Common Council - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call the February 17th, 2026 City of Leaport Common Council meeting agenda to order. Let's begin with the pledge of allegiance. Danny Streer to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Roll call. Clerk, treasurer. Councilman Frankie here. Councilwoman Huffman is absent. Councilwoman Ficus, present. Councilman Galloway, here. Councilwoman Keshnney, present. Counciloman Buchanan here. Councilwoman West. Six present, one absent. Approval of February 2nd, 2026 meeting minutes. Do I have a motion? Motion to approve. Second. Discussion. All in favor? Motion passes. Petitions and comments of citizens. Charity Lapsa. The lobster queen.

The lobster queen. Hi everybody. Charity Lapsa. uh Hotspot Cafe 602 Lincolnway and the Leaport Small Business Coalition. I am very I love collaborations with businesses and I am very excited to um let all of you know that I Hotspot Cafe is collaborating with Cousins Main Lobster which if you're familiar with them they got their a big boost on Shark Tank about 10 years ago. They had one truck as of the beginning of this year. They had a hundred lobster food trucks that they franchise throughout the country. And um they will be outside the hot spot on March 8th from 11:00 a.m. to 700 p.m. Um there are talks about more coming them coming back and and doing it again already. Um the response on Facebook has been phenomenal. So far it's been up six hours and we have over 150 people saying they're coming or they're interested. So very excited about that. Spread the word. Come enjoy some lobster. It's going to be a lot of fun and we're real excited. Thanks everybody.

Thank you. Charity. Anything online? Somebody posted about who was that? Okay. Wow. So everybody can look at that online. Standing committee reports. President Frankie redevelopment commission meets next Wednesday the 25th 5:15 here in council chambers. That's all I have. Councilwoman Ficus.

Uh park board will meet tomorrow 4 p.m. at the park office and then traffic commission met on February 3rd. We welcomed Paul Skiot and Ian Eldridge to the commission and our next meeting will be Tuesday March 3rd 5 at the police station. Welcome Paul. He's a great addition. Councilman Galloway, a police mayor commission met on the 10th of Tuesday and they have five applicants waiting on Perf and then they can swear them in and they say they're getting quite a few applications now. Councilwoman West,

the fire merit commission met on February 4th to discuss applicant fees to cover exam costs, which will be recommended to the council this evening. And the new higher aptitude test will be on April 18th at 8 a.m. Um, you can call the fire department at 2193623456 for more information. And with February being heart month, I am happy to report that our fire department continues to offer free CPR classes every month at the Leaport Fire Station number one on 18th Street and their upcoming um classes on Saturday, February 21st at 8 a.m. and 1 at 12:00 p.m. And you can also call uh that number I said earlier, but I'll repeat it one more time. 219 362 3456 to schedule for this life-saving class. Um the entire 2026 schedule is on Facebook under the Leaport City Fire Department and this program is made possible in part by the health fun healthcare foundation of Leaport and the next fire merit mission commission meeting will be on Wednesday, March 4th at 6:30 at fire station number one. The UEA meeting will be tomorrow, February 18th at 4 p.m. in city chambers. and the bid board met on Monday, February 9th, and new member appointments were voted on at our last council meeting and later in uh during other business. I will make a motion to reappoint two members uh during the other business and their next meeting will be on Monday, March 9th at 5:00 in city chambers.

Councilman Buchanan, Historic Preservation Commission meets next Tuesday, the 24th at 5:30 here in council chambers. Councilwoman Kesnney, nothing to report this evening. schedule change. Councilman Buchanan, I'd like to make a motion to uh change our uh April 6th regularly scheduled meeting to April 13th. Second motion and a second. Uh discussion because is this spring break? Further comments? All in favor?

I opposed. Motion passes. Clerk Treasurer Parthonon 2025 investment report to council. On an annual basis, the state requires the clerk treasur to present to the council an annual investment report which is a conglomeration of all of the fund reports with investments our office sends to you monthly upon reconciliation. For 2025, the city of Leaport earned $145,88863 for seven last year last year, excuse me,

