A land deal between the Town of Merrillville and the Lake County Parks Department had some residents questioning the Town Council’s business sense.
The council voted on a resolution 6-1, with Councilman Leonard White dissenting, to donate to the Lake County Parks Department an eight-acre parcel of land adjacent to Turkey Creek Golf Course at its Tuesday night meeting. The parks department, town attorney Joe Svetanoff said, wants to add the land to the existing course.
Before dissenting, White, D-7, asked why the town would just give land to the county.
“We’re just giving this property away? I don’t want to give anymore property to county,” he said. “I want to see affordable housing. That would be my suggestion.”
Other residents agreed with White.
“When I need money, I look for my things that have the most value and sell them. How’re you going to give something valuable away?” said the Rev. Edward Sims.
Council President Rick Bella then explained that the land isn’t easily accessible to the public — therefore making it unusable to the town – and apologized for not making that fact clearer before taking the vote.
White also opposed the council’s approval of awarding $208,226 in the latest round of American Rescue Plan Act funds. White said he’s noticed that not-for-profit entities are requesting, and being awarded, funds for planting trees, and that isn’t fair.
“I have a woman who got turned down for funds because she was told ARP doesn’t approve inside work for mold removal, while these clubs are getting donations,” White said of the council and ARP committee, on which Councilman Richard Hardaway, D-3, sits. “We would rather donate to charity than help residents.
Hardaway, who’s also the council’s finance committee chairman, said after the meeting that ARP funds aren’t discretionary.
“There are very specific rules given to us by the federal government on how these funds can be used, and they do not allow for interior improvements,” he said. “This is not a Hardaway rule; it’s a federal government rule.”
In other business, the town approved the Merrillville Police Department’s hiring of Amanda Earley as an officer. Earley, who served with the National Guard, previously was a Hammond Police officer for seven years and also has firefighter experience, said Merrillville Police Chief Luther Cuttino.
With Earley’s experience, she’ll have field training for a month or so to learn the town before hitting the streets on patrol, Cuttino said.
Michelle Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
