The Porter County Sheriff’s Police is looking to purchase outright the
building in South Haven it’s used for some 10 years as an annex.
At the Porter County Commissioners’ meeting Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Dave
Lain made a pitch to buy the 1,371-square foot building from Portage
Township, with a portion of the $1.33 million which his department is
expected to clear after re-financing the jail bond.
“The Portage Township Trustee would be interested in selling the property,”
Lain said, “and it’s in the best interests of Porter County government to
acquire it.”
Lain noted that his officers use the building—located at 326W 700N—for
training and meetings, as a temporary holding area for juvenile suspects
taken into custody, and as a staging area for PCSP bike patrols.
And, Lain added, “We have a very close connection with the South Haven
community. They have overwhelmingly supported our presence there.”
Lain said that when last appraised, in 2007, the property was valued at
$103,000, that the PCSP currently pays around $260 per month for utilities
there, and that it’s likely that some maintenance could be performed by
inmate workers.
“It’s definitely a plus for the residents of South Haven,” said Commissioner
John Evans, R-North. “It’s the biggest unincorporated area in the State of
Indiana.”
Per Indiana Code, the Commissioners agreed by consensus to obtain two
appraisals of the property, then directed Lain to make his pitch before the
Porter County Council.
E911
In other business, the Commissioners voted 3-0 to amend on first reading a
pair of authorizing ordinances for the E911 dispatch system, 3-0 to suspend
the rules, then 3-0 to amend the ordinances on final reading.
Those amendments establish an E911 advisory committee and an E911 policy
committee. Evans told the Chesterton Tribune after the meeting that
stakeholders would be appointed to the seats on those committees: police and
fire chiefs, EMS personnel, and dispatchers.
JDC
Meanwhile, at the recommendation of Mike Jabo of DLZ—who conducted a review
of the facilities and infrastructure at the Juvenile Detention Center—the
Commissioners voted 3-0 to pursue a package of upgrades, repairs, and
installations, with the following identified as priority issues: the HVAC
system, the control room, a water softener, the sewage pipes, the back-up
generator, and plumbing fixtures.
DOC Grant
The Commissioners also voted 3-0 to approve the annual grant agreement
between Porter County Community Corrections (PCCC) and the Indiana
Department of Correction (DOC).
Under that agreement, DOC will make available to PCCC a total of $578,721 in
base dollars, with $354,589 to be earmarked for Adult Probation activities
and $224,132 for Juvenile Probation.
