Lake County Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting – November 19, 2025
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Lake County Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting – November 19, 2025
The Lake County Board of Commissioners held its regular meeting on November 19, 2025, at 4:15 PM in the Commissioners' Courtroom. The board approved a lengthy agenda including numerous contract renewals, bid awards, and policy items, with discussion focused on several highway projects and a feasibility study for the sheriff's shooting range.
Consent Calendar
- Agenda Amendments: Approved additions, deletions, and corrections as outlined (items 2.1–2.21), including a correction to item 8.42 (Midway Window Replacement) and deletion of Purdue Co-op contract (item 8.29).
- Minutes: Approved the October 15, 2025 regular meeting minutes.
- Specifications for Bids: Approved specs for sheriff gasoline (12/16/25 due date), facade improvements at Government Center (12/17/25), and Oakwood Hills sanitary sewer project (1/21/26).
- Bid Modifications: Approved Addendum #1 for the East Stair Replacement Project.
- Vendor Selection for Quotes: Approved specs and return dates for Lake Superior Court office furniture and roof deck replacement Phase I (both 12/17/25).
- Contract Actions: Approved omnibus motions for:
- Highway items 8.1–8.17 (various utility agreements, change orders, Calumet STEP project services)
- E-911 items 8.18–8.22 (tower contract, software renewals)
- Juvenile Court contract 8.23 (Regional Mental Health Center)
- Center Township Assessor contract 8.24
- Data computer bids 8.25
- Treasurer legal/monitoring contracts 8.26–8.28
- Calumet Township Assessor contracts 8.30–8.31 (snow removal, service contract)
- Commissioners items 8.32–8.43 (elevator phone, fair lease, window cleaning, salt spreaders, elevator repair, engineering amendment, Midway window replacement award, UST removal award)
- Community Corrections items 8.44–8.45 (Migo project, laundry service amendment)
- Auditor contracts 8.46–8.47 (legal services with Randy Wyllie, $12,920/month; financial consultant Michael Wieser, $12,920/month)
- Public Defender amended contracts 8.48–8.58 (total additional funds ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 each)
- Sheriff items 8.59–8.80 (various contracts, software, legal, medical, consulting services)
- Lake Superior Court contracts 8.81–8.83 (legal services)
- Recorder contract 8.84 (attorney Joe Svetanoff)
- Coroner items 8.85–8.89 (X-ray maintenance, legal, supplies, uniforms)
- HVAC chiller service 8.90 (Johnson Controls, same rate as 2024-2025)
- Clerk wireless hotspots 8.91 (Verizon, $179.94/month)
- Highway change orders 8.92–8.95 (Calumet STEP change order #3, utility/road cut agreements)
- Data Oracle cloud agreement 8.96–8.97 (3-year license, $1,915,568.48; amendment to 2020 agreement)
- Highway CPA contract extension 8.98
- Community Corrections Aramark amendment 8.99 (2026-2028)
- Solar array change order 8.100 (Continental Electric, $14,068.34)
- Property Disposal: Approved Superior Court request for property disposal (item 9.1).
- Commissioner Actions: Approved items 10.1–10.6 including poor relief appeals, election worker pay/rental letter, tax certificate manual, and stop sign/no-weight-limit ordinances.
- Council Items: Approved ordinances 11.1–11.4 (Auditor's SRF Construction Fund, salary ordinance for CASA, South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority budget, and repeal of Prosecutor's VAW stop grant fund).
- State Board of Accounts: Approved payroll and voucher registers (items 12.1–12.4).
- Bonds/Insurance: Approved bond releases, public official bonds, and insurance updates (items 13.1–13.5).
- Responsible Bidder: Approved Seal Tight Exteriors Inc. (item 14.1).
- Staff Reports: Approved Weights & Measures and Treasurer monthly reports (items 15.1–15.2).
- Matters of Public Record: Approved items 16.1–16.8 including sheriff service weapon request and various contract renewals (LexisNexis, ATN Technology, counseling, dental, cleaning, etc.).
Bid Openings & Awards
- Highway Bids (3.1–3.8): Multiple bids received for limestone, backfill, cold patch, ice control, and fuel. Taken under advisement.
- Cyclical Reassessment (3.9): One bid from Nexus Limited ($7,653,800). Taken under advisement.
- EIFS Repairs at Juvenile Detention (3.10): Two bids (Berglund $183k, Pangere $250k+). Taken under advisement due to significant difference.
- Roofing Repairs to New Jail (3.11): Three bids; motion to award to lowest responsive bidder E.C. Babilla ($46,832) passed unanimously.
