Porter County Commissioner Jim Biggs made it clear that county commissioners won't negotiate with a public official under indictment. Perhaps Portage Mayor James Snyder needs to learn that he cannot bully, pressure, and/or persuade people to change their mortals and ethics.
UPDATE: County official to Portage: Joint building project is 'dead' idea
NWI Times
September 06, 2017
PORTAGE — The idea of a joint county/city building in Portage is dead, according to one Porter County official.
"It is dead. It would have never worked anyway," Porter County Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, said Wednesday morning after learning city officials here are trying to resurrect an effort to construct a new city/county building in Portage's downtown.
At Tuesday night's City Council meeting, Portage officials attempted to revive the idea, including having a consultant report on a recently completed cost/benefit analysis that concluded the project would be a good financial move by both the city and county.
City Council President Mark Oprisko, D-at-large, said Tuesday night the two sides have to get past "internal bickering" and do what's best for the residents.
He also said he had set up a meeting with Good next week.
Good said Wednesday morning that isn't true. He talked to Oprisko "for a few seconds" recently, but never set up a meeting.
He also disputed the accuracy of the report.
"The study was tainted. SEH never contacted us. They never got numbers from us," said Good. The property where the city would like the new building constructed is also not adequate for the county's needs, he said.
The idea of a joint building was dashed for good about two weeks ago when the county commissioners and County Council initiated a multimillion-dollar bond issue which would include money to renovate the North Porter County Annex on Willowcreek Road south of U.S. 6.
"The county made a decision to do their own thing. It has nothing to do with politics," said Good.
"We plead with the county to put aside all political, personal differences and think of all the citizens," said Andy Maletta, the city's economic development director, at Tuesday's meeting.
Maletta said the city's plan to construct a building on five acres between the city's police and fire stations on Central Avenue would save the county money in the long run by sharing services with the city. He also said the location would drive traffic to the city's newly developed downtown and that the location would not only better serve residents of Portage, but Chesterton, Porter and Burns Harbor as well.
Dan Botich, senior economic development professional of SEH, presented the cost-benefits analysis Tuesday night. The analysis looked at three scenarios, including renovating the county and city building, each entity constructing separate new buildings and entering the joint venture.
"It determines if the investment is sound, feasible and justified. It does not take into account the political decisions," said Botich.
The analysis determined it would be cost beneficial to the county to enter the joint project by spending less than the projected $10 million to renovate the present building.
However, said Botich, more importantly, it would open up the 13 acres on Willowcreek Road, the city hall site and surrounding area to additional development opportunities, spurring economic development and bringing more tax dollars into both the county and city.
The city has pledged a $9 million to $12 million investment, including purchasing the present county building, donating the five-acre site, constructing a parking garage and committing $5 million for construction of the new building.
Portage officials aren't giving up on getting county/city building in its downtown
NWI Times
September 06, 2017
PORTAGE — Officials here aren't giving up on convincing their county counterparts to construct a new city/county building on five acres downtown.
City Council President Mark Oprisko, D-at-large, said Tuesday night the two sides have to get past "internal bickering" and do what's best for the residents.
Mayor James Snyder has been trying to convince members of the Porter County Council and Commissioners to join the city and construct a new building on Central Avenue since he took office more than five years ago.
That idea seemed dashed about two weeks ago when the county bodies initiated a multi-million dollar bond issue which would include money to renovate the North Porter County Annex on Willowcreek Road south of U.S. 6. The county vote came despite a last-minute effort by the city to produce a cost-benefit analysis to county officials on why it would be better for the groups to join in constructing a new building that would serve the county and serve as a new city hall.
At Tuesday's City Council meeting, the issue was brought up again.
Oprisko said he has a meeting with Porter County Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, next week.
"We plead with the county to put aside all political, personal differences and think of all the citizens," said Andy Maletta, the city's economic development director.
Maletta said the city's plan to construct a building on five acres between the city's police and fire station on Central Avenue would save the county money in the long run by sharing services with the city. He also said the location would drive traffic to the city's newly developed downtown and that the location would not only better serve residents of Portage, but Chesterton, Porter and Burns Harbor as well.
In addition, by constructing the joint building, said Maletta, it would open up the land now housing the county building and city hall for additional economic development.
Dan Botich, senior economic development professional of SEH, presented the cost-benefits analysis Tuesday night. The analysis looked at three scenarios, including renovating the county and city building, each entity constructing separate new buildings and entering the joint venture.
