The Porter County Board of Commissioners convened for its first meeting of the year as an all-Republican body after newcomer Ed Morales took over the South District from Laura Blaney, who did not seek another term. President Jim Biggs, of the North District, retained his office after Morales nominated him, and Vice President Barb Regnitz, of the Center District, seconded the motion.
Biggs then nominated Morales, former Porter Township Trustee, for the number two spot, which Regnitz seconded. Finally, Biggs nominated Regnitz for secretary, seconded by Morales. County Attorney Scott McClure was retained for 2025.
The board elected to retain the majority of the appointments whose terms were up on various boards. Bob Filipek was reappointed to the Alcohol Beverage Board; Cathy Brown and Bill Welter were reappointed to the Convention, Recreation and Visitors Commission, otherwise known as the Tourism Board; Linda Zyla and Nancy Kolasa were reappointed to the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals; Craig Kenworthy was reappointed to the Plan Commission; James Ton was reappointed to the Recycling and Solid Waste Board; Jason Gilliana and Bill Herring were reappointed to the Redevelopment Commission; Paul Nelson was reappointed to the Stormwater Advisory Board; and Craig Klauer and Joe Wiszowaty, who is also the county’s facilities director, were reappointed to the West Porter Township Fire Protection District Board.
Brian Niksch was newly appointed to the Tourism Board and one appointment to the Board of Health was put on hold as a staff illness made it unclear if the county had received all three nominations that Portage Mayor Austin Bonta was going to submit. Regnitz said further research into the county’s appointment to the Shared Ethics Commission, formerly held by Blaney, was necessary before appointing an elected official, as required, to that role.
Commissioners voted to appoint Biggs to the Community Corrections, Juvenile Justice, and 911 boards; Regnitz to the Storm Water Advisory, Redevelopment, and Center for Workforce Innovations Boards; and Morales to the Child Protection, Northern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Plan Commission, and Emergency Management Agency boards.
In other business, Regnitz announced the county will accept applications through the end of January for this year’s disbursement of Opioid Settlement funds. She said interested organizations should go to Porterco.org and enter “opioid money” in the search bar to locate the application.
Porter County Coroner Cyndi Dykes received approval to lease a 2025 Ford all-wheel drive Transit 150 cargo van to replace a 2007 Ford cargo van. Biggs took exception to the monthly $1,223 lease amount, saying over $70,000 over five years seemed excessive.
“I think you can get one for the high 50s,” he said. Dykes explained that the monthly payment includes strobe lights, a cot deck, and a partition between the front row and the back that the van must be equipped with.
“This is an open-end equity lease so possibly when the van is at its peak they’ll give us a call and whatever equity we have in that van goes into the new one,” she said.
Biggs still wasn’t satisfied. “Why are we now replacing to the tune of $70,000 every five years?” he wanted to know.
“I’ve been working on this for five years and every time I’ve come before you guys I’ve been encouraged to lease rather than buy,” Dykes replied.
Dykes and her chief deputy have reported in years past that it doesn’t reflect well on the county or show proper respect for the dead when residents have to watch their loved ones’ bodies taken away in a rusty van. The county also uses a second transport van which is 13 years old.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
