Lake County Board of Commissioners Meeting – October 15, 2025
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Lake County Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting – October 15, 2025
The Lake County Board of Commissioners met on October 15, 2025, at the Commissioners' Courtroom in Crown Point, Indiana. Commissioners Tippy and Repair were present; Commissioner Allen was absent. The meeting covered a lengthy consent agenda, several additions and deletions, public comments, and discussions on key contracts and community concerns. All votes were 2-0-1 unless noted.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the amended agenda with 2 additions and 2 deletions (including deletion of sheriff's patrol dog purchase and extended warranty on Video Ray Sub).
- Approved minutes of September 17, 2025.
- Approved specifications for bids (items 5.1–5.12) for highway materials, cyclical reassessment, juvenile detention EIFS repairs, new jail roof, and East Stair replacement.
- Approved seeking quotes from at least three vendors for fire protection, seeding, top soil, traffic accessories, traffic signs, and vegetation management (items 7.1–7.6).
- Approved numerous contracts and change orders for surveyor, public defender, commissioners, fairgrounds, highway, sheriff, E-911, data, HVAC, and other departments (items 8.1–8.58, with several grouped motions). Key approvals include:
- Surveyor: Cloudpoint Geospatial GIS service ($45,500, reimbursed up to $30,000).
- Highway: Award to Grimmer Construction for West Point Acres sanitary sewer ($1,889,629, ~$200,000 under estimate).
- Highway: Design engineering for Bridge #51 (161st Avenue) over Cedar Creek with DLZ ($151,000).
- Sheriff: Various subscription renewals for digital forensics tools (Berla, Plum Scout, Cellebrite, Skyfire AI, Magnet Forensics, Tech Smith).
- Sheriff: Lease with Griffith Aviation for aviation unit hangar ($3,595/month).
- E-911: VMware Foundation renewal ($18,336).
- Data: Contracts with AT&T for internet and special construction.
- HVAC: Award to Gatlin Plumbing for EMA building #2 heating equipment ($18,200).
- Commissioners: Plumbing work for G-pod cell ($5,350), change order for UPS/generator project ($18,843), contract with Gatlin for UPS room cooling ($267,300).
- Approved poor relief appeal decisions from Calumet Township (items 10.1–10.2).
- Approved council items (ordinances 11.1–11.10) including Health Department fee amendment, repeal of purchasing agency ordinance, tax levies, appropriations, salary, longevity, clothing allowance, per diem, Lake Ridge Fire, and solid waste.
- Approved state board of accounts items (12.1–12.3) and economic development voucher register (12.5).
- Approved highway certificate of insurance update (item 13.1).
- Accepted monthly reports from Treasurer and Weights & Measures (items 15.1–15.2).
- Approved INDOT LPA corrections and sign modernization project (items 16.1, 16.3) and retired officer service weapon request (16.2).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Shadi Karaskiel (Shine Recovery Cafe): Thanked commissioners for support and asked about billboards advertising marijuana dispensaries on I-94, noting marijuana remains illegal in Lake County. Commissioners stated they do not regulate highway billboards; state likely does. She also noted that two of her organization's proposals (Shine Recovery home and Flourish Community Hub) were not read during the bid opening; the county acknowledged and said they would check.
- Jessica Mullen (resident of Heather Hills subdivision): Expressed disappointment over planned removal of 93 trees by the highway department. Commissioner Tippy and Highway representative Dwayne confirmed that most trees would be removed due to sidewalk impacts, but replacements will be planted with species suited for narrow rights-of-way. Mullen was told a replacement list from Phase 1 was being finalized.
Discussion Items
- E-911 Next Generation 911 Call Handling System (Item 8.39): The county opened bids from AT&T for three options. The recommended award is AT&T Motorola VESTA Next (cloud-based) at $2,953,565 over five years, the lowest bid. This cloud solution includes real-time translation, transcription, and video capabilities and is expected to save the county approximately $600,000 per year compared to the current contract. The other two options (Motorola VESTA on-premise at $2,961,700 and Carbyne Apex at $5,120,273) were not selected. The motion to award carried 2-0-1.
- Interlocal Agreement with Town of New Chicago (Item 8.57): The agreement provides $400,000 from the Lake County General Fund for design, remodeling, and operation of a municipal facility for New Chicago. Commissioner Repair expressed concern about using general fund money, but Commissioner Tippy noted the funds were originally ARPA money from Commissioner Allen and Councilman Brown that had been moved to the general fund. New Chicago has already invested over $700,000 in design. The motion passed 2-0-1.