"It determines if the investment is sound, feasible and justified. It does not take into account the political decisions," said Botich.
The analysis determined it would be cost beneficial to the county to enter the joint project by spending less than the projected $10 million to renovate the present building.
However, said Botich, more importantly, it would open up the 13 acres on Willowcreek Road, the city hall site and surrounding area to additional development opportunities, spurring economic development and bringing more tax dollars into both the county and city.
The city has pledge a $9 million to $12 million investment, including purchasing the present county building, donating the five-acre site, constructing a parking garage and committing $5 million for construction of the new building.
"We know the odds of getting this done are against us," said Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham, asking how the building would ensure continued economic development in the city's downtown.
Botich said it is a matter of demographics, using the building as an anchor and drawing not only employees of the county, but visitors to the new building to the downtown and to nearby retail and commercial businesses.
Commissioner: Porter County won't negotiate with indicted Portage mayor
Post-Tribune
August 29, 2017
The Porter County Commissioners will not negotiate with indicted Portage Mayor James Snyder over a plan to partner for a combined city/county building in the city's new downtown district, an official said.
Commissioner Jim Biggs, R-North, said in the days after the county council approved a $30 million bond for capital upgrades in the county, including expansion and renovation of the existing North County Annex on Willowcreek Road, that commissioners won't consider Portage's proposal for two reasons: financial feasibility and the November indictment of Snyder on federal charges of allegedly violating federal bribery statutes and obstructing Internal Revenue Service laws. Snyder has pleaded not guilty and is expected to go to trial early next year.
Snyder deferred comment on the matter to Economic Development Director Andy Maletta and Portage City Council President Mark Oprisko, D-At large.
Biggs, who pointed out that he is a Portage native, said county officials met with Portage officials about the proposal and determined that the most financially feasible option was for the county to upgrade the building it already owns in Portage.
He also said commissioners won't negotiate with a public official under indictment.
"The proposal cannot be accomplished without the cooperation of that city's mayor, and I'm not going to do it," Biggs said, adding the county's relationship with Snyder has been riddled with controversies, including over placement of the county's new animal shelter, and county officials have learned "that there is no negotiating with him."
"I am totally sympathetic to Portage officials that they have this shroud of uncertainty having over city government but it's there nonetheless," he continued.
City and county officials have been talking for three years about the possibility of a new county annex along Central Avenue, Oprisko said, calling the commissioners' response "pretty sad and pretty pathetic."
"Obviously I've wasted a lot of energy and dialogue," he said, adding city officials wanted to bring more development to the emerging downtown. "Portage has never had a downtown. This is a big thing for us."
City officials aren't asking for a handout from the county, he said, but for county officials to listen to them.
"It's all about Snyder," he said. "It comes down to Snyder but it's really sad because the city of Portage has more than 40,000 residents."
The County Council approved the bond issue on Aug. 22, and it includes spending $10 million to renovate and expand the North County Annex.
"I think it's at least worth vetting," said Maletta.
Portage would have committed $5 million intended for remodeling of its city hall to the project and the city's redevelopment commission would have purchased the county's building on Willowcreek, officials said. The city also offered to build a parking garage, and the redevelopment commission proposed donating the land for the combined building.
Commissioners and council members received an outline of the proposal and a letter supporting it from Maletta the evening before the council meeting.
"It wasn't malicious. It wasn't mean to anybody," Maletta said of the letter. "I even said in there that we are in support of them passing the bond."
The city of Portage paid the consulting firm SEH to put together the proposal at the request of the council, Maletta said, adding that Snyder purposefully removed himself from the matter so it wouldn't be volatile.
Portage officials were dismayed by video of the segment of the meeting on the bond issue, which is available on YouTube, and the reaction of commissioners, Maletta said, adding he didn't know if Snyder's indictment was a good enough excuse not to pursue a partnership.
"It's not fair to all of us working here to make (Portage) a better place," he said.
During the council meeting, Councilman Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, said he understood the pause among commissioners about dealing with Snyder, given the mayor's legal concerns.
Rivas said his fellow elected officials know how he feels about Snyder; in the weeks after Snyder's indictment, Rivas issued a statement requesting the mayor's resignation.
Still, he wanted commissioners to at least consider Portage officials' request for a partnership because good things could come out of it.
"The entire population of Portage has not been indicted," Rivas said.
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