Working to protect upcoming projects

Confidentiality pact considered for council, some town employees

With several potential developments in the works, the Merrillville Town Council is considering having its members and some town employees sign a confidentiality agreement to ensure there are no leaks that could cause the town to lose any of these or future projects.

Town Manager Patrick Reardon said there are four companies interested in locating at the Ameriplex at the Crossroads. These come on the heels of recent announcements that both Amazon and Midwest Truck & Auto Parts are building distribution warehouses in the business park.

Town Attorney Joseph Svetanoff said the agreement would ensure proposed projects are kept secret until they’re ready to become public. He said it would become an amendment to the personnel policy.

Reardon said he has seen projects being lost after they were discussed openly before being nailed down. But not every elected official was sold on the agreement.

Clerk-Treasurer Kelly White Gibson questioned if it would be against the Open Door policy and asked if any other city or town has a similar act.

“It’s usually on a per project basis. This is very broad,” she said.

Councilman Leonard White, D-7th, said he wouldn’t sign it.

“It won’t work for me. I don’t like my hands being tied. There needs to be a trust factor,” White said.

Svetanoff said he doesn’t know of any other community that has a similar agreement, but added he doesn’t know of any other community that has as much development going on at this time. He said this would cover projects before they become public, when they’re still in the discussion phase.

Council President Rick Bella, D-5th, said the council would continue to look into the matter.

Reardon said the town will be holding its first Job Fair some time in late July or early August, around the same time that both Amazon and Midwest Truck and Auto Parts will be opening. He said both businesses will have a table at the fair, as will the town.

In other matters, Trista Hudson, an associate with financial advisers Cender & Co., advised the council to spend the more than $7 million it will be receiving from the federal government under the American Rescue Plan in four areas: infrastructure, sewer, water and broadband.

While the town has no jurisdiction over water and sewer, Councilman Jeffrey Minchuk, D-3rd, said it can work with Independence Hill and Merrillville conservancy districts on projects such as Southmoor Park, which he said still needs to be completed. Minchuk asked for a list of what projects the money could be used for under the act and said it would be discussed by the council’s finance committee.