By Kristin Miller The News-Dispatch
LaPORTE - The LaPorte County Commissioners have decided to back St. Joseph County's request to be part of the Central time zone, citing “nightmarish” scheduling problems on several fronts.
Commission President Marlow Harmon said both counties have to deal with three basic issues, starting with safety concerns of schools. He said school districts that cross county lines have a “nightmare” in scheduling. Some children have to get up earlier in the morning to catch the bus, while others are attending school later, he said.
“Secondly, there are a lot of employees who work in both LaPorte and St. Joseph counties,” Harmon said. “It's a constant conflict of when they've got to get up in the morning, when they're coming home at night.”
Harmon said there also are economic concerns because many businesses “(travel) to LaPorte County and through LaPorte County to go west from St. Joe, which creates a nightmare for trucking companies and those who do business with LaPorte County.”
Also, he said, there is some concern from the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore Railroad. Its trains travel from the South Bend Regional Airport to Chicago.
“(It's) a nightmare when it comes to scheduling problems,” he said. “These are the main issues that we feel need to be addressed and by going on the Central time zone, it would be addressed.”
He said even Elkhart County is considering being in the Central time zone, which would help with scheduling as well.
“With the time zone change that we have, it gives (the commuter district) problems,” he said. “That's why they want to be with St. Joe County and I think that everyone feels as I do, that we don't care whether it's Central or Eastern, it needs to be the same.”
LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris also supports St. Joseph County.
He said at Tuesday's Commissioners meeting, “I really think we have a community of interest here, a corridor of economic development stretching out from Chicago that includes LaPorte County and St. Joseph County. So I'm going to join with you in that expression of support.”
The federal government scheduled four hearings around the state to hear what the public has to say about the proposed time zone changes. The last one is from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, in the Indiana University-South Bend Student Activities Center. LaPorte County officials plan to attend.