Porter Parks
Director Brian Bugajski is looking to make Indian Springs Park more
accessible.
Last night, the
Porter Town Council approved Bugajski to release a request for quotes (RFQ)
for an engineering firm to start work on the Lake Pratt Accessible Ramp
Planning Project.
The only parking
lot at Indian Springs is set on a hill overlooking the park. There is one
entrance to the park, and only one path down to the shore of Lake Pratt and
the park’s greenspace: a wooden staircase down the hill.
Whatever company
comes back with the most attractive quote will be tasked with conducting a
land survey, determining the safest and most economical path from the
parking lot to the lakefront, and providing drawings of that design.
“The goal is to
make an accessible path down to the lakefront,” Bugajski said, noting the
project fits the long-range plan for Porter’s parks that he authored and the
Council approved last year. “It dovetails right in.”
The cost of the
planning will be offset by a $5,000 Lake Michigan Coastal Program matching
grant the Porter Parks Department was awarded last year.
Bugajski said he
hopes to have plans for the ramp by June and present them to the Council
over the summer. “Once we have the plan in place, we can go after more
funding down the road for implementation,” he said.
If the Council
moves forward with the project after the presentation, Bugajski said the
“absolute earliest” construction on the ramp could start would be 2020.
Reports
Fire Chief Jay
Craig reported the PFD had 48 calls in December, bringing the 2018 total to
a record 685 calls. Craig noted that was 180 more calls than they had in
2017.
Craig also renewed
his call for locals to enroll in the District 1 Fire Academy, which begins
the first week of February, and join the PFD.
Firefighter of the
month is Ryan Born.
Building
Commissioner Michael Barry, reporting in Public Works Supervisor Brenda
Brueckheimer’s absence, reported organized leaf and brush pick-up has ended,
but if residents bag their leaves, the Town will pick up the bags. Also,
Republic Services will pick up bundled brush tied in bundles of no more than
four feet by four feet.
Barry reminded
residents not to rake leaves to the curb or into the street, not to leave
brush in the street, and to follow the brush rules on the Public Works page
of the Town website, townofporter.com
New Business
The Council
conducted a first reading of an amended version of the 2019 salary ordinance
because compensation for one position was incorrect in the first version.
Second reading is scheduled for the next meeting, Jan. 22.
The Council
appointed department heads and Council liaisons and made appointments to
boards and commissions. All department heads were reappointed. They are: Jay
Craig, Fire Department; Jamie Spanier, Police Department; Brian Bugajski,
Parks Department; Brenda Brueckheimer, Public Works Department; and Michael
Barry, Building Department.
Council
Vice-president Bill Lopez is the liaison to the Parks Department. Council
member Ross LeBleu is liaison to the Fire Department. Council member Erik
Wagner is liaison to the Police Department. Council member Brian Finley is
liaison to Public Works, and Council President Greg Stinson is Town Hall
liaison.
For boards and
commissions, the Council started by joining Chesterton and Burns Harbor in
reappointing Lisa Woodrich to the Tourism Board. The Council appointed Jim
Burge to the Board of Zoning Appeals and Jeff Huckabee to the Police
Commission. For the Plan Commission, the Council appointed Erik Wagner, Jay
Craig, and Jamie Spanier. Lopez was reappointed to the Stormwater Board. All
five seats on the Redevelopment Commission were up, and Stinson, Lopez,
Finley, Wagner, and Tara Duffie will fill them.
Up next were annual
contracts. The Council renewed its contracts with: Town Planner Jim Mandon,
Porter Volunteer Firefighters, and the following engineering companies: Haas
& Associates, Abonmarche, Global Engineering.
For financial
services, the Town renewed its contract with Umbaugh. For IT services, the
Town renewed its contract with Innovative Technology Services. The Town also
renewed contracts MCR Partners, for consulting, and Nora Wiergartz, for
Human Resources work. None of the contracts increased in price or had
significant changes in their terms for 2019, according to Stinson.