The release of the state audit of the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission may be two to four weeks away as the agency limps toward soon running out of money to pay staff and other administrative expenses.

State Examiner Bruce Hartman on Tuesday said the final piece of information needed to complete the audit was received from the State Budget Agency last week and forwarded to his staff. The state was asked whether there were any written restrictions to the spending of the state dollars, he said.

"For the most part it's pretty well wrapped up," Hartman said of the audit. "As I mentioned to Sen. (Frank) Mrvan, we should be done very quickly."

Hartman said the time now will be spent in writing up the report, projecting a release within two to four weeks.

Following last week's commission meeting in Hammond, Mrvan had written Hartman urging a speedy completion of the audit.

"The audit is important to funding the (Little Cal levee) project, since no funding is available until the various interested parties (state Legislature, RDA, and U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky) receive the audit," Mrvan wrote in a letter provided to The Times.

"I fear progress will soon come to a standstill for lack of funding," he continued. "I urge you to finish the audit and send it to the proper authorities, before more devastation occurs. The people are counting on you."

Mrvan asked copies of the audit be mailed to his attention.

Currently the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority has taken the stance it will not allow the commission to draw down any further money from the $6 million loan granted earlier this year until the results of the audit are in.

But even if the RDA relents, its loan money can be spent only on nonadministrative expenses, which does not solve the problem of the commission's lack of operating funds.

"To move forward, we have to know how much is in the bank," said Charles Brimmer, Visclosky's chief of staff, last week. "We have to know how much is needed to complete the budget. Only then can you access the resources to finish this project. The quicker they come up with the information, the quicker we can finish this project."

The commission is under pressure to complete the final budget by its next meeting, expected to be held Dec. 4 at yet another location in the flood plain, possibly Munster Town Hall.