The Porter County Council voted Councilman Andy Vasquez, R-4th, its president for 2025. Councilman Andy Bozak, R-At-Large, nominated him at the reorganization meeting Tuesday afternoon. Councilman Greg Simms, D-3rd, seconded the motion and Vasquez was approved unanimously.
Former Council President Mike Brickner, R-At-Large, then nominated Vice President Red Stone, R-1st, to continue in that role and Bozak seconded the motion. Councilman Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, nominated Simms for VP, but the motion died for lack of a second and Stone was again confirmed as VP by a 5-to-2 vote with Rivas and Simms opposed.
Contracts were unanimously approved for County Attorney Harold Harper and Porter County Surveyor Kevin Breitzke, respectively.
The council then moved on to citizen appointments, approving Ralph Neff to serve on the Redevelopment Commission, Thomas Swihart on the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Jim Clarida on the Board of Zoning Appeals, and David Ondrovich on the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals.
Jake McEvoy, who also serves as director of the Porter County Parks Department, was named the citizen appointment to the Chesterton Economic Development Committee; John Cannon was named to the Portage EDC; Margo Machnik was named to the town of Porter EDC; Patrick McGinley was named to the Valparaiso EDC; and Danielle Roeske-Hogg was named to the town of Hebron EDC.
The council’s citizen appointment to the Board of Health was tabled following Rivas’s nomination of former Councilwoman Sylvia Graham, a Democrat, which was seconded by Simms. Dr. Patrick Flemming had also applied and the council opted to confirm with Harper, who was absent due to illness, whether they were correctly interpreting Indiana Code to direct the council that it must appoint a Democrat to the vacancy.
“If we have to go, I’d be happy to vote for Sylvia, but I think we’re losing some knowledge there,” said Bozak, referring to Flemming’s involvement in the board’s COVID-19 response during the pandemic. Rivas and Simms voted against tabling the appointment.
For council appointments Brickner, a retired career law enforcement officer and former Valparaiso police chief, maintained his appointment to the Community Corrections Advisory Board, and will also serve on the Emergency Management Agency Board. Vasquez maintained his appointment to the Northern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, as well as the E911 Policy Board, Porter County Redevelopment Commission, and Juvenile Justice Advisory Board.
Harris will join him on the JJAB, and was also appointed to the Storm Water Advisory Board as Vasquez’s proxy. Stone was appointed to the Porter County Plan Commission and the EMA Board.
Simms will serve on the Recycling and Waste District, as well as maintain his appointment to the Porter County Council on Aging. “I like hanging out with the old people,” he said.
Simms and Harris were also named as appointments to the Memorial Opera House Board. “We can remove MOH, right?” Bozak asked, referring to the city of Valparaiso’s management of the facility since the first of the year.
“I would leave it open just in case somebody from Valpo wants to talk to one of us about it,” Stone replied. “You all will be getting in your email a copy of the MOU,” Vasquez added, in reference to the memorandum of understanding for the city’s management of the opera house. The auditor’s office also compiled a binder of the MOH’s assets.
Council liaison appointments to various county departments will remain the same as in 2024 with Harris taking over those formerly held by Graham.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
