Burns Harbor council finalizes year‑end transfers, adopts employee ethics training policy and advances equipment purchases

The Burns Harbor Town Council on Wednesday approved a set of year‑end budget transfers, adopted a formal employee ethics‑training policy and moved forward on several equipment and contract items as the council closed out 2025.

Council members voted to require that new hires receive ethics training within six months of hire, include a small ethics pamphlet in the onboarding packet, and take a fuller refresher course every three years. The council moved the requirement into the employee manual by motion and approved it by roll call.

The training decision followed a year‑in‑review presentation that described a "train the trainer" program created earlier this year and recommended a standard refresher interval. Staff said group sessions will be scheduled in January and during spring break to reach employees who work in schools or on variable schedules.

In fiscal business the council read and adopted multiple appropriations transfers across departments, including a detailed transfers package for the fire department and a larger transfers resolution covering police and general accounts. Councilors also voted to give the clerk‑treasurer authority to make necessary intra‑department appropriations adjustments to close the 2025 books.

On public‑safety equipment, police staff told the council that older taser models in the fleet no longer receive training or manufacturer support and recommended purchasing newer Taser 10 units with an associated certification package. The purchase order discussed includes devices, training cartridges and five years of certification and was described by staff as roughly $35,000. The council placed the item on the agenda to finish funding after year‑end transfers are completed.

The police commission additionally recommended reappointing Chief McHarg as police chief for 2026; the council moved and seconded the recommendation and the item proceeded with a roll call that recorded at least one abstention.

The fire department and parks department brought several operational requests. Captain Adam Bridal, identified in the meeting as the fire‑department corporation president, presented a draft 2026 contract that increases the department allocation to $66,000 and asked the council to revise a check‑release date so members receive payments before the holidays. The council asked staff to present a clean copy of the contract for formal approval next Wednesday.

Park staff announced a Polar Plunge event scheduled for Jan. 10 and the council approved a flooring purchase order for the park building, awarding Tudor Floors a quote of $8,991.14 to be paid from ceded miscellaneous services.

Other items discussed included a proposed approach to collecting proof‑of‑insurance documentation from contractors and consultants (members asked staff and legal counsel to research the public‑records implications), a renewal of the town's IT services agreement with Brainstorm (a 12‑month renewal with a 5% increase effective Jan. 1, 2026), and a report that INDOT permits had been obtained for planned traffic‑camera installations.

Staff also informed the council that Porter County audited Cleveland Cliffs' personal‑property filings for 2022–24 and found prior deductions were not supported; the town will receive amended forms to approve at a future meeting and refile with the county.

The council adjourned at about 8:20 p.m.; several items (including some purchase orders and the finalized taser funding) were deferred to a follow‑up meeting next week so year‑end transfers can be completed first.

Votes at a glance: the council approved the ethics‑training motion, multiple appropriations transfer resolutions (general, police and fire line‑item transfers), the Tudor Floors park flooring PO ($8,991.14), the Brainstorm IT‑services renewal, and set direction to finalize the fire‑department contract for next week. Specific roll‑call tallies were recorded in the meeting minutes for each motion.