The Porter County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday honored the Kouts varsity baseball team for its Division 1A championship earlier this summer.
“In Porter County, it seems like a once-in-a-generation” achievement, said Commissioner Jim Biggs, R-North, of the June 19 championship 2-0 win over Northeast Dubois.
In the finest season in the history of the Kouts High School baseball program, the team boasted a record of 32 wins and only one loss. Billy Miller pitched a shutout for the championship.
In other business, the board unanimously approved a renewal of the employee health benefits. “The vast majority of what you’re actually spending is in claims,” said Eric Gibson of High Street Insurance.
Gibson said a high-cost member is any with at least $200,000 in claims per year. The county has six. The Berkeley stop-loss costs will rise from $1.44 million to $1.58 million annually, or a 9.8% increase. Administration costs with UMR AFTA will rise from $589,000 to $607,000 annually, or a 3.1% increase.
Gibson said “absolute worst-case scenario” this year’s claims projections could rise as high as $11.7 million, with worst-case projections next year at $12.3 million. This year’s current maximum costs, including prescriptions, are projected to be $13.8 million while next year’s are projected at a maximum of $14.6 million.
The board unanimously approved contract extensions between the county and the towns of Burns Harbor, Chesterton, Kouts, and Hebron, and the City of Valparaiso for services provided by the Porter County Animal Shelter through the end of the year.
The Porter Town Council voted July 28 to table an extension of its contract with the shelter, as well as a proposed new contract that would span 2027 through 2029 and more than double the amount the town currently pays.
A memorandum of understanding between the county and the town of Hebron and Boone and Porter townships to examine the feasibility of a southwest Porter County Fire District was also unanimously approved. Plans are to form three advisory committees: one made up of elected officials and the superintendents of Boone and Porter Township schools, a citizens committee, and a technical committee.
“Our goal is to create two to three funding scenarios,” explained Mike Jabo, Porter County’s director of development and stormwater management.
Board of Commissioners President Ed Morales, R-South, said the exact plan remains unformed “until we get everybody in the room to discuss the future of firefighting, what that may look like and what that may cost. This is something that’s never been done before, but we know times are changing, especially with all the different legislation that’s been passed.
“We’re going to learn as we go, and we’re going to get a lot of answers as to what it’s going to cost,” he added.
“People have to decide, what’s the most important? Lowest cost possible or lowest response time? Or some hybrid of each,” added Board Vice President Barb Regnitz, R-Center.
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Cender-Dalton Municipal Advisors will receive $350 per hour for as-needed financial services during the assessment.
The board approved an ordinance suspending building permit fees related to repairs in the aftermath of the recent tornadoes.
Finally, the board approved setting a $20 parking fee for the use of the Porter County Administration Building Parking Garage during Popcorn Fest. Biggs said the county needs to develop a policy to govern the garage’s use for special events.
“The garage was never built to accommodate parking in downtown Valpo,” he said. “We’ve spent hundreds of thousands to repair the garage and need to spend hundreds of thousands more.”
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.