Congressman Pete Visclosky today announced that he has secured $6,825,000 in federal assistance for projects across Northwest Indiana that will help create jobs, spur economic development, and advance community safety
“I am proud to help Northwest Indiana leverage federal opportunities to advance meaningful projects across the region,” said Visclosky. “These investments in our infrastructure, community safety, and our people will help create jobs, grow our economy, and improve the quality of life for everybody in the region.”
The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the conference report today, and the legislation is expected to pass the Senate shortly and be signed into law by the President.
$3.9 million for Northwest Indiana’s Economic Infrastructure
“Making targeted investments in our local economic infrastructure not only creates badly-needed jobs immediately, but also facilitates new investment, increased commerce, and greater economic opportunities for years to come,” said Visclosky. “These projects will help advance our economy and make Northwest Indiana a better place to live.”
The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) will receive $2 million for the South Shore Commuter Rail Capital Reinvestment Plan. Specifically, NICTD will use the funding to continue to design and build new centralized traffic control and power distribution systems that will increase operational flexibility and reliability, and enlarge capacity to meet increases in demand. NICTD operates more than 12,800 trains annually carrying more than 4.2 million passengers to high paying Chicago jobs. Riders return in excess of $225 million in salaries and wages to Northwest Indiana. To maintain this service, the 75-year-old signal and power distribution systems must be replaced.
Crown Point will receive $900,000 for improvements to North Street. The funding will help improve and widen North Street/109th Avenue between Interstate 65 and State Road 53. This project will be executed in anticipation of the new interchange off of I-65 and the new traffic that the interchange will generate. Work will include removal of the existing roadway, rehabilitation of the road sub-grade, replacement of pavement, and installation of appropriate storm water infrastructure in order to improve traffic interconnectivity and reduce congestion.
Porter County will receive $500,000 for the Dunes-Kankakee Trail. The funding will be used by the Porter County Board of Commissioners to construct approaches and crossings for the Dunes-Kankakee Trail near the intersection of U.S Highway 20 and State Road 49. This project will be one of the first steps in constructing a valuable north-south link in the existing regional trail system, expanding the recreational opportunities for those residing on or visiting the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Further, the trail’s connection with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will allow more visitors to access this national treasure by providing an alternative to the overcrowded parking lots at the site.
Schererville will receive $250,000 to extend Oak Street from Kennedy Avenue to U.S. Highway 41. The project would entail engineering for grade separation of a single railroad track, road widening, and identifying right-of-way in order to create a much needed through street that alleviates congestion on U.S. 41 and encourages new development in the area.
The Entech Innovation Center in Valparaiso will receive $250,000 to facilitate and equip wet labs to accommodate the recruitment and commercialization of start-up companies and corporate expansions in the medical diagnostics and medical instrumentation industries. The investment will allow the Center to provide top quality facilities and business services in an expanding industry, bringing high tech jobs to Northwest Indiana. The Center has partnered with Valparaiso University, Purdue North Central, Ivy Tech Community College, and the Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation on the initiative and anticipates that it will support 78 new jobs over two years, plus additional job growth in the future.
$1,925,000 for Northwest Indiana’s Law Enforcement Agencies
“Northwest Indiana’s law enforcement officers bravely protect our communities from crime and drugs and ensure our public safety.” said Visclosky. “It is an honor for me to repay a debt of gratitude to them by supporting their work with the resources and technology they need to perform their duties as best they can.”
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department will receive $500,000 to begin the initial steps in the consolidation of Lake County’s 18 dispatch centers. The project, which was developed by the Lake County Public Safety Commission, will require the purchase of new interoperable radios and the corresponding software system in order to increase efficiency, improve 9-1-1 response capabilities, and cut costs.
The Merrillville Police Department will receive $500,000 for technology and equipment upgrades to its communications systems. The funds will be used to purchase computer hardware, software, and video recording equipment that will greatly improve the department’s efficiency.
The Highland Police Department will receive $485,000 to purchase and install emergency preemption devices on all traffic signals in the town. The technology upgrade will benefit all of the public safety agencies in Highland by reducing the response time to incidents and lowering the chance of traffic accidents at intersections between first responders and citizens.
The Hebron Police Department will receive $190,000 to upgrade its radio communication system, which needs to be improved to meet the upcoming move to narrowband frequency mandated by the Federal Communication Commission. The upgrade will also increase the reliability of the department dispatch and radio communications, resulting in more efficient service for the citizens of Hebron.
