Commissioners approve vehicle lease for Soil & Water, several facility and road projects and celebrate $4M FLAP trail grant

Shell Benson, director of the Soil and Water Conservation District, told commissioners the district's 2010 truck has become unsafe and "stops in the middle of the road," and requested funding for a replacement. Commissioners discussed lease vs. purchase and approved a 36-month lease at $481/month for a 2026 Chevrolet.

Facilities staff requested replacement of a rotten canopy at the 157 Franklin annex, with a base bid of $16,325 to be paid from the annexation bond; commissioners approved the bid. Highway staff presented a nickel fiber relocation for State Road 2 with a cost noted in the record, and the commission approved payments from the highway bond.

The commission also authorized advertising for bids on a full-depth pavement and drainage reconstruction in Hidden Hollow subdivision and for a stormwater-related reroute of a segment of the Calumet Trail (a condition tied to a grant application). Martin (highway staff) described the Hidden Hollow work as full-depth reconstruction with drainage improvements; stormwater staff described the trail reroute to higher ground within park land to avoid regular spring flooding.

In an announcement, staff said Porter County was awarded a $4 million Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) grant to complete the last gap on the Calumet Trail. Staff said construction might begin as early as next summer but more likely the following year, and noted adjacent jurisdictions are advancing their segments.

The meeting record shows motions and seconds for the vehicle lease, canopy replacement, fiber relocation, bid advertisements and the stormwater advertisement; all were approved by voice vote during the session.