Logansport Board approves $1.14M in claims, multiple vendor contracts and personnel actions

The Logansport Board of Public Works and Safety on Jan. 14 approved $1,138,017.29 in claims and a slate of budgeted contracts and personnel items during a regularly scheduled meeting called by Mayor Chris Martin.

The board voted to approve claims totaling $1,138,017.29, including $1,135,317.29 in general claims and a TIF Industrial Park claim of $2,700. The approvals were taken by motion and recorded affirmations from the voting members present.

The board authorized multiple professional services and vendor agreements that staff said are budgeted for the year. Those approvals included an external legal-services contract tied to the "Scott Jones" case (the transcript contains variant vendor spellings), an advisory-services agreement with Baker Tilly that authorizes up to $70,000 in budgeted spending for the Clerk Treasurer's Office, Mayor's Office and City Council, and annual agreements for community programming, reservations and event services (listed at the meeting as Existential Media / Logansport Reimagined; a Park Zap playground inspection/reservation app vendor; TSNAP for golf-course reservations; a July 4 band engagement; and an event-services agreement with Vibrant Event Center for the Daddy-Daughter Dance).

The board also approved a series of right-of-way and curb-cut applications for utilities and communications work, including approvals for QC Communications at 313 Hamilton Street, StarTac/StarTech Fiber at 500 Day Street (work on behalf of Frontier Communications) and a refiled Frontier project (No. 2510605) covering 35 previously approved but unfinished locations across multiple streets.

Fire and police chiefs presented December 2025 monthly reports. Chief Miller reported 144 alarms in December — including three structure fires (Dec. 10 at 2110 East Market Street, Dec. 19 at 806 North Street and Dec. 25 at 2227 High Street), 101 first-responder calls and two firefighters who sustained minor injuries in one incident; the board approved the fire report. Chief Heishman presented police activity for December (22,878 miles, 646 calls for service, 44 arrests, 19 citations, 144 warnings and 163 traffic stops) and reported Cass County Drug Task Force investigations; the board approved the police report.

On personnel matters, the board accepted the retirement of Sergeant Bradley "Brad" Smith of the Logansport Police Department effective Jan. 14, 2026 and approved his request to surplus his department duty pistol to him pursuant to Indiana state law; the firearm was recorded in the transcript as a "clock 17" with serial BGTY632 (transcript phrasing appears to reference a Glock 17). The board accepted the resignation of Lieutenant Nathan Garrison (transcript lists his department as "Williamsport Police Department") with an effective date the speaker indicated as Jan. 9, 2026, and approved promotion of Detective Mark Van Horn (assigned to the Cass County Drug Task Force) to sergeant. The transcript lists an effective date of "January 2020" for Van Horn's promotion, which appears inconsistent with the timing of the meeting and is noted for clarification.

The Street Department reported December operations including brush and mulch removals, recycling of 3,100 pounds of metal, 158 tons of salt on hand, 695 hours of snow/ice removal and 12,920 miles driven; the board approved the monthly report. Code enforcement reported issuing 19 trash-violation letters the prior week and tagging three vehicles; the board approved that weekly report.

With no additional miscellaneous business raised — the mayor briefly invited comment and referenced ADA Section 504 compliance — the board moved to adjourn.

The board recorded approvals by motion throughout the meeting; the minutes will reflect final paperwork and any formal contract documents signed by city staff.