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Residents praise commissioners, raise concerns about Portage Manor, water use and generator fuel
Summary
Public commenters honored outgoing officials, criticized use of federal funds for the county lobby, raised safety and access concerns for displaced Portage Manor residents and urged the board to press companies drawing from the county aquifer to use natural gas rather than diesel.
Several residents spoke during the public-comment portion of the meeting, offering thanks to commissioners and raising local concerns.
Pam Clays accepted a "citizen of the month" recognition and urged continued civic participation. She criticized the use of federal relief funds for cosmetic county-lobby renovations and referenced the American Rescue Plan in arguing those dollars could have better supported Portage Manor residents.
Dan Caruso of New Carlisle addressed the board about groundwater protections and emergency-fuel storage. He thanked the board for a 24,000,000-gallon cap on aquifer withdrawals and said he had learned that "Amazon Web Services required the New Carlisle Town Council to sign a nondisclosure agreement on just how much water they would draw out of the aquifer," adding concerns about transparency. Caruso also asked the board to "urge Amazon to use natural gas, not diesel fuel," citing the risk of storing diesel above the aquifer.
Cheryl Nicks, speaking by Zoom, recalled the recent deaths of former President Jimmy Carter and local resident Mark Huffman and urged the county to care for its most vulnerable residents displaced when Portage Manor closed.
The board heard these comments but took no new binding actions during public comment; staff and commissioners acknowledged the remarks and noted follow-up items elsewhere on the agenda.
