Oh,
heat. Hey. Hey.
Heat. Heat.
N.
Heat. Heat.
N.
public
to the flag of the unit states of
America and to the republic for it
stands one nation
indivisible with liberty and justice for
all
the mayor and chairman of this board is
out of town today so you guys
run a quick
» Mayor Bont
member new
>> here member Member Lewis
>> here.
>> Member Farcus
>> here.
>> Member Mleta
>> here.
>> First up, we've got the approval of the
minutes from the May 26 meeting.
>> I'll make a motion we approve the
minutes from the May 26th meeting.
>> I'll second.
>> We have a motion to second. Any
discussion? Call roll, please.
» Member Newell
>> here.
>> Yes.
>> Member Lewis.
>> Yes.
>> Member Farcus.
>> Yes.
>> Member Mleta.
>> Yes.
We don't have any unfinished business.
Under new business, we have the IT
independent contractor agreement with
Bill Moran.
>> Bill here.
>> No, he's not here.
>> I can speak about it if you guys want.
>> Yeah, if you just come on up to the just
give him a quick overviewation
explanation of what we're
>> do.
Um, so Bill Moran, oh well,
sorry, I don't do this all the time. Uh,
so Bill worked with us last year, uh,
kind of helping us get away from our
managed service provider for IT. So now
we do all of our own IT inhouse. Uh, so
he's coming back this year in a reduced
capacity. Um, and he's just kind of
going to help us out with a bunch of
different projects about cutting costs
for our frontier bills, telecom lines
that are old, kind of getting rid of
those. So, we have a few bills that we
pay about $400, $500 a month on
currently, and he's going to help us cut
those costs. So, it's going to pay for
itself. Um, as we go on, we've got a few
other different projects we want him to
work with us on. So, it's a reduced
capacity it kind of helping us with
elevators, alarms,
things of that nature.
>> So, it looks like he's just working four
days a month.
>> Four days a month. Yeah.
>> The hours.
>> Yep.
>> Great. I I've I've done you reviewed the
contract.
>> Yep. I have reviewed this. In fact, one
thing I want to point out is that um one
of the things that has been um updated
for this contract is that we're defining
what a work day is. And so like we've
kind of tightened that up a little bit.
So he can't come in and spend four hours
working with Trevor and say, "Whoa, that
was a tough day." Then walk away. No,
it's it's like a full seven hour, you
know, no less than seven hour day.
>> Great. Thank you. Do you have a motion
to approve the IT independent contractor
agreement with Bill Moran? I'll make a
motion to approve the independent
contractor agreement with
>> that.
Motion a second. All in favor say I.
>> I opposed.
» We got the fire department CPR machine
quotes.
Chief.
» Yeah, we got a couple. This must be
expensive.
» No, it's not terrible. Um, good morning.
I am uh coming to ask for permission for
a to pursue a soul source purchase for
our Lucas CPR machines.
um the CPR machines that we are asking
for, the reason that we're asking for
the sole source purpose of them is they
integrate well with our they're the only
integrating U CPR machine with our
current cardiac monitors. Any other uh
manufacturer there would be a disruption
in that uh communication between the
two. um
they they also um
don't they don't work with the same
battery platform that we currently have.
And so uh going with the same platform
that we've had for a long time as the
purpose for uh requesting the
information for the Soul Source um
purchase.
>> And uh I'll just step in for one second.
Um I've already done a full legal review
of this. I mean this is what what the
chief has outlined as to why we need to
go with this particular machine for the
ambulances and other infrastructure that
we have both software hardware is
literally right out of Indiana code
exactly how so what I will end up doing
is assisting the fire department with
writing up a sole source justification
um but you know we do need to seek the
fire department does need to seek the
permission of the board of works to move
forward exploring this option
I'll make a motion we allow the fire
department to move forward with a single
source a sole source uh supply the CPR
machines due to the interactive nature
with current equipment and
recommendation of our attorney.
>> I'll second that.
>> We have a motion to second. Any other
questions or discussion
hearing? None. All in favor say I.
