By KEVIN NEVERS

Between the $402,776.85 in largely unencumbered CEDIT funds unspent from 2007 and the estimated $665,352 in CEDIT funds which it should receive in 2008, the Town of Chesterton has a total of $1,068,128.85 in CEDIT funds which it could spend this year.

And at a special meeting on Monday—called to draft a two-year capital projects plan which must be submitted to Porter County before it may receive its share of the receipts of the county economic development income tax—the Town Council earmarked the whole of it, plus an additional $59,871.15 which it does not have.

No problem, actually. Clerk-Treasurer Gayle Polakowski told the Chesterton Tribune after the meeting that earmarks and available moneys do not have to correspond exactly in the two-year plan. In any case, she added—pointing to last year’s CEDIT expenditures—the town “as a rule doesn’t spend all the earmarks down.”

Thus in 2007 a $100,000 earmark for possible land acquisition wasn’t touched at all and only $30,000 of a $100,000 earmark for emergencies—spent earlier this year on road salt—was used

The council may at any time revisit the two-year plan and revise it, so long as that plan provides for the expenditure of at least 75 percent of the CEDIT funds which the town expects to receive in a two-year period.

CEDIT funds are distributed to the county’s 11 incorporated municipalities on a per capita basis.

Earmarks by department follow:

Building Department

Members approved an earmark of $18,000 for software and hardware which will allow the Building Department to electronically enter and track permit and recreational impact fees.

For 2009 they scheduled an earmark of $20,000 for additional technology for the Building Department.

Economic Development

Members approved earmarks of $100,000 for possible land acquisition; $50,000 for potential grant matches; $30,000 for the development of a business incubator; and $20,000 for streetscape and intersection improvements—like handicapped ramps and crosswalk markings—in the Downtown.

For 2009 they scheduled earmarks in the same amounts for land acquisition, potential grant matches, and streetscape and intersection improvements.

Fire Department

Members approved an earmark of $20,000 for the repair of the fire station’s leaky roof, the purchase of new mattresses and recliners for the firefighters, the installation of carpet in the offices, and the acquisition of some tools.

For 2009 they scheduled an earmark of $20,000 for a new HVAC system.

Park Department

Members approved an earmark of $100,000—one of the largest for 2008—for the purchase of new playground equipment for Coffee Creek Park and Kipper Park, following a presentation by Park Board Member John Kroft. The equipment is geared for kids up to the age of 10.

Members also approved an earmark of $70,000 as match for a grant awarded by the Department of Natural Resources for Phase I of the Westchester-Liberty Trail.

For 2009 they scheduled an earmark of $100,000 for the purchase of new playground equipment for Dogwood Park.

Police Department

Members approved earmarks of $20,000 to upgrade the mug shot system; $10,000 to replace old bulletproof vests; $10,000 to upgrade in-squad computers; and a total of $7,500 for ongoing annual costs related to communications.

For 2009 they scheduled essentially the same earmarks with these differences: $10,000 to upgrade the mugshot system; and $8,000 to upgrade in-squad computers.

Street Department

Members approved earmarks of $10,000 for diagnostic computer equipment to be used by Central Services, tasked with maintaining and repairing the town’s fleet of vehicles; $22,500 for the third of four annual payments on a loader; and by far the largest single earmark, $200,000 for paving and sidewalks. Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg said that, right now, he and Town Engineer Mark O’Dell are weighing the wisdom of one large project—Broadway between Eighth and 15th streets—with the balance used for the re-paving of select side streets.

For 2009 they scheduled an earmark of $22,500 for the last payment on the loader; and $200,000 for paving and sidewalks.

Other Municipal Earmarks

Members approved earmarks of $5,000 for legal fees; $75,000 for telephone upgrades, computer equipment, and the town’s billing system; $82,000 for salaries, FICA, and PERF related to economic development functions; $10,000 for design plans for the remodeling of the former United Tractor facility at 116 N. 15th St.; $25,000 for the mortgage payment on the former United Tractor facility; $50,000 for miscellaneous expenses; $40,000 for an expansion of the town-wide surveillance camera security system; $100,000 for the emergency fund; and $30,000 for repairs to the old New York Central passenger depot at 220 Broadway, presently leased to the Chesterton Duneland Chamber of Commerce.

For 2009 they dropped two earmarks—those for design plans for the remodeling of the 15th Street facility and for the repair of the old passenger depot—decreased the earmark for phone and computers by $25,000, increased the one for salaries by $3,000, and kept the others the same.

The Utility

Members approved an earmark of $23,000 for one half of the annual payment on the new vacuum truck. The Utility pays the other half.

For 2009 they scheduled the same earmark.

Posted 3/12/2008