The Burns Harbor Town Council started its meeting Wednesday with a declaration of a local emergency disaster resulting from Tuesday’s massive storm that swept through Northwest Indiana.
The council was able to meet because the Town Hall has a backup generator.
Burns Harbor joined the neighboring Duneland communities of Chesterton and Porter Tuesday in making the emergency disaster declaration.
The three towns have been without power since the late Tuesday morning storm because trees, limbs and power lines are down everywhere.
Council President Toni Biancardi said the town’s crews have been working around the clock.
In particular, crews are concentrating on keeping the town’s lift stations operating so that residents can continue to flush their toilets.
Lakeland Park will be closed indefinitely because of extensive storm damage.
Burns Harbor Police Chief Jeremy McHargue said the Indiana Department of Transportation did an impressive job clearing downed trees and limbs from Ind. 149 within a few hours after the storm hit.
Biancardi said that U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, has said it was important for the town to make the emergency declaration so it could be eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency funds.
In other business, the council decided that they aren’t going to fill the open clerk-treasurer’s job since the position is up for election in November 2027.
Councilwoman Jennifer McHargue said there were two applicants for the job, but it was decided to maintain the present arrangement.
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The council will soon appoint Biancardi as the ex officio overseer of the office, which comes with no compensation. She has already been helping Madeline Parker, the assistant clerk-treasurer, with the operation. The town will also use its financial consultant when needed.
Burns Harbor has had three people resign from the clerk-treasurer’s job during the past three years.
Jane Jordan, who was re-elected in 2023, resigned in May 2024, followed by Nicole Migliorini in May 2025. Both of them cited a toxic work environment.
Nick Loving, who treated the position as part-time, resigned in May because he was going to be out of the area for much of the summer.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.