>> Opposed.
Before
we get into the Fourth of July festival,
could I bring up now uh the upfitting
for our vehicles while I'm up here? So,
we would like to piggyback was it a
month and a half ago maybe the police
department was up here um when the
approval for the vehicles um was the
administrative vehicles was done. Also,
the approval for the upfitting of the
vehicles. Um, we would like to get
permission to just piggy back on to what
the police department is already doing
in place with federal signal uh for the
upfitting of our two administrative
vehicles that have already been
approved.
» These the vehicles we did in that same
purchase.
>> Yes, sir.
>> But they don't have the upgrades for the
>> Right. Mike was Mike was forthinking and
he came and asked for the upfitting at
the same time that we did the approvals
for the vehicles. Uh we were lagging
behind a little bit. We were still
waiting for some information and we have
received that information and opted our
best or chose our best option as to
piggy back with the police department.
» Any other questions?
>> Uh I just want to clarify with attorney
Barniki. Well, I thought we approved
that all as a group though. I I was
under the assumption we already approved
this.
>> I mean, I can go back and look at that.
I mean, I don't recall off the top of my
head and I don't have the minutes from
that meeting. We can double check if the
board already approved it, but
>> I'll be more than happy to approve it
again. But
>> yeah, I mean, like we one could make a
motion to in the event that it's not
already being been approved to approve
this request.
So we we brought to you guys the car
purchases. We did them as two separate
things. We did the Durango
as one as like patrol vehicles and then
we did the trucks as administrative
vehicles which they were also getting.
So we did two different we brought two
different bids for those. You guys
accepted the patrol vehicles and the
administrative vehicles which included
police and fire. We then came back in
and because
you know our upfitting is we do a lot
more of it if we're being honest. Um we
came back in and got our all of our
vehicles the upfitting approved to go to
Federal Signal. So that would have been
our trucks and our Durango. Um they have
the requirements in the vehicles are a
little different for them than what ours
are. Obviously light colors, different,
you know, different things, the
computers, different things. So they
hadn't done theirs yet. So, I'm 99%
positive that you guys approved the car
purchase as a whole, approved the police
department's upfitting, and now they're
coming back to just get theirs up.
>> No, that's great background. So, for the
record, the police chief just clarified
that his recollection was that the
upfitting request was exclusively for
police upfitting. The fire upfitting is
a little bit different. So, again, I
think the suggested motion would cover
both contingencies.
One could say so moved.
>> So moved.
» So seconded.
>> Okay, we have a motion and a second. So
moved. All in favor say I.
>> I.
>> Opposed.
>> Yeah, for the record, the motion was
articulated. It's just if you agree with
what I said then you can as a member you
can suggest that motion by saying so
moved adopting my language. So we'll
>> long long as Carrie wrote it down.
>> Yeah. Oh Carrie and I know we she's got
it.
>> All right. Thank you all very much.
Appreciate it.
>> Okay. Next up we've got the Fourth of
July prayed and festival special event.
Welcome Norma.
» Good morning. I am here again. It's that
around that time again the year. We're
going to do the um parade and festival.
Everything is pretty much the same um
outline as last year. We'll the route is
the same. We'll start at um Vivian and
uh Central uh go down Central to Willow
Creek, go south on Willow Creek, and end
at U right after Gilbert Park on Sunset.
The festival starts at 5. Um we've had
um an initial meeting with um all the
groups to decide on the safety the you
know uh lineup worked with um all the
city departments involved and got that
all taken care of. So we just need um
permission to block the roads and have
our parade.
>> Thank you. Anybody have any questions?
>> I'll make a motion we have the 4th of
July on the 4th of July.
I'll second.
>> We have a motion and a second. All in
favor say I.
>> I.
>> Thank you.
>> Wouldn't want to be the group that
turned down the Fourth of July. That's
the wrong.
» Next we have a solicitor permit
application for the Ascent Group
Incorporated.
Good afternoon.
