Brendan Clancy, Portage Township Trustee, presented his ‘State of the Township’ Address to a full house at the Senior Bonner Center on Wednesday, February 28, 2012 at noon.
The trustee began his address by honoring John P. Williams for his dedication to the community and his contributions to Portage Township. The 100+ seniors in the audience cheered when Clancy reported that a second roadway from Central Avenue will be possible, as well as, continued improvements to the building and the expansion of day trips and programs. The Trustee also thanked Bonner Seniors for their contribution and support of the School Supply Drive and the Cereal Drive for Portage Food Pantry, bringing in approximately $2000 in school supplies and 597 boxes of cereal.
Other highlights included:
Cemetery Management:
- Improved maintenance and grounds keeping
- Schrock Cemetery Restoration & Preservation Project begins in March. This cemetery had been neglected for many, many years.
- Saved township $11,900/annually by re-negotiating Indigent Burial Program.
Parks & Recreation:
- In 2011 established a Parks and Recreation Department w/ 4 member Board of Directors
- Creation of the Friends of Portage Township Foundation, Inc. to support maintenance and sustainability of Township Parks.
- ADA Compliance: Resolution 2012-01
- Grants: applied for and received approval for two Lake Michigan Coastal Program (LMCP) Grants for master plan development of Haven Hollow and Field of Dreams Parks.
Two additional LMCP Grants are pending for park development and improvements. An Indiana Recycling Coalition Grant was approved in 2011 and the township has reported over 444 pounds of materials have been recycled.
More grant funding development underway.
Fire Department:
Administrative Office:
- Portage Township is the first township in the state going paperless in the next month. Will pay for itself in a couple years, reducing administrative expenses and environmental footprint.
- Office saved $2400/annually by eliminating house cleaning service
- Corrected past bill discrepancies, saving the township thousands of dollars
- Improved Client Services: office open through lunch hours
- Implemented Rank Vegetation Program-improving the quality of life of residents living near abandoned properties.
- Vehicle Inventory Report/Internal Audit of Insurance Policy saved tax-payers $3200/annually
- Renegotiated past telephone contract saving township $5000/annually
- Renegotiated trash removal contract saving township $1200/annually
- Implementation of offsite data storage-(office never had before)
- Compliance with Porter County Records Retention Policy
In closing, Trustee Clancy thanked those in the room for attending and for offering their support, and encouraged them to continue to offer input for the betterment of Portage Township.
Photos:
- Portage Township Leadership Team: Back row: Eva Cloyd, Janet Clem Front Row: Joy Lundstrom, Bill Lundy, Brendan Clancy, Nina Rivas, Erin Krenkle, Debbie Clem
- Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy speaks to crowd at Bonner Senior Center