St. John council adopts multiple ordinances to enable TIF financing, updates EMS fees; approves consultants and hears 40‑acre park concept

The Town Council of St. John on Jan. 22 adopted a series of ordinances and resolutions to advance housing and infrastructure projects, updated emergency medical services fees, authorized consultant contracts and heard a concept plan for a town park on a 40-acre parcel donated last year. Council votes on recorded motions were unanimous where stated.

On second reading the council adopted Ordinance 1849, authorizing the town to issue one or more series of economic development tax-increment revenue bonds to finance housing projects to be located in the St. John Economic Development Area 4. The motion to adopt carried 4–0. The council also adopted Ordinance 1850 on second reading, which designates areas within the town’s economic development target areas (motion carried 4–0), and Ordinance 1852 on second reading establishing allocation funds for deposit of tax-increment revenues collected by the Lake County Auditor for Economic Development Areas 1–4 and St. John Commons (motion carried 4–0).

Separately, the council moved Ordinance 1851, which amends the town code section on Emergency Medical Services rates and fees. The council approved 1851 on first reading, suspended rules and adopted it on second reading at the same meeting; the measure passed 4–0.

The council also approved a package of professional services and contracts: it retained Joseph Spethnoff (listed in the record as town attorney) for 2025; approved legal services for the Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals with Adam Decker; retained Baker Tilly as town financial advisor for 2025; and authorized McAlpine Engineering and Robinson Engineering for 2025 engineering services (motion carries 4–0 where recorded). The council approved a professional-services agreement with Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) not to exceed $1,382,600 (motion carried 4–0). A proposed Sulfon purchase agreement for fire apparatus, not to exceed $2,129,000, was deferred pending financing questions.

On financial items the council approved requests-to-purchase totaling $97,217.78, an accounts-payable voucher dated Jan. 22, 2025 representing payroll, supplies, services and equipment with a combined total of $743,517.44, and encumbrances for 2024 totaling $6,597,815.19 (each motion recorded as carried 4–0). The council also approved deletion of inactive utility accounts, authorized write-off of unpaid refuse charges and penalties totaling $115.45, and accepted a two-year maintenance bond for Gates of St. John Unit 27 in the amount of $187,631.

Land-use and permitting items included approval of special-exception uses in the US‑41 Overlay District for a personal-service hair salon at 10081 Wicker Avenue and a personal-service physical therapy use at 8412–8470 Wicker Avenue (both approved 4–0). The council deferred Ordinance 1854 (zoning/district regulations) until Feb. 12 and deferred Ordinance 1855 (annexation) at the developer’s request until Feb. 12; Resolution 2025‑01‑22D, a fiscal plan tied to an annexation petition, was also deferred.

The council adopted multiple resolutions related to redevelopment and public works: Resolution 2025‑01‑22A (declaring certain accounts uncollectible and authorizing collection efforts to cease) passed 4–0; Resolution 2025‑01‑22B (approving an order of the Plan Commission related to redevelopment commission amendments) passed 4–0; and Resolution 2025‑01‑22C (authorizing execution of Indiana Department of Transportation agreements) passed 4–0.

During the meeting the council also heard a concept presentation from consultant Glenn Peterson on an initial-phase plan for the town’s donated 40‑acre site. Peterson described a phase‑1 scope that focuses on infrastructure and a “destination‑style” splash pad, plus a community-center pavilion with covered seating and divisible indoor meeting suites; he said the splash pad is planned as a recirculated system to reduce water costs and would be roughly twice the size of the town’s existing splash pad. Peterson said the plan includes about 300 paved parking spaces, with additional surge parking on grass for major events; the concept also reserves space for future youth fields and a park‑maintenance storage facility.

“Under the phase 1 is really laying the groundwork for all the infrastructure of the site, as well as getting that destination‑style splash pad in here,” Glenn Peterson said during his presentation. He described an open‑air pavilion with three divisible meeting rooms, restroom and concession space, and a portable stage area for events.

Several items were presented with limited debate or questions. Council members repeatedly recorded votes as 4–0 where motions were moved and seconded; names of individual movers or seconders were not consistently read into the public record for each item. The meeting record does not include detailed bond terms, financing schedules, or construction budgets for the park; those details will require subsequent council actions and project-specific contracts.