La Porte council introduces ARP appropriation, clears dormant fund and approves several budget transfers

The La Porte Common Council on Feb. 18, 2025, took several administrative and budgetary actions: the council introduced an ordinance for additional appropriations from the ARP Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund and set a public hearing, unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing the La Porte Little Theatre’s 100th anniversary, declared a property-maintenance fund dormant and authorized transfer of its balance to the general fund, and approved internal transfers within the 2025 budget.

Theatre resolution Councilwoman West introduced a resolution formally recognizing the La Porte Little Theatre’s 100th anniversary and asked that the resolution be read at the Little Theatre’s opening-house celebration on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. The council moved, seconded and approved the resolution by voice vote.

ARP additional-appropriation ordinance (first reading) Councilwoman Huffman introduced an ordinance for an additional appropriation from the ARP Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (fund 2401). The ordinance lists line items and amounts the city published in its affidavit of publication and scheduled a public hearing. The listed amounts in the ordinance are: • Bella Largo infrastructure: $150.62 • Park Street infrastructure: $89,050.00 • Shrewsdale / Clear Lake Loop: $497,797.23 • Ice Rank (fund code 2401-803-375): $11,084.60

City staff said the action was procedural to re-appropriate encumbered funds into the budget and opened a public-comment period during the ordinance hearing; no public speakers addressed the ordinance at the Feb. 18 meeting. The council set the next consideration/hearing date as March 3, 2025.

Property-maintenance fund declared dormant Councilwoman Konejny introduced a resolution declaring fund 50508 (property maintenance fund) dormant and transferring the remaining balance into the general fund 1101. The resolution states the fund balance is $65,848.44. Clerk-Treasurer Parthen explained the fund had been created to account for a duplicate assessment by the Department of Local Government Finance in 2024; the funds have now been received and the resolution moves the unencumbered balance into the general fund. The council approved the resolution by voice vote.

Transfers within 2025 budgets Councilman Galloway introduced a resolution transferring line-item amounts within 2025 budgets to cover essential services. Clerk-Treasurer Parthen read one example: a transfer of $83 from a professional-services line to an other-services line at the communications account, described in the meeting as a request from the communications director. The council approved the internal transfers by voice vote.

Other procedural business The council approved minutes as presented earlier in the meeting and closed with a reminder for residents to monitor state legislative proposals on property-tax relief; no substantive local policy changes were adopted on that topic during the session.

Votes at a glance • Minutes approval — motion passed (voice vote) • Resolution: La Porte Little Theatre centennial — approved (voice vote) • Ordinance (first reading): ARP additional appropriation (fund 2401) — introduced and set for public hearing on March 3, 2025 • Resolution: Declare fund 50508 dormant; transfer $65,848.44 to general fund 1101 — approved (voice vote) • Resolution: Transfers within 2025 budgets (includes an $83 transfer requested by communications director) — approved (voice vote)

No roll-call tallies were recorded in the minutes for these matters; actions were carried by voice vote with the meeting record showing the motions passed.