People living in the unincorporated area surrounding Valparaiso could be under the auspices of the city’s Parks Department by January
The move would give them residents’ rates for park activities, likely raise their property taxes and create new parks in the township.
The City Council on Monday had the first reading of an ordinance that would extend the Parks Department to include all of Center Township, and City Administrator Bill Oeding said the Center Township Board of Trustees approved creation of a park district that evening.
“The city administration has been looking at this for many years,” Oeding told the council, saying that he began researching it in 2015.
Center Township Trustee Doug Miller said last week that when he was on the Center Township Advisory Board in 2013, when they passed a resolution to explore creating a parks department.
He and the current board renewed their interest when the Valparaiso Community Schools began constructing the new school south of U.S. 30 this year, and rather than duplicate efforts, both sides decided to merge, Miller said.
Oeding compared the merger to that of the combined fire territory in Valparaiso and Center Township. He said the basis for the parks agreement would be based on the one Carmel, Ind., has with Clay Township.
The new park board would have two members -— a Democrat and a Republican — from the township and two Democrat and two Republican members from the city, he said.
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That’s based on a 70/30 split of assessed valuations, but the makeup of the board may change as the assessed valuation of residential properties and property taxes change, Oeding said.
Parks Director John Seibert said this would bring more money into the department, and township residents would pay for upkeep in taxes rather than just non-resident fees for programs.
If the Council and Board don’t pass the agreement by Dec. 31, they will have to wait another year to enact it, Oeding said.
The City Council and board are scheduled to vote to approve the merger at their respective Dec. 12 meetings.
Also on the council’s agenda was the first reading for an ordinance that will allow residents to keep honeybees within city limits. The council heard from proponents who spoke about the non-aggressive nature of the common honeybee.
The ordinance only allows the common honeybee — no hybrids, and the council plans to vote on the ordinance Dec. 12.
The ordinance will allow for two hives and one temporary “transfer” hive, providing that they are 10 feet away from sidewalks and roads and four feet from property lines. Beekeepers will need a fence or hedgerow around the hives, said Council Member Deb Porter (D, At-Large).
James D. Wolf Jr. is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.