Lake County Council Meeting - February 10, 2026

The Lake County Council held its regular meeting on February 10, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Crown Point, Indiana. The council addressed a wide range of items including resolutions honoring four girls’ wrestling state champions, fiscal transfers and appropriations across multiple departments, a $7 million bond ordinance for judgments and settlements, a new Project Labor Agreement (PLA) ordinance, and a resolution urging greater transparency in utility billing. All votes passed 6-1 or 6-0, with Councilman Bureau absent due to a family funeral.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of the January 13, 2026 regular meeting were approved.
• Resolutions recognizing February as Black History Month (No. 26-06) and honoring four IHSAA girls wrestling state champions: Corabella Wesley (Hobart, 125 lbs, 42-0 record), Charisma “Izzy” Lawrence (Merrillville, 145 lbs, 38-1 record), and Aleksandra Bastaic (Highland, 155 lbs, 41-0 record, four-time state champion and Mental Attitude Award recipient). A resolution for Crown Point’s Ava Strayer (130 lbs) was deferred to March 10, 2026.
• Surveyor’s Office: Approved transfer of $50,000 from furniture/motor vehicles/equipment to other professional services; and an ordinance amending copy/map/electronic map generation fees (Ordinance No. 1334C).
• County Assessor: Approved a revised 144 for an Assessment Specialist ($53,265) and an appropriation of $970,000 for reassessment professional services.
• Multiple township assessor appropriation reductions (Calumet, Center, Hobart, Ross, St. John) totaling sums from $11,893 to $48,766 from County General and Reassessment 2015 funds.
• Superior Court Civil: Approved grant application renewal for the 2026 Adult Guardianship Services Grant.
• Superior Court County Division Rm. 1 & Rm. 2: Approved revised 144s removing Pauper Attorney/Public Defender funding ($31,122 each) and a transfer between line items.
• Superior Court County Division Rm. 3: Approved two resolutions to pay outstanding 2025 invoices from the 2026 budget.
• Combined Election & Registration: Approved transfer of $14,000 from Election Day Workers to Other Equipment.
• County Highway: Adopted on first and second reading an ordinance petition for stop signs at East and West Bound Jay Street for Ruth Street.
• Juvenile Detention Center: Approved transfer of $26,130 from part-time and various accounts to Equipment Leasing in the LCCC Juvenile Detention Grant Fund.
• Prosecutor: Approved two resolutions to pay outstanding 2025 invoices from the 2026 budget (general and IV-D Child Support).
• Data Processing Agency: Approved appropriation reduction of $400,000 from Reassessment Fund and an appropriation of $400,000 from County Cumulative Capital Development Fund for other services.
• Health Department: Approved multiple ordinances reorganizing positions in the 2026 Salary Ordinance (for funds 9306-1105, 9306-1161, and 9311-1296), appropriation reductions and new appropriations across the Local Public Health Services Fund, County Health Fund, and Health Maintenance Fund, including creation of new line items for clothing, vehicles, software, and more.
• Commissioners: Approved on second reading a $7 million bond ordinance for judgments and settlements; approved a transfer of $261,000 from CEDIT Fund to Lake Debt Service 2025 SRF Bond; approved two grant applications on behalf of Ozinga Slag, LLC (USDOT BUILD Grant and MARAD Port Infrastructure Development Program).
• County Council: Approved a resolution to pay an outstanding 2025 invoice.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Randy Palmateer (Business Manager, Northwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council) spoke in support of the Project Labor Agreement ordinance, highlighting provisions for no-strike clauses, a veterans program, and minority/women outreach. He thanked the council for the work.
• Councilman Darren Washington (Gary Common Council) expressed support for the PLA ordinance and recommended adding a member from Adult Protective Services to the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team to address growing senior deaths.
• Dr. Michaela Spainberg (Gary Education Coalition) commended the council for addressing utility transparency, noted the need for greater public understanding of the council’s role, and raised accessibility concerns (snow on sidewalks for elderly attendees). She also mentioned the importance of preserving elected local government positions.
• Jeff Rosenholm (Highland) praised the PLA ordinance and the utility transparency resolution, and called for changing the governance of NIPSCO through legislative definition changes.
• Councilman Niemeyer added that the utility costs have increased far beyond the allowable tracker percentages, urging legislative action.

Discussion Items

• Project Labor Agreement Ordinance (Item 25C): The council discussed and passed an ordinance requiring project labor agreements for all Lake County government construction projects and any project receiving an economic incentive. This ordinance rescinds four previous ordinances (Nos. 1135F, 1342A, 1468B, 1468C). Councilman Niemeyer and Randy Palmateer detailed its provisions: local workforce, no-strike clause, veterans program, and minority outreach. The ordinance passed first and second reading after suspension of rules.
• Utility Billing Transparency Resolution (Item 25B): Council President Christine Cid introduced a resolution urging the Indiana General Assembly and the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to require itemized breakdowns of delivery charges on utility bills. She and others noted that NIPSCO operates as a monopoly and that residents face huge unexplained increases. The resolution passed 6-0. Councilman Niemeyer added that the current rate trackers are supposed to yield 9-12% but actual increases are 200-300%.

Key Outcomes

• All consent calendar items and routine approvals passed unanimously (6-1 or 6-0).
• Project Labor Agreement Ordinance was adopted on second reading (6-1). It will apply to all county government construction and incentivized private projects.
• Utility Billing Transparency Resolution was adopted (6-0). It calls for legislative and regulatory action to require detailed delivery charge breakdowns.
• Bond Ordinance for $7 million was adopted on second reading (6-1) to fund judgments and settlements.
• Citizen Appointments:
  • Unsafe Building Authority nomination (Scott Cooper) was deferred due to inability to locate.
  • Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team: Reappointed Michelle Resendez (medical practitioner), Pastor JJ Hairston (clergy), Christine Cid (government agency), Terence Fife (business community), Angela Malinowski (animal control officer), and Jerry Ezell (prosecuting attorney designee).
  • Economic Development Commission for Dyer: Appointed Frank Jacimhim (nomination accepted).
• Next Steps: The health department reorganization and funding adjustments will take effect with the new line items. The council will transmit the utility resolution to state officials.