Beginning on the 2013 property-tax bill, folks in the Town of Chesterton will be paying nearly 4 cents more per $100 of assessed valuation, to put the Cumulative Capital Development fund—used exclusively for the acquisition of emergency vehicles—on sound financial footing.

At its meeting Monday night, the Town Council voted 4-0 to “re-establish” the CCD fund, raising its dedicated rate of $0.0017 per $100 of AV to $0.04. President Jeff Trout, R-2nd, was not in attendance.

That is, from a little less than a fifth of a penny to four cents.

A property owner with a home assessed at $100,000, in other words, is currently paying $1.70 into the CCD fund. In 2013, he’ll be paying $40.

As recently as 15 years ago, Clerk-Treasurer Gayle Polakowski said, the CCD’s dedicated tax rate was actually 12 cents per $100 of AV but that got “knocked down” by the state.

At a public hearing prior to the vote, no one spoke in favor of the resolution and no one in opposition to it.

In other business, Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg gave his report. The top item: weather permitting, Woodlawn Ave. between Waverly Road and Ottawa Trail will be paved on Wednesday and Thursday—following its milling on Monday—in a joint Chesterton/Porter project. Woodlawn Ave. will be open to local traffic only. Estimated cost of the project: around $74,000 each.

Schnadenberg also reported that a position has opened in the Street Department for a laborer: applications will be available at the Street Department at 1490 Broadway and at the town hall at 726 Broadway.

The e-waste recycling event on Saturday—sponsored by Waste Management—was a booming success, Schnadenberg reported as well. Not only did folks bring enough old electronics items to fill one truck, they brought enough to fill two. The second truck returned to the Street Department on Monday to collect the mounds of gear left in the parking lot over the weekend, Schnadenberg said.

Finally, Town Manager Bernie Doyle—freshly returned from vacation—thanked Schnadenberg for unofficially acting in his place while he was gone, or as he put it, for “stepping up to the plate for a couple of weeks and wearing a few hats.”

Meanwhile, Police Chief Dave Cincoski announced the installation of a prescription medication drop-off box in the foyer of the town hall, just to the right of the pop machine.

Folks may use the box to dispose of unneeded, unused, and expired prescription medications, 24/7, with the assurance that they “won’t fall into the wrong hands,” Cincoski said. “You don’t have to check in with the dispatcher, either.”

“It’s not for needles or illegal substances,” Cincoski emphasized, and any liquids should be sealed properly before being dropped off.

The box was funded through the Porter County Substance Abuse Council and installed by the Street Department.

At Cincoski’s request, members voted 4-0 to authorize him to apply for two no-match grants, totaling $36,000, from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and the Porter County DUI grant program. Those moneys would be used to pay officers overtime to participate in blitz enforcement initiatives.

Member Jim Ton, R-1st, took a moment at the end of the meeting to congratulate staff and employees for “doing such a great job making the Downtown look as great as it is.”

Ton noted that he spent part of Saturday at the European Market, was struck by the large attendance, and was gratified to see that “the Downtown is a real draw.”

Member Sharon Darnell, D-4th, for her part, reminded folks that the 10th annual CFD Street Dance will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, Aug. 6.

Admittance: a $5 donation, proceeds from which will be used to acquire miscellaneous gear.

George’s Gyros is providing the food, Hooligan’s the beer.

Pat O’Brien takes the stage at 6 p.m., Fox at 8 p.m.

Be there.

Posted 7/26/2011