By PAULENE POPARAD

Whether or not to endorse the South Shore’s proposed $1 billion West Lake expansion of commuter rail service in Lake and Porter counties should be put to a vote of all 53 members of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, not just the 11 who comprise NIRPC’s Executive Board.

That’s the position of Porter County Commissioner and NIRPC member Robert Harper, who’s made a formal request that the Executive Board remove consideration of a pro-West Lake resolution from the agenda of Thursday’s 9 a.m. meeting in Portage.

According to NIRPC executive director John Swanson, it will be up to Executive Board members whether or not they want to consider the resolution in light of Harper’s request.

NIRPC is comprised of elected officials representing government units in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties. State Rep. Chet Dobis of Lake County is the governor’s appointment to NIRPC.

The next Full Commission session is Jan. 17. Swanson said decisions of the Executive Board can be challenged for reconsideration at a Full Commission meeting, which takes place quarterly.

In a letter to Swanson dated Tuesday, Harper said, “Not only apparently have you decided that you don’t need public participation in this monumental decision, but you don’t even want to have the full board make this decision and are trying to ram this through with a small group, some of whom are lame ducks at this time.”

Six members of the Executive Board constitute a quorum and could take official action on the resolution if the vote were unanimous. Swanson said the board has legal authority to act on behalf of the commission in virtually all areas with few exceptions like election of officers and adoption of a budget.

Swanson said typically the Executive Board, not the Full Commission, meets in December to address legislative matters that likely will be before the Indiana General Assembly in January.

He also said the West Lake expansion that would bring new South Shore lines from Hammond to Lowell and to Valparaiso has been discussed by NIRPC’s committees, and West Lake is included in NIRPC’s long and short-range transportation plans for which public input previously was sought, some in 2005.

For the most part, previous conceptual discussions of West Lake did not include the current demand for a local funding source. Only about $500 million of the initial construction cost would be funded with federal money, and an ongoing local subsidy to help finance the $13 million annual cost to operate West Lake trains would be needed as well.

“Now if this plan goes forward, it will require the citizens of Porter County to come up with another $8 million for several years to support this project,” Harper said, noting that some of those citizens soon will be receiving property tax bills that have increased 25 percent or more.

Swanson said the resolution before the Executive Board doesn’t address West Lake funding beyond asking the General Assembly to consider establishing a financing mechanism of its choice for the rail extension. A possible wheel tax, gas tax, sales tax or income tax alone or in combination have been discussed.

In October, the Northwest Indiana Forum met in joint session with the NIRPC Full Commission to hear Forum and South Shore officials describe the need for West Lake and its immediate and long-term benefits. At that time Harper raised several questions about the extension but later said he’d support the project if it meant no new Porter County taxes.

NIRPC took no action on West Lake at that time.

Harper said the Forum’s subsequent lobbying effort to drum up support for West Lake apparently has failed to generate widespread regional backing from its cities and towns. “Perhaps that is why this small (Executive) board is being focused on to try to start a movement to support this project. I really think the decision to have this board vote on this project is more political than many may think.”

Porter County’s Executive Board members are Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas, Porter County Councilman Mike Bucko and Porter County Surveyor Kevin Breitzke. The board was expanded from eight to 11 members in July.

Some in Lake and Porter counties have questioned whether West Lake would promote urban sprawl in rural areas. Swanson said NIRPC does not have jurisdiction for land use planning but addresses planning as it relates to transportation, the environment and economic development.

Swanson said West Lake isn’t the only legislative position the Executive Board will be asked to take Thursday; he estimated the meeting would last about 2 1/2 hours.

Posted 12/12/2007