- Heather Hills Tree Removal (Public Comment): Commissioners discussed the highway department's decision to remove 93 trees. Highway staff confirmed that trees are evaluated based on impact to sidewalks; trees not currently affecting sidewalks will remain. Replacement trees will be selected and planted.
Bids Received
- IBM Compatible Personal Computers (Item 3.1): Two quotes received – Bucher Tech ($11,117.64) and Electronic Strategies Inc. ($10,090.23). Taken under advisement.
- Movers for Voting Machines – Special Election Nov. 4, 2025 (Item 3.2): Two quotes received. Commissioners split the contract between both vendors for the two school corporations. Motion carried.
- Proposals to Utilize Opioid Settlement Funds (Item 3.3): Over 20 proposals were received, including requests from Hope Alliance of NWI ($2,000), Crown Counseling ($200,000), Recovery Museum ($109,186), Geminus ($200,000), and many others. The total requests exceeded available funds. All proposals were sent to the opioid settlement steering committee for recommendation, with awards expected in December.
- Lake County Fairgrounds Midway Window Replacement (Item 3.4): Bids received from six contractors with base bids ranging from $380,000 (Restore Works) to $548,400 (Pangiere). Alternate bids also submitted. Taken under advisement.
Key Outcomes
- All consent agenda items approved unanimously (2-0-1).
- E-911 NG-911 system awarded to AT&T Motorola VESTA Next for $2,953,565 over five years.
- Interlocal agreement with Town of New Chicago for $400,000 approved.
- Opioid settlement fund proposals forwarded to steering committee for December award.
- Window replacement bids for fairgrounds taken under advisement.
- Commissioners acknowledged the next regular meeting on November 19, 2025, at 10:00 AM, with agenda deadline November 5, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
He did tell me that he's excellent. I'm waiting on you guys to tell me you're good. Ready? Okay. Ready? Ready, Attorney Joe? Call the meeting of the board of commissioners for October 15, 2025. The order please stand for the pledge allegiance and remain standing for a moment of silence. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the Republic for which it stands. Thank you. Let the uh let the record show uh Commissioner Tippy and Commissioner Reapair in attendance. Um and Commissioner Allen is absent. Um Joe Iraq, the accomplished attorney Joe Iraq is gonna take us through the additions, deletions, and corrections, I guess. Yes, uh Commissioner, the number of additions and uh deletion deletion number two point one from the sheriff's department, additions from public defender highway, another one from highway, and another one from highway, two from the commissioners on the uh first page all the way through two point one oh and commissioners. Uh highway has an additional um two point eleven to two point sixteen additions, uh council editions starts at two point one seven, those run through two point one nine. Um there's another deletion at two point two oh for the sheriff's department and additional uh additions from the uh council two point two one through two point two eight are additions to the console items, all right two point two nine correction for a highway department uh entry and two point three oh is an addition, uh last addition for the commissioners. Those are all the additions and deletions. Thank you. I'll second, let the record show the motion carries two oh one absent. The agenda is amended. Um item number three is opening uh bids and opening vendor responses and requests for bids and quotes I'll make a motion to approve the opening of bids, vendor responses, request for quotes. I'll second the record show the motion carries two oh one absent and uh allow staff to open those. I would just you know, because it came up earlier, like that for the opioid ones. We're just gonna acknowledge that they're received, right? There's not a necessary a need to go through them in individual year. I think okay those are also commissioner. Um we're going to uh request those to be taken under advisement, reviewed by the opioid uh committee, yeah, and to be awarded back uh in December. Got it. Thank you. Um item number four is minutes. Uh motion to approve the September 17th minutes. I'll second and let the record show the motion carries 201 absent. Excuse me. Okay. Okay, Joe Five is the approval spec specs for bids 5.1 through 5.8 are for the highway department commissioners. 5.9 the assessor's office. 5.10 through 5.12 commissioner's office specifications. And those would complete the uh specifications we did. Included in that is East Stair replacement project, which is one we're excited to get done, right? Okay. This is approval of specifications and advertising, correct? Yeah. Okay. I'll make a motion to approve specifications and advertising for items 5.1 through 5.12. I will second and let the record show that the motion carries 201 absent. Move on to item seven. That was late item seven. Okay, I'll make a motion to uh approve seeking uh quotes from at least three vendors for items 7.1 through 7.6. Second, I'll let the record show the motion carries 30 or 201 absent. Item number eight action of form contracts two for the surveyor's office, items eight point one and eight point two.
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