St. Joseph County Council

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.

The new limits on low-frequency sounds that industrial operations can emit won't apply to Amazon's data center because its building permits have been issued but they will apply to the data center that Microsoft will soon start building in Granger.

Jeremy Bontrager told the St. Joseph County Council that his research found crime has not increased near the six home-based federally licensed gun sellers already in Granger over the past 15 years.

St. Joseph County Council President Bryan Tanner says he sympathizes with people living north of the Toll Road who might want to complain about low-frequency sound but it will not be possible to accurately measure sound from the data center when the Toll Road makes so much noise itself.

At the New Carlisle-Olive Township Public Library Tuesday, meeting organizers will dispute facts presented in a recent data center rezoning case, show a video about community and environmental risks posed by data centers, and take public questions and comments.

Critics say they worry about burdening heirs with liens but Republican St. Joseph County Council members say they're more worried about making it easier for middle-aged and senior homeowners who've paid off their mortgages to stay in their homes despite rising property tax bills.

After Microsoft announced it won't seek property tax breaks for its data centers, four St. Joseph County Council members have asked Amazon to renegotiate their $4 billion property tax abatement over 35 years.

St. Joseph County commissioners on Monday approved their annual animal control contract with the Humane Society.

St. Joseph County's new "Help Seniors Stay in Their Homes" program will let homeowners age 55 and older defer property taxes until their home is transferred to another owner.