Um, my name is Manurva. I'm the owner of
Ascendant Group Incorporated. Now, I'm
just here uh above you guys to request a
peddler's tournament from you guys.
We're an ICD company distributing
services for Verizon. They just invested
$20 billion in buying out the fiber
optic lines from Frontier. So, we're
just looking to be able to service their
folks area here. We've been able to gain
permits already from Hobber area. We did
gain temporary permits from Burns Harbor
as well. So, we're just trying to do
things accordingly to make sure that
we're able to service your folks area as
well.
>> So, your request is to be to go door
todoor.
>> Yep. Yeah. We would only be going from
noon maybe down just to sunset time. We
don't push in the dark out here. Just
want to make sure everyone's doing it
comfortably, safely. And we do of course
authorize background checks through a
third party company that also does get
double ver uh uh double verification
process through our company called
creditico as well. So that way the
safety of our reps and the people that
were knocking on is done accordingly. I
will say in the last couple of years,
this board um has pretty much made um an
unofficial decision to uh turn down
solicitors permits. Um unless it's like
the Girl Scouts selling their cookies or
a school um you know, selling a a card
or something like that. Um, I'll leave
that up to the board to um additional
information, but um that's just is
something that we've gotten away from in
the city of Portage and we've been
consistent on denying these requests,
especially for larger companies that
have many multiple other ways of
advertising their services to the
community.
>> Right. And we're not taking payments at
the door either. You know, there's the
technicians. We just set up the
appointments for technic technicians to
come service people's homes. So, we're
not taking any form of payment at the
door. nothing nothing right away even
with technicians get there. We push
people's payments out two, three weeks
after people get installed. But the
overall objective with fiber, it's not
just to get people, you know, cheaper,
faster internet. It's really just a
matter of that fiber is becoming the
more secure way nationwide to receive
internet in people's homes. Just to get
people on a private dedicated line is a
becoming a pretty urgent matter
nationwide, which is part of the reason
why Verizon invested $20 billion in
buying out the fiber from Frontier. So,
it's really just a matter of just trying
to help people get something that's
going to be a lot more secure for
people's neighborhoods.
>> Yeah. The the issue what we've heard
from the communities, they just don't
like random people coming knocking at
their doors.
>> So, that's where we've made that
decision. So, I'll leave that up to the
board to uh any further discussion or
>> as far as random people, we would only
send about it we would only send a
designated five people that like I said,
we would have a designated time and it
would only be for a short period of
time. We wouldn't be there like every
day for the next year or so. We only
really need at the very least a month to
come help service the area and get
people something that's going to be a
lot more secure for people's homes.
>> I'll make a motion in uh lie of what
we've done since the beginning and we'll
deny this solicitor's permit.
>> A second.
>> We have a motion and a second to deny.
All in favor say I.
>> I post.
>> Sorry.
>> Thank you.
got a solicitor permit application for
five guy fries.
» That guy,
>> I just don't want to say that.
» Thanks for having us.
>> Yes. Hopefully you enjoyed the bread.
>> There'll be more to come.
Um, so we're just looking for at
Pedaller's license to park at the new
location which we plan to
um have a breakfast lunch spot at the
former Deep Blue Seafood on Route Six.
Um I think I believe the next seg
segment is JT's. That's going to be the
name of our restaurant. Um we have a
food truck called Fat Guys Fries. We
serve fries, tater tots, burgers, like
everything that you could probably think
of that's American. Um, and we just
wanted to park in the parking lot of the
Deep Blue Seafood to promote that we are
going to be opening. Um, we're shooting
for September 1st.
>> Um,
and yeah, that's
>> so your request is really you got your
approval for a location to park your
food truck
>> pretty much. Yeah.
>> Dan, why would this be a solicitor's
permit? So uh actually it's not um is
this the same? So you are
>> Yeah, you are you are JTs.
>> Yes, that's correct.
>> Okay. So it's really E and F are kind of
combined on the agenda.
