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Council approves utility fee and ethics-code updates; public-alley vacation advanced to next meeting
Summary
Valparaiso council adopted two ordinances — raising a Damon Run capacity fee and restoring ethics code references — and advanced an alley-vacation request to a later meeting after public hearing and recommendations from planning and public-works boards.
The Valparaiso Common Council on July 28 approved Ordinance 14-20-25 and Ordinance 15-20-25 and advanced Ordinance 16-20-25 to a future meeting following a public hearing.
Ordinance 14-20-25 (capacity fee amendment): The council approved an increase to the capacity fee for new connections in the Damon Run utility area. The fee will rise from $2,700 to $4,909; of the new amount, the City of Portage will receive $4,000 and the balance will go to Valparaiso City Utilities. The council held a public hearing; no members of the public spoke for or against the fee at the hearing, and the ordinance passed on second reading by a 7-0 roll-call vote.
Ordinance 15-20-25 (ethics-code housekeeping): The council approved insertion of five statute references into the municipal ethics code that had been included in the original 2006 ordinance but omitted from the published code. The sections relate to official misconduct, bribery, ghost employment, conflicts of interest and profiteering from public services. Council members framed the change as a restoration of existing references rather than creation of new criminal penalties; the ordinance passed 7-0 on second reading.
Ordinance 16-20-25 (vacation of platted alley between Erie Street and Chestnut Street): The council opened a public hearing on a petition to vacate a platted alley adjacent to 254 and 256 Erie Street. Staff reported no record of a prior vacation dating to early 1900s searches and reported that utility providers (including NIPSCO) indicated no utilities running through the plat alley; city records and two surveys were presented showing an unimproved alley and an historic encroachment of a house 1.5 feet into the alley. The planning commission recommended vacation and the Board of Public Works forwarded a recommendation to the council. Two nearby residents and property owners spoke in favor of vacating. Council voted (voice/roll) to carry Ordinance 16 over to the next meeting for final action; the council recorded a 7-0 continuation vote.
Votes at a glance - Ordinance 8-20-25 (Human Relations Council) — Adopted 5-2 (see separate article). - Ordinance 14-20-25 (Damon Run capacity fee) — Adopted 7-0. Fee raised from $2,700 to $4,909; Portage receives $4,000; balance to Valparaiso City Utilities. Applies only to new connections, not existing customers. - Ordinance 15-20-25 (ethics code references restored) — Adopted 7-0. Restores five statutory references originally included in the 2006 ethics ordinance (official misconduct; bribery; ghost employment; conflicts of interest; profiteering from public services). - Ordinance 16-20-25 (vacation of platted alley between Erie and Chestnut) — Continued to next meeting (council vote to carry over 7-0). Planning Commission and Board of Public Works recommended vacating; staff reported no utilities located in the alley and that the alley is 16.5 feet wide (each adjoining owner would receive half upon vacation). A house formerly encroached 1.5 feet into the alley and was demolished; petitioner seeks vacate to allow a new lot/structure to meet setback requirements without seeking a variance.
Council actions on the three ordinances will be reflected in the official ordinance text and municipal code updates. Implementation details (effective dates, appointment timing for Ordinance 8, and any administrative steps related to the alley vacation) were not finalized at the meeting.
