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NIPSCO officials brief Jasper County commissioners on permitting, road‑use and site work ahead of Feb. 2 rezone decision
Summary
NIPSCO representatives told Jasper County commissioners they have addressed several outstanding items for a proposed peaker site — drainage submissions, driveway approvals, septic and well planning, and a draft Road Use Agreement — and will meet the county on site; the board postponed a rezone decision to the Feb. 2 meeting.
NIPSCO representatives updated the Jasper County Board of Commissioners on progress resolving issues tied to a proposed peaker‑plant rezone and construction plan, but the board said it will reserve a formal decision for its Feb. 2 meeting.
Tanya Stanley, senior director of real estate services for NIPSCO, told commissioners the company has submitted drainage plans to the county Drainage Board and is assembling building‑permit paperwork for the peaker site. She said driveway approvals from the highway department have been secured, culvert work has been addressed and consultants have been engaged to complete septic and well permitting.
"We are working on the building permit for the peaker site as well," Stanley said, and she added that soil testing and well‑site work were in progress with vendors engaged to complete permits by the board’s next meeting.
Rick Kalinski, NIPSCO director of public affairs and economic development, said the company has prepared materials describing the project’s structure and how the investments will be treated for customers. He told the board the project’s investments are being structured separately from the company’s rate base and said, according to the materials, once the units are in operation the arrangement could provide a credit to customers.
NIPSCO said it has produced a draft Road Use Agreement with the county and exchanged redlines; Rob Ridge, NIPSCO’s director of major projects, said the company turned additional revisions over to county counsel late last week and is awaiting the county’s updated draft. The company also agreed to place gravel on County Road 300 leading to the site and scheduled a joint site walk with county staff and commissioners.
Commissioners praised the company’s cooperation but emphasized they are performing due diligence. "We are endeavoring to do our due diligence to find out and get to the bottom of the information that was lacking at the original presentation," President Rein Bontreger said, adding that the Feb. 2 meeting will likely be relocated to the fairgrounds to accommodate public interest.
No formal vote was taken on the rezone at the Jan. 21 meeting; the commissioners said outstanding permit paperwork, a final Road Use Agreement and the results of the site walk will inform their deliberations at the Feb. 2 meeting.
What’s next: the commissioners will review county counsel’s final edits to the Road Use Agreement, inspect the site with NIPSCO representatives and consider the formal rezone request at the Feb. 2 meeting.
