Porter County Council

Plans are coming together for some Porter County government facilities.

Organizations helping Porter County residents recover from addiction are getting a share of the county's opioid settlement money. The county council finalized a $50,000 appropriation Tuesday.

The Porter County Council is willing to borrow money for facility upgrades, but members still have some concerns with the county commissioners' project priorities.

Funding for the Memorial Opera House renovation is once again in place. The Porter County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to appropriate $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act money for a scaled-back version of the project.

The Porter County Commissioners are looking to move ahead with some facility upgrades. The county's redevelopment commission has agreed to lend $120,000 to renovate the first floor of the former sheriff's residence, which used to house the Porter County Museum.

The Porter County Council is being warned of dangerous conditions at the Highway Department's Valparaiso garage. Andrew Waugh with Martin Riley Architects/Engineers says every building at the Valpo highway facility has structural issues, and one in particular has a central steel column that's rusted through.

A proposed renovation of the Memorial Opera House continued to be negotiated by the Porter County Council and Commissioners Tuesday.

Outgoing Porter County Council member Mike Jessen believes the county has accomplished at least as much during his eight years on the council as it had during the previous 20. "I don't say that do be braggadocious about it or say it was all Mike Jessen because it was far, far from that. It involved a lot of different people who were willing to work together, cooperate and collaborate," Jessen told the rest of the council Tuesday.

How big of a renovation the Memorial Opera House ends up getting remains up in the air. The majority of the Porter County Council supports a larger project that would rehabilitate the historic building and connect it to the former sheriff's residence. But the majority of the county commissioners want to look at lower-cost options, like renting out the sheriff's residence.

The Porter County Sheriff's Office is looking to hire a social worker. The county council and commissioners have approved the creation of a police resources and outreach (PRO) coordinator position.