St. Joseph County Commissioners

St. Joseph County Commissioners Tuesday announced they'll appoint an independent counsel to review allegations against economic development director Bill Schalliol and area plan director Shawn Klein. Commissioners were not specific but said the allegations involve the Midwest Continental Divide Trail project and a solar farm.

The Midwest Continental Divide Trail project seeks to develop a pedestrian path for eco-tourism through rural western St. Joseph County. Farmers are angry and vow to continue fighting the project until elected leaders give up on it.

The Colfax Bridge rehabilitation, when finished, will have new LED-lit monuments, a wider pedestrian path with a new guardrail, and improvements at the intersections at both ends of the bridge.

St. Joseph County has decided not to study a new rail corridor along Capital Avenue, despite getting a federal grant for that purpose.

The St. Joseph County Commissioners had a chance to lay out their vision for the future of Portage Manor, during Saturday’s “Coffee with Your Commissioners” event.

Now that construction is underway on Microsoft’s Granger data center, St. Joseph County officials are promising to keep an eye on disruption to the surrounding community.

The St. Joseph County Council Tuesday night unanimously passed a resolution requiring county commissioners to bring any sale of Portage Manor property before the council for approval. Commissioners President Carl Baxmeyer noted the commissioners must sign any council actions into law.

St. Joseph County Council President Bryan Tanner wants to make sure the council exercises its full power under Indiana law before the county sells off the Portage Manor land.

During a two-hour public hearing Tuesday, people overwhelmingly opposed St. Joseph County selling the former Portage Manor county home property off to for-profit developers who would build things like housing.

St. Joseph County Commissioners thought they were ready to turn the land over to a Catholic school in October but then started hearing from others interested in the land, so they're following state law on how to dispose of the property.