Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Jasper County commissioners delay decision on Nipsco rezone after lengthy presentation and public comment
Summary
County commissioners heard an expanded presentation from Nipsco and more than a dozen public commenters about a proposed rezone for a Schaefer site project, raising questions about water use, property values, tax incentives and enforceable assurances; the board declined to decide and said it will seek written assurances and more data before acting.
Rein Bontreger, president of the Jasper County Board of Commissioners, said the board would not act immediately on a rezoning request from Nipsco and would instead gather more information after a detailed company presentation and a timed public‑comment period.
Nipsco President Vince Parisi described amended submittals covering a potential buildout at the Schaefer site — including peaker units, combined‑cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) and the possibility of a data center — and said the company amended its application to allow the five implicated parcels to be considered together or in tranches. "We are going to dedicate somebody full‑time to permitting and land to make sure that we are in a place where we are always in front of and not behind those kinds of issues," Parisi said.
The Nipsco team told commissioners their DNR water‑withdrawal permit (issued in 1972) authorizes up to 68.5 million gallons per day from the Kankakee River.…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat