Commissioners - Regular Meeting

If we do anything like We were open we come up here first. Oh yeah. Good luck. You want us up here? 79 sitting back next time picked Arche I'll retrieve it at a later's Ready? Yeah. You ready? For the pledge, please stands

nationy and justice for all. Morning everybody to uh the regular uh scheduled county board of commissioners meeting April 1st, 2025. We'll start with the cons consent agenda. Melody, approval of payroll March 14th and March 28th, 2025. Approval of claims March 13th, March 20th and March 27th, 2025. Approval of minutes March 11th, 2025. I move that we approve the consent agenda. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved. We have a citizen's appointment to the uh newly created ambulance services committee. I'd like to appoint Debbie Gunn. Second. We have a motion as well as a second for appointment of of uh Debbie Gun uh director of uh our B911 uh dispatching system. All those in favor say I. I. I. Those opposed, same sign. approved. We have an ordinance establishing a non-reverting fund 1120 or 1120 for insurance uh proceeds to restore buildings. And move that we approve on second reading. Second. We have a motion as well as uh we have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed same sign. Motion approved. Uh, I'm going to stop right here and I apologize to to Mr. Polaric is is the highway superintendent. I'm gonna I'm gonna move him up front here and help deal with uh uh these bids. Uh so we get we can get a recommendation for the end of the hopefully. Thank you.

proceed. The auditor's office received six bids. one bit package for central paving. There's going to be a bunch of different numbers on them. Big Matt Products of Indiana submitted a bid products Asphalt Materials Ink. Continue on pavement solution. Milestone Contractors

LP Riley Construction Company, Inc. We'll take these under adisement and come back to us. Yes, sir. Thank you. Uh we have an ordinance establishing a non-reverting fund 9128 for patrol assistance program from first reading. In this process, the board of commissioners must close uh the commissioner meeting and open up to a public meeting. Um and then we'll close the public meeting, open back up to commissioners. Love doing this and um I'll ask if there's any support or any demonstration against you. You want to very quickly ex explain to the board what this fund is for. Good morning. This is a grant from DNR to the sheriff's department to cover overtime or patrol out on Lake Michigan. Out on Lake Michigan. Yep. That does not include We don't patrol any lakes at Terrier Lakes. No, we don't. All right. All right. I will close the uh county board of commissioners meeting and open it up to a public meeting. Uh I will ask uh I have to ask by law three times uh if the those who would like to speak in favor of the ordinance and those and three times those who'd like to speak uh against the ordinance. So I'll start with those who would like to speak against the ordinance please come forward. Second request, those who'd like to speak against this ordinance to please come

forward. Third and final request, those who would like to speak against this ordinance, please come forward. Seeing none, those who would like to speak in favor of this ordinance, please come forward. Those who would like to speak in favor of this ordinance, please come forward. This is like 30 seconds of our life. We'll never third and final call. Anyone like to come forward to speak in favor of this? Seeing none, I will close the public meeting, open back up to the board of commissioners meeting and entertain the um motion. I move that we approve the ordin ordinance establishing a non-reverting fund 128 for the MA marine patrol assistance program fund on first reading. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved for the uh before uh the motion becomes ordinance, there is second reading and we'll see you at the next meeting. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Skilman projects Jail. We have anybody from Skillman. Oh, that's interesting. Uh we have a a Corillis roofing pay app number seven in the amount of 187,894.75. I move that we approve pay app number seven with coralus ripping. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. I I those opposed same sign. Motion approved. Highway department area of construction. Oh, there he

is. For the highway project. Go ahead. Yep. Sorry, I was back of the room here. Um, so we had some pay applications that needed to be approved for the highway area construction payoff 4, Bloomfield Mechanical PayP Three, Circle Mechanical Pay 7, and Circle Electric PA three. Scott, we have to take those individually, don't we? None of the pay apps. We can take the pay apps on the highway. I move that we approve uh the pay apps with Gary Construction in the amount of $320,900.50 and with Bloomfield Mechanical payout number three in the amount of $9,489.7. Payup number seven was Circle AR Mechanical in the amount of $22,939.65. And pay up number three was Circle Electric in the amount of $28,23.65. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved. Health department. Morning. Good morning. So before you you have u couple change orders with Bergen Construction. Um one was for the uh light in the closet. The other one is for the uh data drops that we did. Um our recommendation is for those to be approved. Can we do the two change orders together or do those need to be separate? Do the change separate. Okay. I move that we approve change order number eight uh to install closet light in the amount of

$999.90 with Bergman construction. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved. I move that we approve construction change order number 11 uh with Bergman Construction in the amount of $5,29947 cents per day. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed sign. Motion approved. I move that we approve pay up number eight in the amount of $142,511.93 with Burgund Construction. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Motion approve. Thank you. Tourism Christine. Everybody's here to see your two minutes. It's gonna be short, not very visual. So, I'm Christine Livingston, president CEO of Indiana Dunes Tourism. I just have a few brief updates. I wanted to let everyone know that we um are now in agreements with both the state and national park for our staff to sell state park passes as well as national park passes. So, the idea here is that we can alleviate some of the congestion at the gate and provide better service for people coming to the visitor center. Also to let you know that our board has approved increasing the county park support. We support Memorial Lapper House, Expo Center, Museum, and the county parks. And we are vote we have voted to increase the parks monthly amount from 29 $2970 to $3,1767 per month. That will then equal what the rest of the venues get. So that was approved by our

board. That takes our annual support for the venues to 152 for 80 and 16 cents for everyone per year collectively. Just a brief update on the indigenous cultural trail. We've gotten some good press recently about the installation of our limestone turtles. We've been working with the National Park, Padawatami, and Miami tribes to develop an indigenous cultural trail for the past 10 years. This is really putting us on the map and creating a destination um for people to visit not only at the visitor center but just to create an experience for them. Uh we have bridges, crosswalks, fire pit, a new welcome sign. Um we've raised over half a million dollars in donations, grants, and gifts toward this project. And this signage will be installed this spring. We're working on a new Porter County video. So Indiana Dunes tourism has been creating videos for all the communities, towns and cities throughout Porter County to promote not only tourism but also economic development. So we have the tourism video for Porter County but we don't have the economic development focused video for Porter County. So we're working on that probably be done later this summer. Stay tuned. And then uh we've been in the news. So I have some articles I want to share and then some information about some of our campaigns in light of the heavy agenda today. I'm going to spare you the details on that and I'll just pass those out. Um, and we also have an invitation for our April 17th annual event which will be at the visitor center included in the packets. I'm sure if we have any questions we'll reach out to you but okay. Thank you Christine. Thank you. Thank you. It Lee Childers.

Morning. Good morning. I was excited about new coffee machines. I didn't know all the Porter County was as well. What do you have for us? The uh main copy machine for the print shop died and so we we needed purchase placement. Two two and that way they're smaller ones but that way if one breaks we're not dead in the water. I can get one for the same cost. a bigger machine, but by buying two, if one fails, we're still in business. So, you have a request to purchase two uh Toshiba E Studio 9029A copy machines in the amount of $13,76510 and uh for a total amount of $27,530.20. Correct. Uh the copers will be used in the IT department. It will uh be paid for uh from the IT budget. I'd ask my ask my fellow commissioners if it's okay for you to buy two instead of just one at this at this time and if that one would break you back to it. I I just like to hear their feelings. Can you just explain the ramifications of one being down and how long it takes before you can get one up and what impact that has on on on the printing for the county. Um, these are slower. So, by using two, if they're both working, they work in tandem. It's faster than just one. If one were to break, we're still in business. Service usually takes two days, three days at the most. But, they're run constantly. How much life did we get out of the one that just broke? Uh, this one was

2017 or 16. That's it. Yeah, we've run almost Yeah. 500,000 copies. Right. I move that we approve the purchase of two Toshiba E Studio 9029A copy machines for a total amount of $27,530.20 with Adams Remco. Second. We have a motion as well as a second for approval. All those in favor say I. I. I. Thank you. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved. Thank you. facilities burgling construction. You want start there? Yeah. So, this is a change order for the lighting in the conference room downstairs. Um the existing lighting um was already paid for as part of the contract. We're going to use that lighting over at the um victim assistance. I thought we we addressed this. No, we didn't address it, but it was brought to your attention. Okay. So I move that we approve ch change order number nine with B construction for conference room lighting change in the amount of $67162. Second we have a motion as well as a second for approval. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed same. Next. So Stoer septic systems. This is a request to uh repair the mountain system over at the Porter County Highway Department in Hebrin. Um, this is for $13,500. This has already been approved through our health department. I move we approve the request with Stoyer Septic Systems in the amount of $13,500 for the Porter County Hebrin Highway Department septic mound repair. Second. We have a motion as well as a second for approval. All those in favor say I. I. Those same sign.

The third item is to paint the lower level hallway areas. um to make them consistent with the renovations that are down there. Right now, we've got 13 different colors. We're going to kind of restrict that to what we're going with now. And which budget is that coming out of? That's coming out of the U facilities department. And the recommendation is for Real Deal LLC. I move that we approve the uh quote with Real Deal Painting for $6,600. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved. The next item is for video tech. Um this is for the um installation and replacement of the access control panel at 155 Franklin. This is for voters um election department voters equipment. Um this will be paid out of fund 1120 that you just created by on second reading today out of the insurance subject to the insurance company's final approval on that. I move that we approve the contract with Video Tech to provide and install the replacement access control panel for 155157 Franklin in the amount of $8556 pending insurance approval. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, same sign. The next item is for the um window restoration here at the admin building. Um these have been pretty bad for many many years now. Um these will be on a regular schedule being done twice a year. Once in the spring, once in the once in the fall and these will be paid out of facilities. Yes. Can you read the second one? Scott said we can do those together. Oh, okay. So the next item Well, actually there are paid out of two funds. Does that

matter, Scott? Oh, yeah. Oh, sorry. Okay. I move that we approve the proposal to restore the exterior windows at the Edmond building uh in the amount of $7,495. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved. The next item is for the um exterior brick and ephus u cleaning over at the juvenile detention center. I move that we approve the proposal to clean the exterior brick and exterior installation at the juvenile detention center in the amount of $9,366. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed same sign. Motion approved. Anything else? That it spent a lot of money. We did. Thank you, sir. Highway Department uh can overlook number one. Uh we've already done that. Can you start with number two? Unless you want to We got the recommendation for you on number one if you just want to do that. Oh, that was pretty quick. Perfect, huh? Um want to address that right now? Yes. Yes. All right. The uh the bids there were all over in regards to geographical locations and everything. So we just uh accepting all bids at this time and then when it comes down to per project we will use the lowest bidder for that location and that's going to be in the motion that we have to we will use the lowest bidder. Correct. We will use lowest bidder for that item at that location. Okay. Can we do that without mentioning who bid on those countries? No, we're not. We have to mention who who's going to I'm sorry. You have a list of those that that bit. We want to mention

all their names. Okay. Correct. Yep. Um, no, that's all right. I know it. Uh, Asphalt Materials, Inc., Bitmack Products, Inc., uh, Rereath Riley Construction, Milestone Construction, Central Paving, and Pavement Solutions. That would be all of them. What was the last one? Jim, pavement solutions. Pavement solutions. I move that we approve the request to approve all bids at which time we will use the lowest better depending on what is be needed. Um the first one was with asphalt asphalt mater. Yeah. Asphalt plant mix asphalt black mix asphalt bit mapap wreath Riley Milestone central paving and pavement solutions. Correct. That's your motion. Second. We have a motion for approval as as uh read by Commissioner Rignets. Uh all those in favor say I. I. Those opposed same sign. Motion approved. Okay, we'll let Martin handle uh number two here. Uh so yeah, we did have a successful bid for a CCMG uh grant application and we're requesting permission to advertise for bidding uh with the opening of bids being received at the April 22nd, 2025 commissioners meeting. The scope would include asphalt milling, resurfacing, full depth reclamation, storm water structure replacement, and pavement markings on various roadways throughout Porter County. I move that we approve the request to advertise for bidding our annual CCMG paving contract. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved. Number three. And uh for number three, this was previously approved the unofficial detour

reimbursement contract. There's just a slight revision to uh some of the language that was affected by the DEI orders. So, they had to revise those uh discrimination clauses in there and we're still in compliance. So, it's it's a formality. It needs to be uh re-executed. Have you had a chance to review that? Yes. I move that we approve the reimbursement contract for INDOT number 1703009 unofficial detour reimbursement. Second. We have a motion for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. those n. Okay. Um, four, five, six, and seven all have to do with the matching funds for the CCMG grant. So, that's just the locations of where the funds are going to come from, and they'll be going into the CCMG matching grant fund. Can we do these together? You can do four through seven together. Would you like the motion to include reading volume four? Yeah, I think either either him or you, if you would, please. I move that we approve the request for additional appropriations for items 4 through 7 on our agenda. Fund 4921, foundation holding account 6100, enter fund transfer in the amount of $850,000. And then the additional appropriation fund 1112 lift account number 6100 interfund transfer in the amount of 650 650,000 additional appropriation fund 112 lit account 6100 enter fund transfer in the amount of $200,000 and the additional appropriation fund 1173 MBH account number 2362 by Tuminus in the amount of

200,000. Second. We have a motion as well as a second. Um for those cases read, all those in favor say I. I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Uh number eight. U as everybody knows the roads blew apart this year, but we need more money to buy cold patch and they're not done. And we're not done. They're not done blowing apart. I move that we approve the request for additional appropriation fund number 1176 MDH account 2362 by Chumus in the amount of $50,000. Second. We have a motion as well as a second for approval. All those in favor say I. Those oppos. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Uh the bids will be at the highway department if anybody wants to review them and then we'll turn them into the auditor's office in the next week. All right. Thank you. Thank you. development, storm water management, Mike Jabbo. Hi, Martin Botchek. I'm here on Mike Jabel's behalf. Uh so this is a design plans for Bremer Road uh over RM19 the Little Kat River small structure replacement project. This was approved at the last meeting and uh we need to replace the uh title sheet with signatures from the commissioners approving the documents. It says this is a county funded project. Yes. So, this is 100% local funding. Uh, so we're going out for bid and uh we will find out when those bids are received at the April 22nd meeting. Okay. Thank you. Mhm. So, this is just swapping of the title sheet with approve approvals from the commissioners. Thank you. Do we have to approve anything here, Scott? Approving the design. Yes. Okay. Then I move that we approve the design plan for the permit road over arm 19 of the little county river small structure replacement project with HWC Engineering. Second. We have a motion

for approval as well as a second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved. Thank you. Thank you. Poco Muse. Mr. Pa, how are you, sir? All right. How are you? Good morning. You got 30 seconds. Perfect. Hey, that's fine. I'll cut it down. I had it to about half an hour this morning. Getting angry. I'm just coming simply to request from the board of commissioners. You have a work by Richard Eid. It's a great drawing. It was done in 1993 as dedication for this building. It's in the lobby of the commissioner's office and I uh shared a great story that was in the local newspaper with Kathy. But I think because it's an original, it belongs with the museum's collection and we could very easily create a print to have it represented here in the building since it was essentially commissioned for this building. But just a matter of safekeeping so that it doesn't disappear in time. I know you take good care of material or the historical material. Um, you just made me feel really, really old because I remember I didn't want to point it out, but you were in part one of the stories leading up to it. I was six inches taller. And we'll be coming to the next meeting to have you placed into the museum collection. Just for warning, you you don't vote yet. I I take that back. Actually, I move that we approve that the Porter County Museum be given the 1993 drawing of the Porter County Courthouse done by art artist Richard Eid. Richard Eid. Ed Ed with a stipulation that we get the best print possible. Absolutely. Are you going to frame it? Yes. Archival glass. Got

uh second. We have a motion as well as a second for approval. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved. Thank you very much. And just as a note, it's a joy to be here. We're 189 years removed from the very first commissioner meeting that happened on April 12th of 1836. So I was just 11 days shy of being here on the anniversary. Yeah. April 12th. So if you want to take over uh walk over by Will Park, that's where the first meeting was held. and Mr. Ballard's home. Will Will Park uh the park here in downtown Belzo. Oh, it was where the first structure was built and they held that meeting and convened for the very first time on April 12th of 186 that meeting too. No, I wasn't. Thank you very much. You started Northwest uh activist Northwest now Deb McClody Mloud I'm sorry that's okay. You have a request. You have a request to use the northeast and northwest corners of the courthouse from April 5th from 11:45 a.m. to hold a rally to support marginalized groups collecting food or food pantries. Yes. Let me get Let me see if I can You want to use the Northeast? Well, we um I have a really loud voice. I'm sorry. Um, we've already gotten permission from the city. Um, and John changed our application a little bit. Mayor C has changed our application a little bit which kind of changes it here. Apparently, he had talked to Sheriff Balon and they would prefer we use the south side of the courthouse. So, we've agreed to that. So, that's where we

would be. We started out thinking it was going to be two to 300. We we may be at 5 to 700 at this point. People keep saying they're showing up. Um so we're here to ask to use the courthouse. Let me ask you a question. How come you decided to courthouse in Idaho? It's one of the schools parking lot because every rally in 5051 is using the courthouse squares. But they're not Indianapolis. They're not. They're not. And they're promoting dropping off food stuffs. No, they're all that's different thing. They're all promoting different things. We decided to use ours as a food drive for margin for people in the community who it's a bad time out there for a lot of people right now, especially given what just happened this week. My whole freezer freezer is going to go down. So yeah, my only concern is is the the people stopping to unload their hand the food off. We're not asking for that. We're we're um we are supplying totes and things. All we're asking them to do is bring a bag full of it. U there's no stopping to do that. We have to be parked in order to get out. Um and we'll make sure that everyone knows that. I'll take your word for it. Yeah. And most people going to show up with like a car of food. They're just bringing like a grocery bag to come and attend. And we've got totes that are ready to for them to be put in. We've got to we've arranged for trucks to park. We've got people sorting the stuff as they come in so we can take it straight from the courthouse ready to go. We learned from our last rally which was products and we had stacks this high. It took it took five hours to haul it all. So we are planning in advance for this one. Well, I had an opportunity to speak to Sheriff Bman because he is the one that express concerns about this and he likes the idea of doing this one

time just to see how it goes. Okay. Because it does require a lot of um you know his staff and those police staff and be on site. Absolutely. Valpo has been wonderful. They've given us all the officers we know. Um, I don't know how much most of you know, but I have a a protection order, someone who tries to show up wherever I'm at and bring his friends, and so they have been wonderful in keeping me safe, which in turn keep the crowd safe. Um, the sheriff spent two of his death last time to ensure that we stayed y'all stayed safe. We worked in conjunction with Captain Hall and um Chief McIntyre. McIntyre. Thank you. I was say McDonald's, but he's captain too. We are doing our best. Jeff is actually a friend of mine, so I will I meant to talk to him today, but he's down in Indianapolis. So, I will talk to him again to make sure that we are all square and all on the same way. Blink, we don't want to cause any trouble. We don't want to cause any problems. We just want to hold all the rally. Yeah. And get lots of food for the food pantries. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the the concerns commission of the commissioners is not that you would cause a problem. Okay. It's just the magnitude of what you're projecting the number of people to be out. Yeah. We didn't expect it to take off as as it did. And I just going to let you know serious problem with that. That is not set up out there to take on hundreds of people that are going to be parking their cars or stopping their traffic. grabbing their totes and and and filling their totes up and dropping them off to you, you know. But we'll see. We'll see happen. Okay. I hope I hope you think we've I have held other rallies on the square with Northwest Indiana now that we've had 4 to 500 people and we've

never had a we have not had a problem yet. On a Saturday, knock on wood. Yes, actually on a Saturday. So, knock on wood. The last the last one that we had was on a Saturday as well and we had about 500 there and it is pretty peaceful and calm. All right. I'll entertain a motion. I move that we approve the request from Northwest Activist NWI now to use the courthouse grounds on Saturday, April 5th from 11:45 to 2:15 p.m. which would be on the southeast and southwest corners. Yes. Second. We have a motion as well as a second for approval. All those in favor say I. I. I. Those opposed, same sign. Motion approved. Thank you very much. We'll try to live. They're not mine. It's common sense. Uh we've come to the end of our uh agenda here. uh this portion of our meeting, we ask if there's I mean, it's pretty obvious. Um, anybody like to come before the board of commissioners to speak? Can I just get a raise of hands of who who wants to speak to the board of commissioners? One, two, three. Keep them up for me, please. I'm sorry. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. So, now here's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to put a time constraint on, but please respect that there's, you know, we've all been sitting here since 11 o'clock. So, or some of us even longer. So, uh, since there's only eight of you, I will not put a a time limit on you, but but please keep in mind that we've been here for a long time. So, let's And I'm waiting for this little guy to get to get really angry, right? Yeah. That's okay.

So, um, if we can have a speaker up here and a speaker up here and the ne then the next two speakers, uh, stand behind them so we can move this along. Who who over here raised their hand. All right. Come up. Come up your hand, please. And sir, or sir. Go ahead, John. Good morning, John School Corporation. Indiana. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. Uh before I speak on data centers, which is my main purpose of being here caught the end of the storm water meeting and I really want to express appreciation to commissioners for what you're doing to the Hudson Ditch project that certainly affects that drain certainly will affect our school property as well as many of our homeowners properties through the center of Union Township. So, thank you on behalf of all of us who are going to benefit from that project as well. So, today I'm here to talk a little bit about our data centers. I know that this this is early on in the process as I understand it and I know it's not before you today, but I'm certainly here to express some concerns. As I have been researching and reading about these, I know in a lot of areas there are tip districts that will have negative impacts to our tax base uh for our school corporation if approved. So that that's one reason why I have concerns. I also have concerns about the environmental concerns that will be pres presented with the creation of data centers, whether it's the gases, whether it's water usage, what whether it's energy uses. Uh there's a lot of different uh pollution, noise pollution, etc. that I'm concerned about. I'm also concerned about property values and what is that going to mean for homeowners in Union Township that support our schools.

I noticed that as as this is currently laid out and proposed, I've seen two different areas, but basically what we're going to do is we're going to take about a third or about 10 square miles of a 30 square mile Union Township and make that uninhabited. So residentially, we're going to lose about 10% of that square miles. in Union Township that will have significant impact on Union Township schools. Lastly, I just want to say that if I were coming proposing to this county board, many other county board a proposal to build a new school next to environment or an industrial area, all of you would look at me like I'm crazy and have lots of questions. Why in in the world would I ask to do that? Out of respect, I'm asking you to do the same. Why would we put an industrial area immediately adjacent to a school? Thank you. Hello. I'm going to read this. My name is Angela. I am a lifelong res and a licensed rail and public administration administrator with extensive knowledge of planning ethical development in local governments. Today I'm here not protecting a business or agency but as a voice of the families of Union Township in greater corner county who are deeply concerned about the proposed free road extension associated. Our key concerns are these projects appear to be based on outdated land use and incomplete environmental value. The proximity to three schools without public health assessments is unacceptable. There has been no transparent public outreach or meaningful evening foreign health, financial and political ties between commissioners and developers raise

questions. Indiana law requires open, fair and current. We are not asking for any we are asking for the protection of our children, our property rights and our health. I formally request a pause on all related zoning changes and infrastructure work until the following are completed. We want an independent environmental and fiscal impact study, a community oversight board, Union Township representation, a full disclosure of all campaign and developer contributions. Please do not proceed without the vehicle of this county because we are watching. We are informed. I have lived at that exact location where this proposed data center is to be built um my entire life. My mother still owns that property. Um I own with my husband and I lived in Union Township my entire life. I am Union Township. I am a resident. I am a business owner and I want answers and I want to be heard. I have children and I am busy raising them and they are creating their own mess that I also have to go. So I'm expecting you guys to do your jobs and do it for all of us in this building. Thank you. Hold on just just a verify. Is it anybody else want to speak on this side? Wasn't there a We should have somebody at the mic. If you would, if there's anybody else, sir, in the back there, you stand behind this this this lady here in the red. Is there anybody else that like on this side that had raised her hand that would like to speak? All right. Yes, ma'am. Stand behind that gentle over there. Go ahead. Good morning. I'm David Ba. I'm a resident of Eugi Township. Um, we are not against progress. Um, I believe the perceived economic benefit as proposed

by Black Rockck will not override the negative impact on quality of life for Union Township residents. Um there's the water consumption, waste water, energy consumption, the pollution, the noise in the water. Um I I believe that if this is such a vital project that this should be put into a designated industrial area, not next to our homes and our schools. I'm asking that the the commission be accountable to constituents and let's take care of township. Thank you. [Applause] My name is Kevin Ry. I've been a lifelong reser county. First, I'd like to thank you guys for taking the time to hear our concerns and speak with each of us. and and we're not a group of people that's opposed to any podcast to data centers in general, but I think we want to see and it's hard to imagine more than direct to one of our types of schools. Porter County has been a great place to live. It's a great place to raise a hand and I think we've seen a commitment from your board and other county boards to keeping this residentially focused where people want to move to and I think that building certain scares. Thank you. Good morning commissioners and thank you

for allowing time to speak. I'm here convey to the body and the commissioners something of great and I'm very passionate about this. I retired from the post in 2003 I was president of a branch that covered four major cities. We have now represent most of our state. This year we celebrate 250 years of the post in 1775. Congress then at that time before we were even a country fragments of the constitution create the post office department. In article one section 8 it says only the legislature has the authority to establish post roads and post offices. If you started in 1970 post office it took you 21 years to reach top eight which was $4 an hour. In 1970 we went on strike. It was illegal. It was a wild and the reason we did it was because conditions at that time were so terrible. We talked about wages and benefits that letter carriers many of them had 25 30 years in the post office already that were veterans having come back from the second world war Korea and Vietnam could apply and receive welfare. Try to put that in your mind that you're working for the strongest, richest country in the world and you get welfare from the federal government. That strike lasted seven days. 25,000 soldiers came into the New

York City post office and tried to deliver the mail. Impossible. On the eighth day, President Nixon called the union in our national president. it's going to take to get the carers back to work. Two things. Number one, we want a contract for the first time in 175 years. Number two, no recrimination against any rank and file member who took part in the strike or any done. They formed a panel and by September that we had first contract. So we went from that time from the post office department to the United States Postal Service and we are self-funded. We get no tax dollars period. There are 285,000 active letter carriers now and there are three different categories. The first is a CCA carrier system. They come in $19 an hour with no benefits. Second category is a part-time flexible who is part of the regular workers and the third are the regular employees who have six years more service. If gasoline goes up one penny it cost the postal service a million dollars and you see gasoline spiking now because what they say like the summer and a few years ago it was hovering at $5 a gallon. We are meeting the post office to deliver to every home, every business in the United States of America, including 167 million delivery points. Also, 16 territories that we represent and control.

We are considered essential employers and during the crisis that affected this country. Thousands of careers contracted corona virus. We could not and did not leave our jobs. We were considered essential because I want to remind the people general public about what happened several years ago when we had the threats letter bombs in the mail carriers are like will be affected the most because of medicine and service. Now are being brought, salted, beat and burned on the street with the arrow keys that open up these blue mail boxes. We deliver in Wyoming, Nebraska, Dakotas, and UPS uses us as a last mile delivery because it's not profitable for them. It's a universal service for everyone. We deliver to the Grand Canyon by U to this day. the Carolas in Georgia on the Berry Islands by in Alaska by snowmobile. Last year we collected 73 million pounds of food, the largest one day poop country 25% of both employees are veterans. What can contact our senators Jim Banks and Todd Hill because now Trump administration proposing to sell off the partial business and sell it to UPS and fetters. So share this information. Thank you for the additional time. [Applause]

I kept I kept waiting to hear about data centers. I thought I was having a stroke. Excuse me. Thank you, John. Yes, ma'am. Yes. I'll get back to the data for you. Okay. Jane Hardy. I resently was at commission meeting where they discussing about putting a sorry down. Thank you. All right. About uh putting a development as far as the subdivision in between two current subdivisions. Listening to that, what I heard was a lot of parents speaking about child safety. Have them schools right now. They walk to school repeatedly. That's what you heard about child safety. Well, I want to reiterate what our superintendent said, Mr. about our students health and safety. We have approximately 1100 students in our corporation. What I'm hearing as we heard at the other meeting, we heard one parent say, well, if this goes through, I'm moving. Another person said to me, I don't want my child going there. What happens to our school corporation if we continue to lose attendance? you know, I'm hearing, you know, tiffs. I'm hearing benefit schools, but I don't want to lose any monetary amount that will fix that. So, I'm talking about children safety. I know a child teacher 40 years with the corporation. I still have concerns about child safety. It seemed at that meeting that the board was

attended, showed that they cared and I hope that that carries forward to the people that are in this board. Another thing I want to real quick say is child safety, but it's also our safety as far as the residents of the township even in the surrounding areas. You know, this is not going to be a 9 to5. This is going to be 247 365 days a year for how many years? You know, my husband's a farmer. Puts the things in, you know, the equipment, planting, um, harvesting, puts it in the barn. I give him a beer. I've lost one. We sit on our desk. Well, I'm not sure that we're going to be able to do that. We're going to want to do that. if there's the noise that you're hearing and just kind of concerns looking at everybody here. I'm sure most of you, some of you have children, adult I'm sure some of you, most of you here have grandchildren. Do you not have any concerns if your adult child in your family is living in Wheeler? Do you not have any concerns? Would you have any concerns about your grandchildren going to Union Township schools? And you yourselves, would you live in would you not have concerns about this danger coming in? And basically what I'm seeing is a scale. We got dumb and we've got child safety and we've got the health and wealthy of our residents who are your constituents who we elected you to represent us and hopefully to protect us. So I am asking you to use diligence and be passionate say no to this project. Thank you.

My name is Sandy Hill. I actually live on 650 where this project is projected. Um, it surrounds my home and my neighbor's home. This whole project disgusts me. I've lived there for 38 years and never in a million years would I think we've come to this. We have children. My grandchildren are going to the Wheeler school system and I have to worry about this. I have gotten backlash on Facebook because I'm trying to get awareness out. Well, I know what this I know this is about. I have a friend in North Dakota that is fighting this. He has this in his backyard. He said it's 247 noise. He said if you could turn the TV up as loud as you want, you're still going to hear it. They put up the barriers. It made it worse. It didn't help it. This project is not going to bring money. It's going to hurt us. Our children is everything to us. If if our board doesn't see family as number one, I I I see it. I I can't even describe how I feel. It upsets me. I've said in the other meeting, if you've seen the movie with Arabic, they brought in those big electrical towers. The small town didn't know what they were getting into. Children were getting sick. People were getting cancer. Do we want to take that chance of this possibly happening because people are saying, "We don't have enough data. Why would we bring that here?" Not having enough data. I think we need more information on this. There are places for this. Look down I 65. There is tons of farmland out there. Why does it have to be here? It doesn't. So, please take the time and consideration and think of our families

and our children. Thank you. [Applause] Hey, my name is Pete. I'm probably the only person in this room that's actually working right now to come here. I invite you guys down too. Take a look at what they're doing. It is a disaster. It It's It glows at night. I don't want that in my back. I'm sure nobody wants it that. And plus, we got people coming from all over the country. We got truck drivers from Jersey. We got crane. We got rolling in the door. That thing's going to be right next to our school. I've asked the truck drivers 120 foot long. One of these 35,000 pound generator. How do you get around these corners? You're having problems. We're not even set up for nothing like this out there. Plus, you got to cross two sets of tracks. Has anybody thought of that? The power lines they got to come in. Where are they going to get the water? A sump cooler which runs part of the data center. I'll probably get fired. It's got 2 in suctions and it just pulls out of the ground. We don't have that kind of water by us for that. There's a hund of them each building. We just put up four buildings. There's another two buildings on on order there. The whole southside to get buildings. There's not enough here. You're just not going to be able to accomplish. You're building the same site. Drive up there. You're building the same site we got up here right now. It's the same identical site. It's massive. I don't think anybody in here understands what you're looking at. A giant brown building with lights all around it. Just look. You got to wonder what they're putting in this thing with two layer defensive concept. What's going on in there that they need all that security? There's not all these jobs. I hear these people jobs. There's not a bunch of jobs. They come in from

everywhere. They put their data. They buy this section of data. They put it in their bringing some security guard jobs. We'll be That's not bringing a damn thing to That's not manufacturing. It's not going to be a couple hundred people. You're not bringing much. They built their next building. I don't have this back. I got next to their powerhouse. That's an industrial. You're talking built right next to our schools. I just think that's I think it's wrong. I agree with you on the road. I didn't want the road. Remember we talked about the Will Creek as something we're going to that's fine. But all of a sudden now this thing Where did this come from? I I don't understand. No, right. And now why? What are they doing with Bailey Town? It's a sinner idle about the coke plants over at the US Steel. You could put this over. No one in the area would care. But you got some reason got to pick certain areas. Why? And why does it always seem to be like where there's it's a well they got to put a well what's with that and nobody can answer that question and then what you got the water shoot it to your computer and then pump it back to the ground so I can have it I don't think that's fair. [Applause] Hi my name is Bill Thorman and my wife Jen and I have lived here now for four years. uh we're in Wheeler School District and she can't be here today but she wanted me to come over uh to you know give some thoughts from her and for myself and my wife works with AWS um so she's been many data centers um through

uh you know all over the country and she said I would have said this she said need to make sure I said this today was that we are extremely loud she's been in there walked around and they are very very loud um much louder understand. And um and also on top of that, the data centers have other sound levels that the human ear can't hear, but really causes problems for people. So when you're nearby and you're hearing these waves, it can cause all sorts of different problems. You can read about it and there's a lot you can go down that. So she just really wanted to make sure that she she would let you know that she's not for this. I'm not for this. We do not want this near um the school um in our district. And also on top of it, I total agreement. We should be looking at doing something north up near the mills. Um that land up there probably nothing can be put on it. So why not put a data center on it? Makes total sense. No environmental study ever gets [Applause] passed. They say infrastructure. They say need water. There's a lot of water up there. So it doesn't make sense to put it down in our area. We understand we want taxes. We're not against moving forward. We talked about there's a lot of land way further south, but again, they want it near certain things. Um it's costly to put, you know, electric, I guess, down there. So, we different reasons to why they do that, but I just bring it back to um we're totally for um moving forward, but has to be an appropriate way that cares for all of us. Thank you so much. My name is Kayla. I live within three miles of where the status center is. Um, everybody here has already said basically what I wanted to say, but I also wanted to say that I'm well. Um,

for the obvious reasons. I mean, there's so many football fields and baseball fields and outdoor sports activities happening at schools within three miles of this very, very loud center. Um, you can go online and look up videos and see how loud the center is. Like, could you imagine if this were proposed next to High School football field and if everyone had to sit there and watch sporting events with this noise going on? Would that go over very well? No. I think we're in Indiana. There's a plethora of other wide open places to put this. The proximity to a school just does not make sense. Schools also have other things that help kids with disabilities or special needs. Students that go there for hours during the day. the noise that this could put off the light pollution. I mean, the proximity to a school does not make any sense. Um, Jim, I worked right alongside you and your son at pharmacy for many years. I've seen firsthand how much you care about the community. Um, you've always earned my vote for that reason. I know what kind of guy you are. just hope that you take that in consideration when you are considering um voting for the location of the data center. My name is Charles. I moved there 1975. I went through the fiasco of getting waste management out of township. I belong to PAL's

organization of their own and in 70s and 80s they had a done through company that eliminates 10% of our property tax because of that they and for you people to appreciate what we try to do you have to understand that business public service they were responsible dumping they were responsible for dumping And they closed the closed faced by most time when I addressed the man as a regional director. out of Chicago. The man told me, "I don't have to worry about I don't want that to be told me that's wrong. You know, this and I have one more whenever you put a sign and there's sign up. That's wrong. You need to put a visible sign from the [Applause]

I've been watching stuff through this. I've seen I also work for Best Steel and this commission we can't get employ what we got to do. I don't want anything else like this. I've watched it. I've watched it. I've watched it get tax out of our pockets, not out of this company. And I do not understand tax. But you're asking for court. We don't approve tax. Wonderful. But you're part No, we're not. We're sure we're not part of it. Any any tax evade, let let me make one thing clear. The Porter County Board of Commissioners or the the Porter County Plan Comm for for a data center to come knocking at our door. I know that we are not building that data center. We have not we have not reszoned a a square inch of that property out there. Okay. There's different zoning uh uh portions of it. It's not it's not going to be re it's we are not requesting that to be resone is my point. We're not the bad guy here. We're we're what we're doing is managing your government. They have come into count into the county and asked to be heard by state law. We must hear the case. To step out of that and deny them that is breaking the law. I'm not going to do that. I we are here to represent you. Okay. Okay. You you Well, I

let of course of course I'll I've been you know I you know Yeah. And it's as frustrating for us as it is to you. Okay. Because you know we you know we have to we have you know we're hearing all this. This board will eventually be the board that decides the fate of this request. We get that. What we do, what we we ask the the residents to do is please allow us to do our jobs. I will do that. I I you do not want a county commissioner who's going to stand up here and tell all of you folks, I'm against this and not let the process take place. The process is very important to you if you haven't realized it because it could be you up in front of us. You do not want to give a county commissioner that much authority and power to step out of the process and say, "You know what? We're going to pick the winners and losers here to help with the process. You don't want that, folks. You do not want that. And I'm just going to speak for myself. You all have elected me seven times to public office. I You've trusted me so far. I And evidently, I haven't broken that trust. Trust me here. We'll we will get to the right thing here eventually. Okay. I'm I'm sorry. Hello, my name is Marissa Barnes. Um, I am a Union Township res and a business owner as well. Um, and I wanted to thank Barb for saying that she's a [Applause] vo at this point. I just don't understand why you two cannot give us that reassurance. So you can run your meetings like mobile and you can do business like normal and move on. Jim, you told us at the other meeting that

there are tons of people in recliners at home that want this project. So I went out and I got a little petition together and 1,500 people have signed it in one day saying that they not want. Also, I have heard that you may not take those signatures, but they are verified with their addresses. 71% of those people are from zip codes 46385, 463, which I can also present the data on. I would also like to ask if the city and the county are not bringing these data center projects to us then what is MCR consulting doing? What is MJ Thomas and Associates doing with their tip writing and their grant writing? Um, and they're hired by us and they're paid for by taxpayers. But then if you look up MCR, they also um do site selection for data centers. I don't know. Um I use the AI robots against against um them on that um and ran some deep research reports to figure that out. Um I also would ask is engineering involved in this? When will we hear disclosures on that? No, it's not. Okay. But what's your point? My point is it seems like Well, listen, ladies and gentlemen, my employer is engineering. So, I I I I want to take a swipe at me personally, at least give me a heads up. Okay. How about we let her speak? I'm not taking a swipe at you personally. You disclosed it in February

of 2024, so it's public information. Sorry, I looked into the public information. That's all I got. Well, just just for the record, ma'am, I will not step out and deny or approve this without the the process taking place. That's what you pay us to do. That's what the law says that we must do. If you don't appreciate that, you know, I'm not gonna apologize for that. Pay to listen, too. Yeah. Well, I get paid to follow the law and that we Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. No, no, no. We're We're not going to do that. Do you You wanna You want to come up here and say a few words, you come on up. Well, we're not we're not going Well, we're not. No, you're doing more listening. You're yelling. Let's stop that. Go ahead, ma'am. I'm sorry. Go ahead. Hi. Thank you. My name is Melissa Reed. I live in Center Township. I was involved in speaking out against the Bal Center for its bad choice of locations. Um I would like to also thank Mr. for do things uh cautiously as opposed to excitedly. And um I also worry it was at 900 when I went to bed woke up to 1200. So, a city council lady in Fal, she got 50 phone calls and of those 50, one was for it and 49 were against. Thank you. Uh, those 49 people were enough for her to con say no. So, to me, 1300 should have some weight as to the sentiment of the people that vote.

Um, I personally and and we're we're looking at finding an answer to this. I don't understand that it was perhaps legal to receive the application by the plan or by the department. It clearly says that I am institutional zoning is only allowed light or light industrial. Uh these are heavy industrial not anywhere that zone them light industrial is completely regret. They're new in 2022. They've only been built since 2023 and four. There are no studies. Um, QTS has a a paid environmental company and I would suggest that you not take that uh without a very close filter and find a study of your own. Um these don't belong anywhere near schools, hospitals, homes, farm on top of wetlands. They belong in heavy industrial areas only. Um we are very blessed to have something called geologic formation water and I know farmers have concerns about water. had concerns about water being polluted that they could draw from their own personal wells. But when you look at Lake Michigan, you see how much industrial is there and the water problems they have in places like Portage. They're continually fighting trying to keep that near shore water healthy enough to not do harm. And we start taking out 10 million gallons a day from a wet that goes in directly

into that. It effects pavement water condition or amount of water and give it five years the filter down process to the lake it's going to directly affect the lake Michigan nearshore waters where water gets all of their water sources from so then what happens they have to pay and everybody gets to pay for a place that's been like Chicago 10 miles out to get water sources from that are sure enough not There's no financial upside if one child gets home much less money or teachers or anything else. You know, they're going to want a baby and I don't know why you would ever give a free ride of any sort to $140 billion. Beyond that, it would create bond issues for water and sewer facilities, fire departments that don't exist. It would increase utility bills. Increase homeowners insurance with the risk of that. Increase the county's insurance with the risk of that. Pudzoning is very dangerous and I don't think you can legally put Pudzoning in the middle of residential because any industrial is not allowed to use and you can explain the way it's audible adjacent use. I don't know why it should look that and I pursue your confidence and say I'm not I'm not going to go

there. Nice source has to create their own new company just to figure out how to operate. There's a company named Hickory Grove Properties. They own three large tracks surrounding one little upsized parcel that west side where Jeremiah 8. So if you think they don't have the intention of taking the entire area over I think you really miss there's a landowner. He also has neighbors and to the east of Germite and these even utters the word let's get rid of the one right by the school to the first the one further west because we can add up we can add on you're still going to end up with 1200 acres of industrial use in the middle of resential which is not so p no p I don't know why this conversation was because of that one technicality I'm asking also and perhaps the planners office has already signed the application. Our copy that we got with FOYA does not show us by that does not enact the cause on any new applications so that they can't come and say well okay so many people will not school but we want it here a mile over and now we're application here on Here I would like you to see the possib that's already happening as a result of us demonstrating like

this. So, I'd like you to act at least the six month pause, if not more for any new applications in county to give yourself a break to have time to really look at this one study to to look at other areas to tour other areas and it may take a year or two years. There aren studies. So give yourself the time to make sure you're careful with everybody else's kids and the teachers and her groundwater and the Americans ground water. Um I appreciate you emailed me back when I had asked somebody was asking why wasn't being live streamed. Um, I I would like what you had offered that you would pass a motion to require that they be on the county site within 48 hours and that a live stream was verified working. I didn't hear that brought forth today, but I would love to hear that at next month's meeting. So, thank you very much. Good morning everybody. Um, my name is Amy Ketchum. I am also a Union Township resident and I had a note in my phone to say a lot of things that my community members have already said, so I'm gonna kind of skip around. So, apologies ahead of time. But first, I just want to say I grew I've grown up in Union Township. I grew here my whole life. Uh my parents were very heavily involved in the Union Township community when they were still living and when my brother and I were going through the school district. Um my dad assisted in building some of that Wheeler athletic complex such as the press boxes for the baseball the football and the soccer fields. He's coached many of the middle school basketball teams, um, girls and boys, and was also the announcer for the high school football and basketball games, um, before he passed. I grew up playing

all sports, um, going to the games and those fields for my games and my brother's games. And, um, this is where the proposed data center will be the backdrop for. I truly have the best memories growing up, and it's because of all of our community here today. I'm going to need someone to fact check me on this, but I'm pretty sure there's only a few um high school teams, athletic teams that have won a state championship. Two of them have come from Wheeler High School, the 2010 Wheeler boys basketball team that my brother was a point guard for, and then the 2010 Wheeler softball um team as well. And this community prides itself on being able to offer the level of academics that we do with the teachers that we do, as well as the as well as the athletics component as well. The athletic facilities that we have at Wheeler are truly second to nowhere else in the county. Um I put up the big schools about Chesterton against our Wheeler community um for those athletic facilities and people are moving into our community to be a part of that. This data center proposed center I should say um would hinder that as well. Something else I wanted to bring up um and I'd be remiss if I didn't say today is to touch about just the health impacts. Um so April 15, 1982, right about this time. Do any does anybody know what happened on that day almost 43 years ago bridge collapse. My family was directly impacted by this bridge collapse as three of my immediate family members were working on the bridge that day. My grandpa was not on the part that collapsed. My uncle was killed instantly and my dad ended up buried up to his neck in concrete with a piece of steel rebar going through his back somehow. Or I'm sorry, hold on. I skipped a line. There we go. Where did they go? Take your time. Okay. So, my dad was buried up to his

neck um in concrete with a piece of steel rebar going through his back. He was on life support for two weeks following that crash where doctors, nurses, everybody told their family he would never make it. Somehow two weeks later, he got strong enough to get off the vent and made a full recovery with no big health issues until they came approximately 12 years later. My dad was diagnosed with kidney disease and because it was so far after the accident and there were very few survivors couldn't link it back to what happened that day. In 1997, my mom donated a kidney to him and all was well. Fast forward almost 20 years later to 2015 and my dad was back on a more aggressive dialysis and needed another kidney because a healthy kidney my mom donated to him was now a shled upgrade. October 28th, 2016, my brother donated the kidney to my dad. Six weeks later, he passed away from an infection. But the reason why I tell that story is because the health impacts that happened from that day didn't come about until many, many years later. 15 months after my dad passed, my mom was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease at age 62. Now, here's where it's get gets interesting. Everything you read about Alzheimer's is that it's hereditary. It's passed down. It's in the genes, yada yada. Any any research I've done at least So, no one in my family had Alzheimer's. My grandparents, her parents lived until almost 90. They My grandpa played rounds of golf at 85 years old, 18 holes. It was amazing. So, how did my mom at 60 years old get Alzheimer's? We don't know. We will never know. Could it have been hereditary? No, because no one in my family had it. Could it have been environmental factors? Possibly. My mom worked at Inland Steel Med.

middle for 40 plus years before she had to retire diagnosis. Could it have been from all the fumes and pollution that she hold on messed up again? Could it have been from all the fumes and pollution that she experienced every day going to work for 40 plus years? We don't know. We'll never know. But what we're asking, I think, as part of this community is that you take that into consideration because the health impacts we're not going to know for many, many years down the road. Today's my mom's birthday. She would have been 70 years old. Instead, she passed at 65 due to Alzheimer's. So, we just ask that you consider these health impacts and everything else that our community has said before voting for or against all this. So, thank you. Hi, my name is Whitney Trumbull. Um, first I wanted to say thank you for allowing public comment without a time restraint. I think that's normal. Um, I just wanted to ask on behalf of many others and working families in the future that these meetings be held at a time if possible after work hours. That was and um the other note I wanted to add is as much as wealth is incredibly important I know as one of this about health and time seems to be more important and if you don't have your health and you don't have the time what is the wealth worth and so as we think about the impact that could be taking place potentially not only for the residents, but for our children. We need to take a look at that. So, appreciate you all listening and going through the process. It is important, but I also think it's important to make sure that we're heard and I think that a different time would

allow for a lot more people to be a part of this as well. And then lastly, if I could just have a raise of hands if anyone here is in favor of the data center potential proposal and there is no one and those concerned opposing please raise their hand in the entire room. Thank you. Hi, my name is Wendy Regal and I live in Chesterton. For all I know, you could be the very most honest politician in Indiana. You could have all made up your minds already that you're not going to pass this proposal. Or maybe it's just that you see the ridiculous specs of the PD and realize it's going to take a whole lot of elability that neither you nor the county code itself knows. You do not have an order to swallow what they're asking. Or maybe you don't think that this near industrial takeover. So let's just say that that's where you're at. a know in the end of both whether or not you felt you should say so publicly under those circumstances. You three are absolutely not the reason why we can't put our faith in you. You are not the reason we don't trust you. I'll say it again. You are not the reason we don't trust you. You are not I'm sorry. But I'm going to tell you who it is. It's the secret and predatory business t practices of the hyperscale data center industry and economic development teams whether they work for the state, the county, the

town, city level. It's the Indiana utility regulatory commission whose members are appointed by the governor who raise our rates anytime requests it despite the fact that they paid their shareholders millions of dollars in profits last year. They want great grandma to pay more. And even if there were honest and reasonable people serving on IURC, if they don't follow the governor's plan for economic development, they're going to lose that position. And they will also face the criticism and the shining of the North Indiana Forum and the Indiana Development Committee who have literally said to local town council members, "We brought this to you and you didn't take it." The IURC couldn't do the right thing individually even if they wanted to, but you can. You've got local control and I'm sure you weren't all that thrilled about the possibility of losing it with the bill that was proposed this year at the state house saying, "Hey, let's take away the local control and make it by the state." That's horrifying because what what would we need need you for? When we fought this data center in Chester, we did not reach the stage where the land owners within 300 feet 300 ft of the property were legally notified. I know this because I was one of them. But when we got the public records after the developer withdrew their application, it did have the names of about 63 immediately affected land owners. It was an awful feeling seeing our names on a piece of paper, knowing we really had no control over our own fate. We became physically ill because most of us have invested our lives and

our homes that were going to have 40 foot setbacks from a skyscraper. My neighbors went to the doctors for heart palpitations, insomnia, anxiety attacks, and the dang data center with it wasn't even approved or close to being built yet. We were and are already sick. And that is why I have continued to talk along every town in Porter County. Regarding the lack of widespread noise studies, whether we're talking about the kind you hear or the kind you feel or both, we shared what evidence we have. You think this data center industry has not done their own studies that somewhere someone along the way some engineering or consulting firm didn't think hey what if we do some of our own studies but what if we didn't do our best to get third party studies impartial third party studies that would shut these people up if we had overwhelming evidence and I will say if they had it, they would be shouting it from the rooftops and they so either they haven't done credible studies because themselves or they have and can't share it because it's going to scare the heck out of even themselves. You three are our last line of defense. Sorry,

not Ed with his 2019 pro and all the other people I mentioned so far have left you three to take heat. Please understand that we cannot afford to trust you before this is over and you make it clear through a pound county ordinance that hyperscalers are not welcome near homes, schools and farms in Porter County. Please do the right thing. Porter County Commissioners, the road pave for you by the Chan Town Council, the Burns Harbor Counts Council, and now the council. They have the moral compass. They had the moral compass to listen to their fellow citizens and knew that this is not what was best for the constituents despite the fact that other interested parties still gave them a hard time. Get the money that Porter County needs the old school way. worked for it in all kinds of creative upright ways that you are certainly capable of since you got this far. Inspire the people again and let us inspire you. Those are the kind of leaders we want. Those are the kind of leaders we want to vote for and work on. We're not expecting you to get everything right from the time you started to hear about these data centers or think about the data centers in Porter County, but we will respect the heck if you continue to educate yourselves along with us just about data centers. And in the end, And in the end, make that hard

decision to protect the entire county near homes, barns, schools, envision to protect the entire county from this awful, awful industry. Please threaten. Then you can be your own reason for us to trust you. [Applause] Hello, my name is Wes Barnes. I'm a resident of of Porter County and Township. Um, I just want to say thank you all for being here today and hearing this out and I we all I think we all understand you have a difficult job to do. So, thank you for your service and and hearing everyone. Um, you know, I think we've heard a lot from everyone today. There there's been concerns about safety, health, uh, our our kids, schools, things like that. And I I can imagine that as you play out the process, as you as you should by law, um, there's going to be a report or something generated uh, by the other side that said that addresses all of those concerns. Um but I just wanted to share one perspective that I hadn't heard to hear today and that is um you know something I learned as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps serving in Afghanistan is that perception is reality and um so so while there might be a lot of data and and reports to address these these concerns that we have today, I just want you to take that into account that again perception is reality and um I I just wanted you to take that into account as you hear. Thank you.

Good morning. Uh my name is David, president of Union Township. It seems like this might be the fourth meeting where I didn't anticipate to speak and here I am. Um I uh I can tell Mr. that you have some growing frustration, right, with with how the community is reacting to this proposal um or how different uh pertinent information is being brought up, whatever it is. Um, I I did want to say that last week I spoke and you made a comment and I don't mean to point you out directly, but you made a comment that you've personally taken a stance against solar farms personally that any solar farm manufacturer or developer could there's no there's no ordinance that they can't be here. They could come they could present. they could apply and you've made a personal stance that says no sol has made a personal stance to what I see that she has say no data centers I'm not asking Jim big's commissioner to publicly say no data centers I'm asking Jim big's citizen to take a personal stance on data centers now I am not an expert on data centers or zoning or HUDs or a lot of the things that were mentioned today. I do know a little bit of things about business and a lot of times when you design something for business, you use a risk or a riskreward analysis. Well, usually the risk is investment. How much money are we willing to put into a project and what is the reward that we're going to reap afterwards? In this particular instance, the risk isn't a monetary value. It is

our community. It is our schools. And it is our children. Now, I can only see one benefit of a proposal like this, and it's money, tax, rep, but the risks involved in a project like this far outweigh. And I know at least from what I've heard today, our community, our schools, and my children, they're not for sale. Thanks, Alison Ruiz. I am 15 years old and to go along with that home. But just because I am one of those children that we should be defending and are defending by bringing up these claims against the data center, don't think that I am dumb or don't have anything to do with that. So I have an IVF um so I have I have Crohn's disease and so I have a lot of health things that go along with that. I'm on medicine that I inject myself with every two weeks. And so it's very dangerous. There could be a lot of health things further along the road. And because of that, I've switched over to a diet. And so from this, I've learned that yes, there are ways to go forward, but just because you want to go forward, that doesn't mean that you have to damage yourself with that. And so I've heard a lot of great things today. And but there's one that I haven't heard and that's about our environment and our survival. So like Yellowstone there, there were the gray wolves that have been going that had a period of going to the brink of extinction and they were coming back up

and over in Illinois with the bald eagles they were disappearing. And so if you put one of these in our environment, I am personally afraid for the animals because of the noises and the vibrations and the pollution of what they will be feeling that they will slowly disappear or die off and then we won't have our amazing creatures in the air or our white tailed deer or our fish in the river systems. And so I'm just like asking you know what is right and if you have that feeling of what is right then you should follow it and I know that there's a process everything has a process. So if you go with what you feel is right and what comes with God then whatever comes from it will be the right decision and it just Thank you. I'm Alison. Alison Ruiz. Alison, I took a lot of guts at 15 to get in front of both. Hi, I'm Cheryl Johnson. Excuse me. I for my daughters have both moved down here because they got away from the city and looking for a nice place, a safe place for their children to be raised. I the grandson that has special needs that should be attending the Union Township Elementary because that's what's best for him. So that's why they moved here. As for myself, I'll be within the radius of hearing this machine. And anyone here who owns a power washer, have you heard it lately? Do you want to hear it 247? No, nobody does. But my concern is we're all We all have needs and we all need to be okay. We don't need to have distress from this. We don't need to

have worried or our water being lucky that we live by Michigan. We have a great resource. Do we want to lose that? No. In conclusion, my ask what I would like to ask is it be on record that I'm asking the commission meeting when this comes up that there not be a limit on the time people can talk. I've watched many things on TV where one minute and the clock goes off and the audience people are sent away. We haven't we haven't put a time limit on. Pardon me. I said we have not done that. I appreciate it and I'd like to be on record that next meeting there be no time limit because a lot of us know what we want to say and yeah it takes guts to get up here and say things in front of people you don't know but it comes from our heart and only God knows what will happen and I'm praying that he has a hand in this will not data center good morning everyone Julie Georgie Union Township. Thank you all for listening to everyone. Um, I'm just gonna say something really quick. We don't want to wait six months or a year or longer to have this come back up in front of you. I think the process should be moved forward as quickly as possible. Um, it sounds like the next step is a public meeting with PL commission and you all in attendance. uh you know, everyone's nervous about it. We don't want to live for the next two or three years waiting to see what happens to this. So, I respectfully disagree with taking a pause. I think that we should move forward as rapidly as we can. I have faith in you all. I do and we are Julie. I know. Um I have

faith in you all. I think that the right decision will be made, but we don't want to wait three or four years worrying about it. Let's make the right decision as soon as possible. Thank you. I think I promised that I wasn't gonna say anything today, but I'm sorry. And I'm addressing you, but I would also like to address all of you. I am so proud to be a part of your community. I am so proud and you all are doing the right thing. every step, every sign, every flyer. But most of all, I believe that all of you are going to do the right thing. It may not seem like that right now because it's a process and it's difficult, but I believe in you and I know this is going to work out in our favor. My name is Sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Hello. My name is 40 year res. Have three children in the high school as we speak. I did set up a school board about 25 years ago and I used to be electrician at this school a long time ago 50 years and one thing that never really got discussed here was the effect of electromagnetic radiation that is given off through the flow of electricity. Now way back when they were talking about building bus I challenged them and they decided to change pace. The board at the time adopted the idea of remoding

center. I thought they did fantastic job. Really did a good job. But the electromagnetic radiation has been identified by the United States Cancer Society that it can cause leukemia in children. Now don't take my word for that. Go online and read it for yourself. Now, do these facilities put out electromagnetic radiation? I'm going to tell you if 40 a 40 megawatt system is 40 million watts. Every time electron flows through a wire, it produces electromagnetic field. Now, you don't have to take my word for it, but what I did last night, and I've done this before, is I took a 48 inch fluorescent light bulb, got out of my car and walked underneath the current tower that they just recently remodeled, and I did it right by the illuminates. It's not a It's not a do it yourself. Just grab a 48 inch light bulb. Now, don't expect it to light up like these, but I'm saying it illuminates. It is me. I am in electromagnetic field. And I'm saying now you're talking about something 50 times more powerful than that. Just a few. I mean, we're talking 200 yards, 300 yards away from our school. Why do that? Now, an interesting statistic is that the United States of America is roughly about 3.85 85 billion uh acres 3.5 billion acres. So it's pretty good place, pretty good size. So why would we select to place a data center that can cause all of the problems that everybody discussed here, but then turn around and put it right on top of a school? I mean, it's like insane. It's like it's not even thought up. But there's one reason

why they're trying to do that because they want to get power that power. That's what it is. It's a location. It's a money It's a money grab. They they hate that power source. I'm saying like said a dozen times remote. Put it out in the cornfield. Some lady said something about I5 with all the towers. Perfect place for it. But not by the center is just down 600 ft and those really. So get a light bulb. Walk out. See if it doesn't illuminate. See if you now believe what I have to tell you that this electromagnetic electromagnetic radiation is a big deal. 400 40 megawatt 4 mill 400 million watts of energy just spinning distance of the school. I I have nothing else to say other than if you do a break that we probably should do that. You need to get signed in your guard and your neighbor's yard and let everybody know what you think because without support from all of you like and the school board and Mr. Hun superintendent this thing is going to go through because Black Rockck is big money. One more thing I'll get out of the way here is that this morning at I think it was about 5:30 in the morning I get up very early I see a commercial how AI needs to be broadened and we need that to beat the other countries ahead of the game whatever I need to argue with that not by end of story please get those signs out I don't know who handles the signs anybody in there handling sign there's a sign maybe right there. Ask for maybe give her your name and number. And I think they're 12 or $15 sign. Might be the best investment you ever made in your life. Thank you.

Ladies and gent, thank you for uh it's um it is a benefit for us to hear from you. Um, you know, I think uh the other two commissioners will um will agree that uh over the last few days we've received dozens of emails that u I think we all tried to answer as quickly as we can um as intelligently as we can. Um but I I want to leave you with this is that um I think one of the ladies over here had mentioned that um we the commissioners were all you have I'm just I'm for what it's worth I just tell you that's why we're here. None of us ran for the office was or elected, you know, by a data center or data center owners. None of us own stock in a data center. None of us own property that the data center would like like to buy. And I I personally know no one who works in a data center. Um I know it's frustrating. I know I know a lot of it because of it. A lot of it is based on um your fear of of you know what surrounds the the health of this project to your community. It's not just the visual of it. It's the health and it's that's a legitimate concern and I think it's a concern of all three commissioners as well. But the process allowing the process is critically important. allowing it to take place. That could be your property out there. That could be you in front of us next month asking you asking us to to determine whether or not you want a reasoning for whatever reason it may there may be. You don't want us saying

just cherrypicking up here saying no yes to you and no to you. No, you get the process. You don't get the process. You do not want that out of your local government. just leave here knowing this. All of us are that we none of us are up here because of the pay. None of us. We're up here to represent the our county. And our we can't do that unless we're representing you. Give us that opportunity. Okay. All right. Thank you.