Annual Porter Beach parking permits jumped $10 Tuesday following adoption of the 2013 fees by the Porter Town Council.

The $5 resident senior-citizen permit for persons age 60 and older at the time of purchase did not increase.

The cost for Town of Porter residents is $25 per year, town employees $15, Indiana residents $50, and for anyone out-of-state $85. Smelt parking permits (March 1 through May 31 only) are $15 for Indiana residents and $35 for non-residents.

Parking permits go on sale at the town hall March 1.

Clerk-treasurer Carol Pomeroy said the same policy that has been in place since 2006 still applies: as proof of residency a resident must provide both a valid Indiana driver’s license and vehicle registration showing a current legal address within the Town of Porter. Providing a mailing address in Porter is not sufficient. The Porter address must appear on both the license and registration.

The ordinance adopted Tuesday also outlines how a permit may be transferred if a new vehicle is purchased after the permit is issued. If a permit is lost, it must be replaced with a new, purchased permit if still available.

In other business, fire chief Lewis Craig thanked members of the Porter Public Works and Police departments for their invaluable help Feb. 19 when firefighters battled a Sunset Avenue structure fire in 15-degree temperatures. Craig said officer Joe Torok deserves special mention.

Public Works superintendent Brenda Brueckheimer thanked her staff for their help in moving frozen hoses under adverse conditions.

Also Tuesday, park director Brian Bugajski reported the Park Board has decided to cancel its landline telephone and is awaiting a cell phone number to be used by the public for making rental reservations for park facilities and grounds including the Hawthorne Park community building.

On first reading the Town Council unanimously approved setting the speed limit for Tremont Road between Canonie Drive and Indiana 49 at 30 mph instead of 40 mph. Final adoption is slated for March 12.

Council police liaison David Wodrich announced officer Tawny Komisarcik was awarded Police Officer of the Year for the Porter department. Spanier said the award is based on a point system and she narrowly beat out officer Marty Gonzalez, who won top-cop honors the past six years.

Spanier also corrected that the planned June 23 event in Porter sponsored by a medical foundation will be a road race, not a parade.

Tuesday the Porter Redevelopment Commission met for 12 minutes, during which it authorized payment to Howe Road resident Jill Field for a property acquisition needed to complete the Brickyard Trail pedestrian bridge over U.S. 20. Payment is subject to a completed closing.

The Town Council had initiated legal action last year to acquire fee simple title to a parcel owned by Field; both parties later entered into a settlement agreement with the understanding $22,000 would be approved for the purchase, according to town attorney Gregg Sobkowski.

It was announced RDC and Town Council member Jeannine Virtue will become Porter’s representative at stakeholder meetings for development of the new Dunes Kankakee Trail.

Posted 2/27/2013