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Michigan City Parks and Recreation Board approves event dates, renewals and intra-budget transfer
Summary
At its Nov. 19 meeting the Michigan City Parks and Recreation Board unanimously approved a package of routine items — event dates, vendor renewals and program packets — and passed Resolution 1079 to move $2,287 within the senior center fund to cover contractual expenses.
The Michigan City Parks and Recreation Board on Nov. 19 approved a series of routine permits, contract renewals and a small intra-budget transfer in a series of voice votes.
Board members unanimously accepted the previous meeting’s minutes before approving a slate of event dates submitted by Michigan City Special Events, including the MC Food and Music Fest on Memorial Day weekend (May 23–24) with setup beginning as early as May 18. The board also approved a request from a Fish Camp vendor to offer horse-and-carriage rides on three Sundays during the holiday season after noting the activity’s limited capacity and that the Board of Works had already approved it.
The board approved multiple annual service renewals recommended by staff: sanitation (porta-pot) services, a pest-control contract with Hatfield Pest Control, trash collection with Republic Services, and a Millennium Plaza landscape maintenance contract. Staff said the sanitation and other agreements are in their final optional renewal year and will be rebid next year.
Other items adopted included the 2026 City Kids Day Camp packet (no program price increase, added field trips and one fewer supervisory position), the creation of an Open Game Night at Krieger Memorial Hall to expand weekday offerings, and acceptance of the department’s open accounts (authorized charge accounts for staff). The board also accepted a recreation sponsorship packet for 2026 that covers youth baseball team sponsorships, Patriot Park banner sponsorships and a renamed traveling block-party event called “the Plug In.”
On budget business, the board passed Resolution 1079 to reallocate funds within the Parks and Recreation budget to cover unanticipated expenses. The resolution included a transfer that decreased senior center vacation buyback (account 2204.506) and increased senior center contractual (same fund) by $2,287 to move an account out of the negative, as read into the record.
Finance staff presented the claims docket and payroll for approval. The clerk read claims figures in the meeting record; the transcript includes two differing figures for the total claims (the clerk said both “$91,183.91” and later “$91,001.83 and 91¢”); the board moved and approved payment of vendors. Payroll for the Nov. 14 pay date was listed as $83,603.74 and was approved.
Gifts and donations were accepted by the board on a motion: donations recorded include a $500 sponsorship for Boo at the Zoo and a $5,000 miscellaneous zoo donation from GAF, plus a $78.55 Kroger program credit. The board approved minor transfers in several internal accounts by voice vote and adjourned the meeting.
Votes at a glance - Minutes: Approved (voice vote). - Special events dates (including MC Food and Music Fest): Approved (voice vote). - Horse-and-carriage rides (Fish Camp): Approved (voice vote). - Coldest Night of the Year 5K (NEST): Approved (voice vote). - Open accounts (annual): Approved (voice vote). - Sanitation, pest-control, trash collection, landscape maintenance contracts: Approved (voice votes). - City Kids Day Camp packet (2026): Approved (voice vote). - Open Game Night: Approved (voice vote). - Resolution 1079 (intra-budget transfer, senior center): Approved (voice vote). - Recreation sponsorship offerings (2026): Approved (voice vote). - Claims, payroll and donations acceptance: Approved (voice votes).
The board conducted these actions by motion and unanimous voice vote; no recorded roll-call tallies with member-by-member yes/no votes were entered in the meeting record.