>> I know I know at one point we were at
Ace Hardware um and code enforcement
came and told us that we had to get a
solicitor's permit. We had to go in
front of the board and we had to get it
approved.
>> Well that Yeah.
>> So that's why I kind of took the same
route and
>> totally get it.
>> Right. We don't want to make any any
mistakes.
>> Oh, yeah. No, actually, I mean, so this really isn't what you're proposing
now has changed. Um, you're going to
park where um
>> we're going to be opening
>> where you're going to be opening. So,
this is really just like a uh I think
like a
>> Yeah, this is just a temporary
operators. So, like we Yeah, it's not
really a solicitor's permit. So, we'll
So,
>> that's really not the duty of the board
of works to approve, right? That'd be
the planning department. Well, planning approved the for the actual
restaurant already um for the JTs, so I
don't know if that made it faster.
>> Yeah. Um
>> they have to
>> Yeah. Tom, why don't you come up because
Yeah, this is kind of like a hybrid
request really. Let's
>> let's talk this one out.
>> So, are you looking
>> First off, the solicitor permit is
really not valid for is that something
we should just we can ignore that on the
agenda?
>> I I would say just ignore it. Yeah,
there's really I mean it's all the same.
Yeah, it's all the same requirements.
We're not going door todo to try to get
business.
>> Um, are you going to be
>> I thought I thought maybe your truck was
going to pull up in front of my house
and
>> we'll be here next Wednesday. We'll be
here next Wednesday.
>> Oh, yes. On the 17th, we'll be here.
>> So, are you looking to serve food out of
this, too?
>> Yeah.
>> Temporarily.
>> Yes.
>> For the food truck. Yes.
>> Right.
>> So, this this would go under typically
>> for food trucks. It's uh more of a
dayby-day type thing. It's it's a day
only. So I I believe this would be a
board of work action to allow them to to
do this until the business is opened
>> on a temporary basis.
>> We're shooting for other food trucks
that park anywhere.
>> Right. But again, like I
>> Right. But they're they're asking for
basically a a it sounds to me like
they're asking for a series of days.
>> Well, mo majority during the week
because pretty much every Friday,
Saturday, Sunday were booked with
events, right? Um, so it'd be like
probably Monday through Wednesday or or
even Tuesday through Thursday. That's
pretty much majority of when
>> it kind of gives us a chance for
awareness to our followers that we're
going to open um this uh breakfast lunch
uh kind of deli bakery mix and then it
also helps us with funding because
there's a lot going on.
>> No, I I understand that. So I think
we're looking for a time frame. Maybe
not a per se, you know, this date, this
date. It's probably just the time frame
between now and
>> target September 1st target opening
date. Um I do know that the um Porter
County Board of Health will be
inspecting this
>> as part of the food truck.
>> Antonio Antonio came to inspect the
restaurant yesterday or give us a
consultation, tell us what we need. Um
but he's inspected our food truck. So is
um John. Both of them are from Porter
County. Yes.
>> Yeah. So so I guess this would be
>> and I have my yearly permit as well. So,
what what are we asked to approve here
or do we
>> I'm figuring that out. I'm trying to
write this down. Yeah, because this is different.
>> Okay. Everything's different,
>> right? I I second that.
» June 10th September.
>> Yeah.
>> Yes.
» There's no fruit. It's just
Well, apparent code enforcement told me
you needed a pedaller's license. And
then other food trucks have told me like
the ace um the advanced auto parts, they
had to get a a pedaller's license.
>> Do we have a pedaller's license?
>> For food trucks?
>> Yeah, we have one, but I don't I'm not
sure if it's specifically for food
trucks or not. Do you want me to go grab
one? A blank one?
>> I've never heard of one, so yeah.
They haven't even
>> as an incentive.
>> I mean, is that a park? It can't be a
park function. I mean,
>> not off premises of a park.
>> It's private property. It feels to me
more it's a
>> occupancy permit type of thing.
>> It would almost be more of a Porter
County as long as they are aware of it
and are inspecting it.
>> Yeah. Well, we have the yearly already,
the 2026.
