Commissioners approve multiple infrastructure, planning and contract measures, and TIF appropriations

The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners on June 16 approved a package of development, infrastructure and contract actions, including tax-increment financing (TIF) appropriations, subdivision approvals, multiple contract amendments and an emergency contractor task order for a jail boiler burner replacement.

Key approvals included a request to forward an $880,000 appropriation from the State Road 13 Interchange TIF for final design and bid documents to construct sewer to serve the Sabre 13 Middlebury Interchange project; two secondary plats for Falcon's Lair at Barrington (Phase 4, 18 lots; Phase 5, 17 lots) in Jackson Township; an INDOT Local Public Agency contract for County Road 17 Phase 1A (between County Road 38 and County Road 42); and several contract amendments and supplemental agreements for engineering services.

County staff told commissioners the $880,000 TIF appropriation has been approved by the county Redevelopment Commission (RDC) and will go to County Council for final approval. Two other TIF requests carried at the meeting: $165,000 from County Road 6/17 Improvement TIF for final design to complete the PCR water project and $125,000 for final design and bid documents for Lily Creek Greenway construction (to bid in 2026). A $250,000 South Benton TIF appropriation for an initial payment toward Bridge 332 was tabled because planning commission approval for the related TIF expansion had not yet been obtained.

The highway department presented contract amendments with Lochmuller Group for County Road 17 design work (additional $49,700) and a reduction to close out the US 33 multi-use path project (a contract underrun of $3,871.51). The board approved a supplemental agreement with Butler, Fairman & Seufert (listed in the record as Butler, Fairman, and Sufert Incorporated) increasing the bridge inspection and inventory contract by $84,183, raising the not-to-exceed total from $557,011 to $641,194. Staff said that change reflected federal inspection-coding rule updates that moved several bridges from 24-month to 12-month inspection cycles, increasing the inspection count from about 16 to 25 bridges requiring annual review.

In planning matters, the board approved a DPUD amendment for Jonas and Mary Ellen Zimmerman (represented by Creative Design Solutions) to add a building onto an existing DPUD and both phases of the Falcon's Lair at Barrington subdivision (represented by Innovative Communities for Miller Silver LLC). County planning staff and the plat committee recommended approval for those items and reported no remonstrators at the public hearings.

Other actions approved included routine items such as approval of minutes for June 9, allowance of payroll and regular claims, and authorization to submit a two-year tobacco cessation grant renewal ($350,000 total; $175,000 per year) to fund positions including a tobacco control coordinator and a vaping-prevention coordinator. Health staff noted the grant-funded positions would end if the grant is not renewed.

The board also approved a verification notice to proceed for Elkhart Project LLC concerning a renewable gas project at the landfill (the item will go to County Council on Thursday for final approval) and ratified an independent contractor agreement and task order with WJO Chicago LLC for an emergency burner replacement on jail steam boilers, which had been approved under an emergency declaration at a June 10 meeting.

Most votes on these items were unanimous; a single item (South Benton TIF payment toward Bridge 332) was tabled.