There were two ordinances on the agenda for the Monday, June 8th 2026 Valparaiso City Council meeting. The meeting went for an hour and twenty minutes and saw some lively debate around an aspect of the second ordinance. As always the Mayor began the meeting with the Pledge Of Allegiance to the flag followed by roll call and approval of last council meeting’s minutes along with School Board interview round #2 minutes.
The first ordinance was Ordinance No. 12, 2026 up for second reading and final vote. This is a bond ordinance allowing the Valpo Utilities Department to issue 10 million dollars in bonds and use 4 million in cash to fund construction of an Eastside well field. Valparaiso is supplied by well water and wells have a 40 to 50 year life, so this project is in anticipation of replacing aging well infrastructure in the northern zone of the city. Valpo on average uses 4.85 millions of gallons of water a day, with peak days reaching 7 million gallons. As of Today Valpo’s water system can provide a total capacity of 10 million gallons a day.
This infrastructure project consists of 3 new wells that will pump approximately 2 million gallons of water through a new 11,200 foot water transmission line to the Flint Lake Water Treatment Plant. The wells will be located within Valpo’s East Side Master Plan, land the Redevelopment Commission owns and is developing, located at the southeast corner of 49 and Burlington Beach Rd/CR 500 North. The water transmission line will go down Burlington Beach Rd, under 49, and to the treatment plant. Ordinance N0. 12 passed with a 7 to 0 vote.
Second on the agenda was Ordinance No. 13, 2026 up for first reading. Ordinance 13 came from the Planning Commission with a favorable recommendation to rezone the southeast corner of Cumberland and Bullseye Lake Rd from Business Park to Urban Residential. The land is currently owned by Urschel Development and is being gifted to Paradise Community Homes, a local housing nonprofit, for them to develop affordable single family homes. The point of contention that sparked debate concerned a fence desired by the YMCA where the new subdivision will border their outdoor fields and pavilion.
Bill Oeding, retired Valpo City Administrator who was speaking for Paradise Community Homes said. “Well the CEO of YMCA would like a fence and the CEO of Paradise Homes doesn’t want to spend the money to put up a fence. So if the CEO of the YMCA wants to put up a fence on her property I would encourage her to do that.” Councilwoman Emilie Hunt asked Bill who the CEO of Paradise Homes was. Bill responded, “I am.” Bill’s point that he elaborated on
was that it would cost an additional 20,000 dollars to put up the 630 foot fence and that cost would have to be included in the home prices. Paradise Homes’ whole goal as a nonprofit is to make homes as affordable as possible so they believe if the YMCA wants a fence the YMCA should pay for it. Council members were split on this fence issue and who should pay for it. While the Mayor and Bill Oeding were speaking in favor of the YMCA paying for it, councilman
Peter Anderson said. “The level of ridiculous that you two are acting is outrageous.” Oeding responded by saying. “I tell you what I think is ridiculous. If you give me 20,000 dollars for the fence, I’d want to use it to buy down the price of the houses, not put up a fence that’s not necessary.”
Several Councilmembers alluded to not voting in favor of this zoning change unless Paradise Community Homes agrees to put up the fence the YMCA desires. The old neighborly dispute of who should pay for the fence played out at city council level. So who should pay for the fence? The nonprofit YMCA who wants it? Or the nonprofit Paradise Homes building affordable homes who is coming in to build a subdivision. It is a good question and it will be up for council debate, public hearing, and final vote at the next City Council meeting.
With no other business before council it was on to liaison reports and discussion items followed by public comment. Some highlights from liaison reports; Olthof Homes is in process with the Planning Commission with a petition for annexation of 72 acres located south of 500 North and east of Tower/250 West for a 200+ home subdivision, also at Planning Commission is a petition to rezone the southwest corner of Calumet Ave. and Bullseye Lake Rd. from residential to commercial for a new Hyundai dealership. Both of these items will come to council if approved by the Plan Commission.
There was one gentleman Valparaiso resident who spoke at public comment. He wanted to bring attention to Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s proclamation making June 2026 Nuclear Family Month. He also questioned Councilwoman Hunt’s post on social media where she called this proclamation “senseless.” The resident said that once Medieval Christianity deliberately broke down the existing social clan structure and promoted the nuclear family it revolutionized the West and led to individual rights, the Enlightenment, and democracy itself. Councilwoman Hunt responded and said. “I absolutely said it was senseless, Nuclear Family Month excludes not only gay parents but divorced parents and single parents. Those together make up over 80% of Hoosier families.” We couldn’t find these stats for Valparaiso, but when researching we found that well over 60% of Hoosier families are married couples and around 33% of children live in single parent homes.
The next City Council meeting is Monday, June 22nd, 2026 6:00pm at city hall.
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Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