>> I understand that.
>> We're just trying to see what the
function of our approval would be.
>> I get it.
an approval that maybe is not valid,
>> right?
>> Or not needed.
» What was the question?
>> Oh,
>> I mean, I would view it almost falling
under the u
like a temporary construction vehicle,
but they're s serving food out of there.
So,
>> yes, it feels like that's a board of
hell. I mean, they they have the
business. They're parking the truck on
their own property with their business.
They're using it to serve food out of
that's a board of health
>> hybrid
>> because our contract started in June. We
signed the contract. So, we're it's
already contracted in our name.
>> I I would agree with that. But
>> we've had bars who didn't have kitchens
who were using a food truck for a period
of time. That was a board of health.
>> Carrie is when food trucks go to other
areas, not parks or not city hall, um do
they apply for anything? I don't. That
would be Diane. I asked her to come in
here, but she might be uh out to lunch.
Let me go grab her.
>> Yeah, I was told I had to leave um when
we were parked at Ace Hardware because
they said we needed a some type of
license, a teddy license or that was I
don't know a couple years ago.
>> I mean, I see one that's over in
Advanced Auto Parts all the time. I
don't think we've ever approved that.
>> She She said that was a couple years
ago, though. So, maybe there was
something else in place at that point.
That might have been different then. I
mean, they were enforcing something that
would
>> Well, do you want to um I
>> mean, I guess we can give an approval,
right? But it might not be valid. There
might be somewhere else they've got to
go get that approval.
>> You want to gather some of this info or
let them do that and skip on to
>> claims and bulk appeals.
>> Let's go through claims and bulk
appeals. Let me keep looking because
again, I'm just trying to figure out
what is the right thing to tell you to
vote on because this is something new to
me, too. I I I'm just not familiar with
this.
>> Yeah. So, if you don't mind just being
patient, we'll just go through the rest
of our agenda until they can figure that
out.
>> Thank you.
>> Okay. We'll move on to the board of
works claims for June the 9th.
Yeah.
>> Yeah. And the updated I left both of
them, but they're both listed in the
Dropbox and everything.
>> The final one. Yeah. the um APV number
85356
was made for like 12114,
but when we printed it, it was 12144.
» I'll make a motion we approve the claims
the June 6 claims in the amount of
$983,579.91.
» I'll second.
We
>> have a motion in a second. All in favor
say I. I.
>> I. I.
Okay, next we have bulk appeals 6527
Jason Court.
>> Good afternoon members. I just have one
before you. It's a $40 dispute. Um the
owner lives on a culde-sac and uh when
you have a culde-sac in various homes on
that culde-sac, the front linage is
difficult and smaller. So I'm asking the
board to consider reversing this in this
type of situation.
>> I'll make a motion we reverse the
charge. the bulk appeal charge for 6527
Jason Court and recommendation of staff.
>> I'll second that.
>> We have a motion and a second. Any
discussion?
If not, all in favor say I.
>> I. I.
>> Opposed? Motion carried. Thank you.
Are there is there any other business
that's not on the agenda? Go ahead. Fire
chief was up here. You I mean you got to
come up now, too. It's
>> your turn.
>> This is like becoming a weird meeting.
Um, this one's weird, too. So, um,
I don't know exactly where to go with
this, but, um, I was told I needed to be
here. So, uh, a couple months ago, we
were told that there was still money
left in a bond, um, that needed to be
used by certain point this year. We had
inquired about getting new SWAT vests
for our SWAT team because they're about
to expire. Um, a couple weeks ago I
reached out to city hall uh and inquired
about the money. They said there was still some money. Um, so we
had gotten quotes for those vests. So
then the other day I was told to come in
here and uh I guess seek approval from
you guys to to purchase it. Um, where
the money's coming from, somebody from
the clerk chargers office probably have
to explain that a little better. I just
am under the impression that there is
money. Um, so just
>> maybe we can approve it contingent upon
the availability of the funds.