The Gary Police Department will receive $92,000 to purchase and install a Global Positioning System-based automatic vehicle location system. This combined software and hardware system will allow dispatch to assign officers to incidents in a more effective manner, enhancing critical incident response, patrol, and other day-to-day police operations.
The Hobart Police Department will receive $90,000 to upgrade computers in police vehicles from commercial grade laptops to Think Pads designed to withstand police driving conditions and allow for more interoperable communication between the department and other law enforcement agencies. The new technology will allow for more efficient communication between law enforcement personnel and agencies, enhanced crime fighting capacity, improved security for sensitive information, and increased equipment durability.
The Porter Police Department will receive $68,000 to establish a common “backbone” network consisting of dispatch 800Mhz equipment and radios that officers can use to communicate with the dispatch center and each other while allowing interoperability between other jurisdictions. The new system will be modern and reliable, and is designed to grow with the department.
The Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) will receive no less than $3 million. The Federal Government designated Lake County a HIDTA in 1996 to aid Northwest Indiana in addressing drug and gang crime. The HIDTA, which is administrated by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), has made over 3,900 arrests and seized drugs and firearms worth a combined street value of over $251 million. ONDCP will set the HIDTA’s final funding level, which must meet or exceed the $3 million it received last year.
Visclosky’s nationwide Bulletproof Vest Partnership will receive $30 million. The Partnership, which Visclosky created in 1998 after he learned that gang members in Northwest Indiana wore bulletproof vests, but police officers did not have the resources to purchase the life-saving equipment, funds up to 50 percent of the cost of bulletproof vests purchased or replaced by law enforcement agencies. Since 1999, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership has invested over $234 million in helping over 818,000 law enforcement officers purchase bulletproof vests. In Northwest Indiana, it has provided over $524,000 toward the purchase or replacement of over 2,800 bulletproof vests.
The bill makes available $298 million for COPS Hiring Grants to hire or retain approximately 1,400 officers. The COPS program has helped train nearly 500,000 law enforcement personnel, community members, and government leaders and has helped put over 121,500 additional officers on the beat nation-wide. Most recently, this program provided $3,970,892 in grants for police departments in Northwest Indiana to hire 20 new officers.
$1 million for Education and Training Programs in Northwest Indiana
“I believe that everybody should have the chance to seek the education, training, and skills they need to prepare themselves for a fruitful life,” said Visclosky. “These diverse initiatives create opportunities for Northwest Indiana residents and help people get ahead.”
Porter-Starke Services will receive $550,000 to construct a new Portage Behavioral Health Center. The new 8,000 square foot center is projected to treat 4,700 individuals with behavior needs annually and employ a staff of 24. Untreated behavioral disorders lead to lower graduation rates, increased drug abuse, increased crime, increased unemployment, and increased rate of suicide, and Porter-Starke Services helps individuals avoid those pitfalls.
The University of Saint Francis will receive $200,000 to support the addition of equipment and furnishings for the Nursing Laboratory at its Crown Point campus. The new high-fidelity equipment will allow students to practice nursing skills on low census populations like pediatrics and maternity patients, and let faculty set up high-risk, low-incidence clinical simulations that many students would not otherwise experience. Northwest Indiana has some of the highest nursing vacancy rates in the nation and the expansion of the University’s nursing program will help address that shortage.
Opportunity Enterprises will receive $150,000 to expand its Enriching Possibilities Day Program by engaging clients in meaningful curricular and social activities. Specifically, the funds will be used to create a resource library, establish an Assistive Technology computer lab, purchase equipment to help individuals develop fine motor skills, and set up additional sensory equipment. Opportunity Enterprises creates sustainable life choices and opportunities for individuals with unique challenges and abilities, serving roughly 1,100 people in Northwest Indiana.
Parents as Teachers of Lake County will receive $100,000 to expand its family literacy program, which currently serves 500 families, to include 150 additional families that are presently on the waiting list. Parents as Teachers is a not-for-profit early childhood and support program for families with children up to the age of five in Lake and Porter Counties. The program’s goals are to increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parenting practices, provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse and neglect, and increase children’s school readiness and school success. The funds will also be used to develop new Parents as Teachers programs in Benton, Jasper, and Newton Counties.