Lake County Council Regular Meeting – October 14, 2025

The Lake County Council held its regular meeting at 10:00 a.m. on October 14, 2025, in the Commissioners Court Room/Council Chambers at 2293 N. Main St., Crown Point, Indiana. The Council approved nearly all agenda items, including a $2.63 million drainage appropriation, multiple probation officer salary adjustments, numerous budget transfers and new line items, grant renewals, an amended Health Department fee ordinance, interlocal agreements with River Forest schools and the Town of New Chicago, and two citizen appointments. One council member voted no on the River Forest school interlocal, and a council member announced a legislative proposal to give local governments a role in electric utility rate oversight.

Routine Approvals and Actions

• Minutes: The September 9, 2025 regular meeting minutes were approved.
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month: A resolution was read into the record and approved, recognizing October 2025 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It cited that about four million U.S. women have a history of breast cancer; about 15% of women diagnosed have a family history, while about 85% have no family history; 2025 American Cancer Society estimates of 316,950 women and 2,800 men newly diagnosed and 42,680 women dying; and the five-year survival rate climbing from 67.5% in 1985 to 91.2% today. Nicole Otis of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides of Northwest Indiana thanked the Council and noted the annual walk is held the second Sunday in October at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
• Drainage Board: Approved $2,625,065.46 from the Drainage Improvement Fund for Little Cal River engineering ($25,000) and construction ($2,600,065.46). During discussion, a council member raised stormwater flooding along the state line in Hanover Township; the Surveyor’s office responded that American StructurePoint had begun pre-meetings with IDEM and the Army Corps of Engineers regarding a significantly wet area, with preliminary designs being prepared.
• Calumet Township Assessor: Approved a $20,000 transfer from Officials & Administrators to certification, office supplies, professional services, and travel line items.
• Criminal Courts: Approved Revised 144 reducing two probation officer lines by $7,385 total.
• Court Administrator: Approved creation of an Other Professional Services line item in the Jury Fee Fund and a $3,000 transfer from per diem petit jurors to that line.
• Lake Superior Court IV: Approved Revised 144 reducing a probation officer line by $32,280.
• Lake Superior Court County Division Room 1: Approved Revised 144 reducing a probation officer line by $16,162.
• Lake Superior Court Division III: Approved a $3,392 appropriation in the Problem-Solving Veteran’s Court Fund for part-time pay and FICA, created an office supplies line item in the All Rise Mentor Court Network Fund, and transferred $4.35 from travel to office supplies.
• Juvenile Court/CASA: Approved two FY2026 Indiana Supreme Court grant renewal applications for the Lake County CASA Program: a Capacity Building Grant and a Matching Grant. No CASA representative answered the Council’s question about the matching component.
• Planning Commission: Approved Ordinance 2591 (Doug Lottes, owner; Nathan Vis, petitioner; 9/17/2025; A-1 to RR) and Ordinance 2592 (Mike Schilling, owner; Mike Skurka, petitioner; 9/17/2025; A-1 to R-1), both with favorable recommendations of 7-0.
• County Highway: Approved denial of stop sign petitions for northbound and southbound Burr Street at 113th Avenue after the Highway Department study found the signs were not a necessary installation.
• County Highway Fund: Approved a resolution permitting the Highway Department to pay outstanding 2024 invoices from the 2025 budget.
• Sheriff: Created line items and approved appropriations in the Comprehensive Highway Injury Reduction Program Grant Fund ($60,950 total: $53,000 overtime and $7,950 officials/administrators) and in the FY25 SAFE Narcan and Essentials Bag Grant Fund ($3,090 for other supplies).
• Prosecutor: Approved a resolution transferring $3,279.65 from the Prosecutor’s non-reverting R.I.C.O. Fund to the V.A.W. Stop Grant Fund. A council member noted the RICO fund should be abolished by ordinance next month after the transfer.
• Criminal Division Public Defender: Approved a $6,000 transfer from Other Professional Services to Office Supplies.
• Fairgrounds: Approved a $3,115 transfer from Maintenance & Service Contracts to Part-Time.
• Parks & Recreation: Approved a new grant application for Veterans Memorial Parkway Trail Phase I Broadway Bridge Engineering (Group I-CMAQ).
• Commissioners/Lake County 911: Approved a $447,000 E911 Operating Fund transfer among protective services, longevity, differential pay, office supplies, consultant fees, overtime, clothing, maintenance contracts, and other services.
• HVAC: Approved a resolution permitting the HVAC Department to pay an outstanding 2024 invoice from the 2025 budget.
• Health Department: Approved on first reading, then suspended rules and approved on second reading, an ordinance amending the ordinance establishing Lake County Health Department fees, Ordinance No. 1336A.
• Hammond & Gary Courthouses: Approved a $1,200,000 appropriation for utilities and a $26,000 transfer from Service/Maintenance to Part-Time.
• Government Center: Approved a $61,792 transfer from Skilled Craft Workers and Service/Maintenance to Part-Time.
• County Commissioners: Approved the joint interlocal cooperation agreement with River Forest Community School Corporation for equipment and improvements for River Forest High School Athletics; the vote was 5-1 with one absent, with Councilwoman Christine Seed voting no and citing past citations regarding giving public funds to schools. Also approved a resolution to pay outstanding 2024 invoices, an appropriation reduction of $1,200,000 in PERF deductions, and a $100,000 transfer to unemployment compensation and postage.
• County Council Purchasing Agency: Approved on first reading, suspended rules, and approved on second reading an ordinance repealing and rescinding Ordinance No. 1451B, which had established the Lake County Council as the Lake County Purchasing Agency.
• Town of New Chicago Interlocal: Approved the joint interlocal cooperation agreement for the design, remodeling and operation of a municipal facility for the Town of New Chicago. Sue Pelltree of New Chicago thanked the Council on behalf of the town manager, mayor, and council, saying the town has “been hurting pretty bad since April” and this will help.

Announcements

• The Council congratulated Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter on his East Chicago Athletic Hall of Fame induction, Assessor LaTonya Spearman on being named Assessor of the Year for Indiana’s Northwest District, and Surveyor Bill Emerson Jr. and his office on receiving the 2025 Excellence in Stormwater Management Award from the Indiana Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management.
• The Council reminded that the Lake County veterans ceremony will take place Thursday, November 13, 2025, at noon in Building A on the second floor in front of the veterans memorial wall.

Discussion Items

• A council member discussed the $1.2 million utility appropriation approved earlier, noting residents and businesses are struggling with utility bills. He said he is working with state legislators to update Indiana Code Title VIII to include electrical utilities in municipal franchise and oversight provisions, similar to water, wastewater, and stormwater, so elected local officials have a seat at the table in rate negotiations. He acknowledged the proposal was unlikely to be met with cheers but said it was needed on behalf of residents.
• Another council member responded critically, saying he had attended rate increase hearings and had not seen a utility receive anything but an increase; he expressed the view that regulators should be appointed by local communities.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Public comment was opened, but no public comments from attendees are recorded in the transcript. A reminder was given that a budget meeting was scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Key Outcomes

• All items passed except the River Forest interlocal agreement, which passed 5-1 with one absent; Councilwoman Christine Seed cast the sole no vote. All other votes passed, with most recorded as six ayes and one absent member.
• The Council reappointed Andrea Graciano to the County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team as the educator representative and appointed Daniel Fagan to the Lowell Library Board for a full four-year term.
• Next steps identified: the electrical utility franchise code proposal will be brought to legislators; the Prosecutor’s RICO fund is expected to be abolished by ordinance after the approved transfer; and the Council moved to a 1:00 p.m. budget meeting after adjournment.