The Tippecanoe County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 17 adopted Ordinance 2025‑37 on second and final reading to put sidewalk permit and bond requirements into county code.

County staff explained the measure formalizes a policy previously handled informally between the highway department and private developers. The ordinance incorporates standards used by the City of Lafayette and Indiana Department of Transportation where appropriate, establishes permitting and bonding for new sidewalk construction, requires property owners to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice, and creates a mechanism by which the county may perform repairs and recover costs from property owners who fail to maintain sidewalks.

No members of the public spoke for or against the ordinance during the hearing. The presiding officer ran a roll-call style voice response and recorded Martel, Jennifer Byers and Brown voting "Yes." The board declared the ordinance passed 3–0 on second and final reading.

The county clerk will publish the ordinance per local procedures and the measure will be effective according to the county's ordinance-adoption rules. Commissioners said the change primarily codifies existing practice rather than creating a new program.

Sources: County staff presentation and the commissioners' roll-call voice vote during the Nov. 17 meeting.