By VICKI URBANIK

The county’s highway garage in Westchester Township, now described as decrepit and outdated, will be rebuilt and expanded, the Porter County Commissioners decided Tuesday.

North Porter County Commissioner John Evans, who has pushed for improvements at the garage for more than a year, won the support of fellow commissioners Robert Harper and Carole Knoblock to build a new structure along the lines of the south county garage on State Road 8.

The commissioners agreed that Evans should now contact the property owners to the south about acquisition of their land.

Last year, Evans sought to include the new facility in the commissioners’ plan for the County Economic Development Income Tax, but the project was axed after Harper voiced opposition to new buildings at a time when the county was still struggling with budget problems. Knoblock, then on the Porter County Council, shared those concerns.

But on Tuesday, both Harper and Knoblock agreed that north county should get a new highway facility.

“It’s in terrible shape,” Harper said. Knoblock said that anyone who would tour the facility would agree that it’s “in sorry shape.”

Both Harper and Knoblock said they still don’t believe the county should go on a “building spurge,” as Harper called it, but that it should improve the structures that clearly are in need of renovations.

“I think it should become a priority,” Harper said.

The county now owns about two and a half to three acres at the site, and Evans said he’d like to see the size at least doubled to ensure that highway crews have enough space.

As it is now, the facility hardly has the storage space needed. A two-stall cinderblock structure is so outdated, Evans said, that highway crews can’t use it for maintenance work on the trucks.

Evans said he’d ideally like to see the structure rebuilt this year. Funding the new facility is somewhat up in the air; Evans said either CEDIT funds or another commissioner-controlled fund could be tapped.

He noted that a large farm to the south is currently up for sale. The county will inquire about purchasing a section of that farm, as well as the nearby residence. The house could be converted into office space, Evans said.

Jail Woes

The commissioners agreed to spend $8,860 on “vibration isolators” at the Porter County Jail to correct a problem with hanging air conditioning/heating units.

Harper said the units apparently were not installed properly, causing an extreme noise problem. Rick Renner, of the consulting firm Johnson Controls, said the problem extends beyond noise: There is a risk that the vibrations could cause cracks in the walls if not corrected.

Harper urged Johnson Controls to scrutinize the upcoming improvement project, as he questioned if the jail contractors can be held accountable.

“It seems to me it shouldn’t have happened,” he said.

New Vehicles

Also Tuesday, the commissioners authorized both the sheriff’s and the highway departments to purchase new vehicles.

Up to $250,000 has been budgeted in the commissioners‚ Cumulative Capital Development Fund for 11 new police cars. The commissioners approved spending that money, as well as setting an auction to sell the vehicles to be replaced.

Evans sought assurances that the sheriff’s pool cars will be used by police reserves as well as officers, since reserves also need access to vehicles. Harper sought assurances that the same number of vehicles that will be purchased will be auctioned off, so that the county doesn’t end up with more vehicles overall.

The commissioners also agreed that the highway department can seek bids for six new vehicles, as part of a new effort to begin replacing the outdated fleet. The highway department will lease-purchase four of the vehicles for five years, while outright buying the two others with money set aside in a bridge fund specifically for the purchase.

Also Tuesday, E-911 Director Dave Sheibels told the commissioners that the county will have no choice but to pay $47,100 for new dispatch software that will interface the 911 system with maps that automatically identify the callers‚ location. The current software vendor has changed its business partner, making the county’s current map software ineffective.

Sheibels said he is confident that the county will win a grant to recover its costs.

Posted 3/2/2005