- East Stair Replacement (3.12): One bid from Pangere Corp ($244,470) for removal and replacement of both stairs (not including deck). Motion to award, with authorization for the board president to sign the contract pending attorney review, passed unanimously.
- Fire Protection System (3.13): One bid from Community Communications Co. ($6,769). Awarded unanimously.
- Seeding, Top Soil, Traffic Accessories/Signs, Vegetation Management (3.14–3.18): Bids taken under advisement; highway department permitted to go on open market for traffic accessories (no bids received).
Discussion Items
- Highway Item 8.17 – Calumet STEP Additional Inspection Services: Commissioner explained the need for additional construction administration and inspection services for the septic tank elimination project, costing $1,741,900 (not-to-exceed). The project includes 635 connections and requires on-site representation. Approved as part of omnibus vote.
- Sheriff Item 8.69 – Feasibility Study for Indoor Shooting Range: Sheriff's department requested to retain FGM Architects for a study of the indoor range (only indoor range in Lake County, with foundation issues). Commissioner questioned whether a detailed proposal was included; staff confirmed a proposal with deliverables (conceptual floor plan, budget, report) was attached. Approved unanimously, with a request for future consultation on buildings owned by the county.
- East Stair Replacement Project (3.12): Clarified scope – removal and installation of two stairs, phased; deck replacement will be bid separately in December. Approved with authorization to sign contract pending attorney review.
- Oracle Cloud Agreement (8.96–8.97): Included in omnibus motion; no specific discussion.
Key Outcomes
- All motions passed unanimously (3-0) as recorded by the board president.
- Awards: Roofing repairs to E.C. Babilla ($46,832); East stair replacement to Pangere Corp ($244,470); Fire protection to Community Communications ($6,769).
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at 10:00 AM; agenda deadline is December 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM.
- Public Comment: None were made.
- Adjournment: Motion carried at conclusion of business.
Meeting Transcript
His dead. Lost a Concord in Sean Tennant? Yeah. But they lost in the state championship. They lost uh to Chandler Thompson. Somebody down there. Might be Lawrence Norton. I'm better at talking about basketball than I am singing. Yeah. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Commissioners, there's a plethora of additions, deletions, and corrections. There's a few that I would like to highlight. In particular, item 2.3, uh the deletion, it indicates that it's item 8.30, but it's actually item 8.29. Uh is of the right, it's being deleted. And then item uh correction of uh item 2.13 uh is actually correcting item 8.42 uh instead of item 8.43. Uh but beyond that I believe that uh a motion could be made to approve the agenda as amended as contained within the uh newest form of the agenda. Okay, I'll I think I'll probably need order, but I want to recognize that we have uh full amount of commissioner called Commissioner's president's motion to accept the agenda for the motion carries. Uh next is public opening of vendor response to request for bids and quotes. Uh permission to open those uh vendor responses to request for bids and quotes, commissioners. So move second. Let the record show the motion carries three. Item 4.1 approval of the regular meeting uh minutes from Wednesday, October 15, 2025 meeting. Move to approve. Second. Section 5 approved specification for bids. Item 5.1 sheriff specification for gasoline for the year 2026. Bids are due back on December the 16th, 2025, prior to 9.30 a.m. in the lake county auditors office. Item 5.2, commissioners approve and advertise the plans and specifications for the facade improvement project at the Lake County Government Center to be returned by Wednesday, December the 17th, 2025, no later than 9.30 a.m. in the office of the Lake County Auger. And lastly, highway approved specifications and advertisement for bid and sanitary sewer collection and conveyance project for Oakwood Hill subdivision to be returned by January the 21st, 2026, uh in the office of Lake County August by 9.30 a.m. Is there a motion to approve the specs? So move when you did it on 5.1 through 5.3. Second with a question. Yes, sir. Um the facade improvements project. What all does that include? Uh so we have the roof deck over there that was removed, and there's uh so now there's an exposed portion, among other things. There's an exposed portion between the second and third, or first and second floor. So it needs like uh fascia of the south side, just the south south side, yeah. Okay. Yes, you know what I'm talking about when it has clean just cleanup and the structural demolition is gone, but now we need it to make it look pretty or better. Better. Uh let's make sure the motion carries reopening. Moving on to section uh 6 6.1 addendum number one for the east uh stair replacement project modifies the original quote documents, dated October 20, 2025. Chairman, I'll move for approval 6.1. Uh second, same question. But is that only the stairs? Yeah, and that's only uh yes, it's only the stairs.
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