Commission approves $36,037.37 for Lewis Cass High School agriscience equipment and irrigation

The Logansport Redevelopment Commission approved Resolution 2025-318 to allocate $36,037.37 from the industrial park (TIF) fund to Lewis Cass High School for equipment and infrastructure to support its agriculture and FFA programs.

Taylor Plank, an agriculture teacher at Lewis Cass High School, and Lily Yaks, the school's FFA president, presented the request. Plank described classroom and greenhouse uses for the equipment and said the greenhouse was built in 2014 through a Community Foundation grant. "We'd love to have her back and maybe maybe one day she'll replace Mike," Plank said about program continuity when introducing students and staff. Yaks outlined enrollment and program reach: she said about 220 students — roughly 46.5% of grades 8–12 combined — take agricultural classes.

The request listed items including a tiller, hoses, a misting/timer system for the greenhouse, galvanized greenhouse tables, and multiple welders for the school's Ag Mechanics program. Plank told the commission the school expects to hire contractors to install a new water line and hydrant to extend water service to a relocated garden area; the proposal did not include a firm installation quote. A commissioner asked whether the school would pay installation costs; Plank said they expected to hire a company but had not included installation estimates because those quotes were not yet available.

Commission discussion addressed program eligibility under state code for educational training uses and the specific source of funds: a commissioner explained the Indiana statute authorizing distributions of TIF‑generated educational dollars and said 15% of industrial park revenue is the statutory base for distributions. Staff summarized last year's industrial park TIF revenue as $296,603 and said 15% of that amount would be $44,490 — the maximum distributable under the cited formula for the period referenced. The commissioners noted Lewis Cass is the primary school district for the industrial park.

A motion to approve Resolution 2025‑318, allocating $36,037.37 from the industrial park fund for the Lewis Cass High School Arboretum and program equipment, was made and seconded. One commissioner stated an abstention because the proposed purchases included items from the commissioner's store; the commission then approved the resolution by voice vote.

The commission's staff advised the school to submit paid invoices for reimbursement or have vendors invoice the commission directly; staff said reimbursements are typically completed within about two weeks once invoices are provided.

No additional conditions or implementation dates were specified in the presentation beyond the direction to provide invoices for reimbursement.