The Porter Town Council wants to sweeten the pot when it comes to town business owners applying for 80/20 grants to upgrade their building facades.

Meeting Tuesday, council president Michele Bollinger suggested the town agree to match a substantial percentage of any facade grant given to a Porter business by the Duneland Economic Development Corp. arm of the Chesterton/Duneland Chamber of Commerce.

Bollinger noted that the council’s offer could help Porter businesses gain extra points and rank higher on the DEDC applications. No final percentage of Porter award was set.

Town director of engineering Matt Keiser said approximately 11 DEDC grants totalling $20,000 will be available; the grant awards will be in varying amounts, and applications can be obtained at the Chamber office.

Porter town attorney Patrick Lyp said the Town Council can supplement the grant awards using town funds, and for businesses that are in a designated tax-increment financing or TIF district, the Porter Redevelopmet Commission that administers TIF money could be asked to provide those matching funds.

Lyp recommended that any Porter business applying for a DEDC grant also forward a copy of that application to the Porter town hall.

Town Council and Redevelopment Commission member Micheal Genger said he will propose the Porter grant-match program to the commission at its April 27 meeting.

Porter Councilman Dave Babcock said the program is a good idea but the cost should be watched closely. Bollinger said not all the $20,000 in grants will be awarded to Porter businesses so its exposure will be less.

In other business:

•Approved for purchase were a number of items for the Porter Police Department not to exceed $24,781 in town CEDIT funds, among the expenditures a $2,995 ID card maker and an additional software kit for making children’s ID cards; a $1,995 laser radar unit; $5,867 to paint the interior of the police station, the first time in 13 years; $3,579 for computers; and $3,700 to comply with coming court rules that require a secure video system for conducting interviews of felony suspects.

•The council voted 5-0 to approve a six-month peddler’s permit for Summer Song of Highland to operate a mobile ice cream vending service this summer. The vendor will be issued an ID using the new police equipment.

•By consensus Spanier was authorized to obtain a price quote for a firm to do expanded background checks for non-criminal purposes like investigating peddlers or screening potential employees. Police access to information for non-criminal purposes is limited by law.

•Citizens were asked to report to police any suspicious activity near the pedestrian bridge over the Little Calumet River at Waverly Road. The bridge has had repeated attacks of vandalism. Said Porter Public Works superintendent Brenda Brueckheimer, “It’s not OK to ruin hundreds of thousands of dollars of property.”

•Brueckheimer urged volunteers to contact her to sign up to Adopt a Beach at Porter Beach this summer and take part in events to improve the area. She also said 75% of all town sanitary sewer lines have been jetted and cleaned.

•Porter fire chief Lewis Craig invited residents to watch the Fire Department perform smoke training this Sunday beginning at 10 a.m. at a structure on Portage Avenue.

•The chief also said May 3 at 7 p.m. at the town hall a representative of Gov. Mitch Daniels will present a lifesaving award to the department’s assistant chief, Jay Craig, and to Porter police officer Larry LaFlower, who both performed a heroic fire rescue Feb. 16.

•Police Commission member Karen Pisowicz thanked Councilman Jon Granat for attending the commission’s ceremony last month recognizing Craig and LaFlower. Bollinger and Councilman Todd Martin said it’s hard to be there if you were never told about it. Pisowicz said it was her understanding an attempt had been made to notify the entire council.

•Its members voted 5-0 to approve a claim paying $5,177 to install carpeting on the town hall’s second floor as part of a renovation of the former storage area into employee offices. The building is served by an elevator.

•The council granted a request for the VFW to conduct a poppy drive May 14 and 15, and for State Park Little League to have its annual parade down Woodlawn Avenue April 23 to open the season. SPLL missing the assembly-permit filing deadline was waived because the parades have posed no problems previously.