requesting office.

Bridge change orders and NDOT settlements

- Bridge 131 (County Road 200 West over Damon Run): NDOT change order No. 2 finalized contract quantities and increased the project by $77,526.04, for a new contract total of $1,237,840.50; commissioners approved the change order.

- Bridge 168 (Bremer Road over Little Calumet River): the final NDOT claim settlement resolving a contractor claim related to utility delays totaled $175,827.69. Commissioners approved change order No. 9 to finalize contract costs; county staff said they will continue to investigate whether some costs can be recouped from other parties.

Housekeeping and public services

- Tire collection/household hazardous‑waste events: the board approved use of the Port of the Expo site for tire collection events on May 3 and Oct. 11; the events will include household hazardous‑waste collection, paint and car battery drop‑off options under state rules for tire amnesty.

Process notes: election building water damage and insurance proceeds

County staff reported a catastrophic water incident at the Election Department’s location (155 Franklin) on Feb. 16 that displaced staff and required off‑site testing of electronic voter equipment. Staff asked the commissioners to formally declare an emergency to allow immediate mitigation work where bid/quote timelines would otherwise delay response. The county attorney and staff reviewed Indiana Code procurement provisions (cited in discussion as Title 36 provisions for emergency procurement and the need for cost‑control attempts); staff said they would gather quotes where possible, proceed on true emergencies and bring retroactive approvals to the board when required.

Why it matters: the board’s approvals keep construction and capital projects moving, enable urgent repairs after the election‑office water incident, and finalize bridge settlements with NDOT that affect county transportation budgets. Several items (award agreements, NDOT settlements and insurance‑related work) have follow‑up steps requiring documentation, vendor oversight and, in some cases, further pursuit of cost recovery.

Ending: Board members closed the business portion of the meeting after a public‑comment opportunity with no speakers. Many of the approved items carry downstream administrative tasks — contract oversight, reimbursement documentation and further council-level appropriations — that county staff said they will manage in the coming weeks.