CROWN POINT | Residents of some potholed streets in the city shouldn't be envious of their newly paved neighbors' quite yet because the City Council unanimously approved a $1.75 million bond Monday night that will allow about 15 more streets to be paved before year's end.

At the council's Oct. 6 meeting, Luci Emison, an attorney with Indianapolis-based Ice Miller and the city's bond council, made a presentation about the bond for road improvements. The bonds have a maximum term of 16 years and will be payable from riverboat revenues but backed up by property taxes.

Mayor David Uran said as the cost of construction goes up, along with oil and diesel prices, he thought it was in the city's best interest to get as much paving done as possible this year when the prices of products used in paving are known.

"We'll get more bang for our buck," he said.

City engineer Tris Miles said the bond will allow the city to about double the amount of paving it's done already this year, and the additional streets are primarily streets in subdivisions.

In other business, the council unanimously approved cutting its budget and putting that money into the Police Department's budget for the hiring of new officers. The council moved $10,500 from its budget to the police budget to help pay for the tests new officers must take when they're hired and the equipment they're issued.

Police Chief Pete Land said it costs about $3,300 to equip a new officer with a bulletproof vest, weapon and uniforms.