>> There you go. So I just give just so you
guys know what you're what you're
looking at. Um, so we've got our SWAT
team. We have uh 14 police officers and
when we're fully staffed, six medics, so
a 20 person team. Um, their vests expire
five every five years and they are a
enhanced level of protection from what
the regular officers wear. be great if
we had the money for all of that, but um
unfortunately the vest grant that we
apply for only, you know, covers a
certain certain kind. So um regardless,
we like to get these every five years.
Um we update the SWAT team. The last
couple years, our SWAT callouts are
definitely on the rise. Um, you know,
we're not only using them for, you know,
hostage negotiating type things, but
high level warrants, things that we can
slow down, take a little bit more time
on and execute in a more safe manner. We
use our SWAT team. There's two SWAT
teams in the county. There's Porter
County SWAT team and there's our team.
Um, Porter County team is awesome.
Having our own team though, you know,
the response time, our officers are on
scene. We have complete control over
that team. Um, so, you know, we don't we
don't want to lose that. We also uh we
have worked with Ogden Dunes. We've been
called out to Burns Harbor um Porter. So
we do you know kind of the northern end
of the county kind of our little end. We
we're the SWAT team that generally they
call. So So all that being said um
that's why we need them. Um if you guys
approve this this will be the first time
that I can remember in the last you know
x number of years going back that we
actually got vests before they expired.
um we've had a tr a problem funding them
because it's not really in a budget.
There is no budget for our SWAT team.
It's kind of like our K9. We just got to
raise money unless we come across some
funds like this. So, so all that
long-winded uh talk there. Um we got
three quotes. One was for nearly 65,000.
One was for just under 57,000
and then we got another one um which is
what we would like to go with which is
uh 43,750.
So, here's the here's the caveat and I'm
not sure how to do this. Um,
so because this kind of went so fast and
we were got the approval to go, we had
the the gentleman come in yesterday. So,
that's the quote, but he came in
yesterday and did fitting. If we have
some larger officers and the vest sizes
are a little bigger, it could fluctuate
by a couple hundred dollars here and
there. So, I if it's prudent, I don't
know how to ask for. The quote was 43750
with them saying that there might be
some, you know, higher or lower if it's
possible. And I don't know, Mr.
Attorney, to prove,
>> do you think it'll exceed 45,000?
>> I I was told that it could go up $3,000
at the most. So,
>> not to exceed 47,000.
>> That would be outstanding if you guys
could do that. And then I I will have an
invoice. I asked them for an invoice,
you know, in the next couple of days.
But we kind of put this we fasttracked
this whole thing and we were up against
the time of the bond.
>> This is the lowest responsive bidder,
>> right?
>> By by far 65,000ish
57,000ish and then mid40s. So it's not even close.
>> Yeah. So to the members of the board, um
a motion to to uh approve this purchase
not to exceed 47,000 keeps it well below
anything else. So it's still the lowest
responsive bid. So,
>> would someone like to make the motion to
approve the purchase of the uh SWAT team
vest uh not to exceed $47,000 contingent
upon the availability of funds? I like
it.
>> I'll make that motion.
>> I'll second.
>> Have a motion. Second. Any other
discussion?
>> All in favor say I.
>> I. I.
>> All right. Thank you, Mr. Attorney, for
your uh help there.
>> It's what I do. Okay.
>> Okay. Are we back to JTs?
>> Yeah. Circling, you can stay. Yeah. So,
circling back to JT's, um,
after talking with staff, um, a motion
that could be made is someone could move
to approve Fat Guys Fries doing business
as JTs to operate their food truck at
their own property from June 9th through
September 1st from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. using the license deemed necessary
by staff and legal review.
We have a so moved.
>> So moved.
>> Second.
>> Have a motion in a second. Any other
questions or discussion? All in favor
say I.
>> I. Opposed.
>> Any other business to be brought before
the board.
» Okay. If not, entertain a motion to
adjurnn.
>> Motion to adjurnn.
>> Second.
All in favor say I.
>> I.
Thank you.