for seven different funds that are invested in the state's Hooser Fund with Lake City Bank. The Hooser Fund is a money market fund allowed by state statute specific for units of government per Indiana code 36-1-7. Funds are pulled together to earn more interest as advised by Baker Tilly. We earn interest daily and can access the funds if needed within 24 hours with no penalties. We've been investing in the Hooser Fund for the past 11 years. The Hooser Fund daily yield as of 21626 is 3.75%. Interest earned on the city's checking accounts for 2025 was 1,612,3951 among 21 checking accounts. In 2024, we earned 67 I'm sorry, $676,38147 between 21 checking accounts at local banks. This is an increase of $935,9284 from 2024. We earned over over double on the civil city account year-over-year, and the interest on the bands for water and sewage earned approximately $675,000. If you recall last year, Matt Vesley from First Source Bank doubled all of the interest on our First Source Bank accounts, currently earning 3%. Uh, I met with Horizon Bank this morning to come up with a plan for our Horizon accounts. They've raised our interest on our Horizon accounts to 2%. Interest earned on the Civic Trust accounts in 2025 was 11,100 $172.7 from Horizon Bank's private wealth management, which has a current yield of 2.81% 81% as of 13126. The civic board manages these funds. The RDA syncing reserve and operating funds earned $55,64316 held at Bach Financial, our bond trustee, and is a requirement of the RDA series 2015, 2023, and 2024 bonds. The current market yield for Bach Financial is 3.34%.

No action is needed by the council. This is forformational purposes only and unbelievable work as it continues in the clerk treasurer office by yourself and your team. Uh thank you. I think the residents are very appreciative of the great work you're doing. Thanks. Thank you. George, you excited? Thank you to our partners at all of our financial institutions. Well, great work by you. Don't pass it off. So, I guess some of these prestigious groups on Facebook are wrong. We do have money. No. Excellent. Any comments? Great work, Courtney and team. Thank you.

Second and final reading of ordinance. Council President Frankie. Your honor, I move to read an ordinance for the second and final time by title only. Second. Discussion. All in favor? I I opposed. Councilman Frankie, an ordinance to vacate a culde-sac located on Walton Avenue in Orchard Home subdivision in the city of Leaport, Indiana. Nick Otis,

uh this went through draft commission. Uh there was a recommendation to vacate this culdeac that was never uh developed into a culde-sac. Uh and you heard from the petitioner at the last last meeting for future development on this. I know there was a question I think from somebody that lives near this area. Uh if if it is uh replplatted that'll have to go through plan commission and there'll be an opportunity for local for comment from uh you know citiz citizens at large and then also you know adjacent owners. As as a reminder it's not actually a culde-sac. It's a a line on beacon but otherwise grass. It's grass. Yeah. It's never Yeah. Correct.

Motion to approve. Second discussion. All in favor? I opposed. Motion passes. Introduction of a resolution. Councilman Galloway. Your honor, I'd like to introduce a resolution and read it for its one and only time. Second. Motion and a second. Discussion. All in favor? I.

Opposed? Councilman Galloway. Additional appropriations for lit public safety fund number 2240. Whereas it has been determined that is now necessary to appropriate more money than was appropriated in the annual budget. Now therefore, section one, be it resolved by the common council of the city of Leaport, Indiana, that for the expenses of the taxing unit, the following additional sums of money are hereby appropriated out of the fund named and for the purposes specified, subject to the laws governing the same. Lit public safety police other capital outlays prisoner partitions 224069451.001 amount requested $35,754 amount approved $35,754.

Clerk treasurer parthone. Um that just wasn't budgeted. So, we are uh it's a it's a an expense that the police department has a huge need for. Um and so we did an additional appropriation. I did want to say we'll have to have a public hearing, but I did want to say it was published in the Herald Dispatch on 120 2026. Uh that advertisement was uploaded to Gateway on 122 2026, which is at least 14 days before that my microphone was not on that entire time and I apologize. It's been a long day. At least 14 days before the public hearing pursuant to Indiana Code 6-1.1-18-5.

And these are for the partitions that protect the officers uh in the car so uh prisoners cannot kick from behind. And uh this is something that was needed. Uh with that, I will open this up to a public hearing. Uh there was an affidavit. Yep. We just we just which we did. Uh I will now open it up to public hearing. Is there anybody that would like to speak on this from the public? Anybody like to speak on this hearing? None. I will close the public hearing and move to because this is a resolution can pass this evening. Do I have a motion? So moved. Second.

Discussion. I mean these not only improve safety but they improve efficiency. I've been on ride alongs where uh we've had to sit because there's been a a passenger that's unruly and needs restraining, but without the partitions, another officer has to ride and now you're you're down a officer for 45 minutes to an hour. So, I'm all for it. All in favor? I opposed. Motion passes. Introduction of an ordinance. Councilwoman West. Your honor, I move to introduce an ordinance read for the first time in its entirety. Second discussion. All in favor? I

I opposed. Councilwoman West. Under section number one, applicants shall pay shall pay a $20 application fee to cover exam costs. And then down letter D, applicant sell shall pay a $20 application fee to cover exam costs. And then section two, revenue from the application fee credit card will go to fund 6609-499.011 and revenue from the application fee check or cash will go to 1101-499.011. End of ordinance.

This is an ordinance. I thought I saw Chief Snider. Mayor, if I may too, that this is a recommendation from the Fire Merit Commission. Uh, and and Miss West just simply read the amendment to the current ordinance. Uh, Chief Snider, if you if just real quick, maybe give a quick background on why this this fee is being added. Yes. Thank you. Um, so the Merit Commission, you could state your name and address for the record.

Andy Snider, chief. Um the merit commission oversees the testing procedure for a new applicant hiring list. Um that is takes place every two years for the fire department. That's where we take our applicants from. Um the first step beyond the application process is to take a mental aptitude test. Um, we have learned here and especially in recent years, it's very easy for people to go online and sign and take the application out and then or andor go in and pick up an application and then just not show up for the test. The unfortunate thing there is that those what we pay the testing company is based upon the number of tests that we um ask for, not for who shows up. So, um, you can say there has been a significant differential between who actually takes out applications and who shows up for the test. And I think, and don't hold me to these exact numbers, but I think that we had over 80 to 100 applications taken out last time and we had uh less than 40 people show up to take the test. So, you can see that there's a pretty significant difference in the cost of the city and we're just trying to offset that right now. The merit commission is trying to offset that by uh at least if somebody wants to take out an application, they should have a little bit of skin in the game to show up and take the test.

Absolutely. Questions for Mr. Snder? Chief, how much is each test? Do you happen to know? It it breaks into there's a fee that covers the entire testing procedure and then that breaks down into different variations of the test as far as um and they go by number by tens. So um I don't have that exact number. Again, the mayor commission takes care of that part of it. So, I try not to get involved because I'm supposed to be separate from the merit commission. Um, but I would assume this doesn't the 20 bucks doesn't cover it all, does it? No, it will not. But it'll at least give, you know, some incentive. Incentive to show up incentive. So, this this isn't even covering if somebody chooses not to show up.

The total cost of that contract with the uh testing company, I believe, is in the area of 2500 to $3,000, may even be more this year. So, and the fire merit expenses come out of the general fund. So, that will help offset like the quarter at Aldi. Sure. There you go. Right. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, Chief. Further comments? Hearing none, this will now move to Monday, March 2nd, 2026. Other business, anything to be taken off the table? Oh gosh. Your honor, I would like to make a motion to um take the ordinance establishing M Street as a one-way street off of the table. Second.

Motion and a second. Discussion. All in favor? I opposed. Okay. It is now. And now I would like to make a motion to withdraw the ordinance completely. motion and a second withdrawal due to recommendation not not to move forward with making it a one-way street in that area after I think tra recommendation from the street department and the traffic commission correct so I do have a motion and a second further comment hearing none all in favor opposed motion passes Councilwoman West your honor I move to make a motion to reappoint two members ers to the bid board.

Take it off the table. Yeah. Take make a motion to take off the table. Is it on the table currently? Not on the table. No, it's not on the table because I I appointed the new members. I did not reappoint. So that's why I think it was not on this agenda to unt. So what should we do? Under other business, she could make that motion. Under other business, Councilwoman West. I move to make a motion to reappoint two members to the bid board. Second. Discussion. All in favor? I opposed. Councilwoman West.

I am reappointing to the bid board, which is a two-year appointment. The following members effective immediately. Liz Ward and John Spiegel. Second. So, now we're inviting these members to the table. Sure. Oh, did it? Do I have a motion? So moved. Second. Second. Discussion. All in favor? I opposed. Motion passes. Thank you. Here we go.

Any other comments? Uh reminder uh this Tuesday NIPCO has announced they will be at the civic auditorium from 4 to 7 p.m. Uh they will be having an uh openstyle stations available for the public uh regarding rates and delivery charges, customer service, energy and assistance and agency partners, energy efficiency, advanced metering infrastructure and community and data centers. So if you would like to meet one-on-one with each of those tabletops, uh those will be available to you. This is Nipkco's meeting. So, uh there will not be one meeting for the general public, but you will go to your specific table, if not all of them, that you would like to discuss your current specific situation.

Do you have to pre-register or just show up? I don't believe I think you just have to sign in when you get there from four between any time between 4 and 7. Any other comments? Motion to adjurnn. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Have a great evening.