It was all politeness Tuesday evening as the Porter County Council addressed two controversial topics of late: the new highway garage bids and a new appointment to replace the beleaguered former president of the Indiana Dunes Tourism Board Mitch Peters.
From the beginning of the meeting to the end, Porter County Councilman Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, maintained polite discourse while not backing down from his stance on the issues. He addressed Porter County Board of Commissioners Vice President Barb Regnitz, R-Center, after she was finished representing the board’s routine financial requests of the council.
“I think you guys opened some bids,” he said. “Maybe we can talk, see how that went.”
“The bids came in very favorably for both the garage and the health department,” Regnitz replied, referring to the special meeting Tuesday morning during which the board awarded a bid for a new roof and exterior improvements to the Porter County Jail, and opened bids for the proposed $18 million highway garage and renovations to the Health Department, Coroner’s Office, and Veterans Affairs Office. “And as soon as our construction manager on the garage, our architect on the health department has an opportunity to review them, we’ll be reporting back to you.”
Rivas then asked about the awarding of the roofing contract for the Porter County Jail and what other buildings construction manager The Skillman Corporation is assessing. Regnitz said the Juvenile Detention Center, Administration Building, 157 Franklin, and the courthouse are being analyzed.
She said Skillman has been asked to look at multiple systems in the buildings, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and the building envelope, and send its analysis off to the estimator. “We should have an answer back in a couple of weeks,” she said.
Rivas asked if she had an idea what the extent of needed work would be and Regnitz said they would need to wait and see.
“I appreciate the work you’re putting into it,” he told her. “I appreciate your looking into the other buildings. I thought it was an important part of the whole process.”
Hours later at the tale end of the meeting Councilman Andy Bozak, R-At-Large, nominated fellow Councilman Andy Vasquez, R-4th, for the spot on the Tourism Board that has been open since Peters quit in April following scrutiny of his role in the $225,000 buy-out of former IDT CEO Lorelei Weimer, who left abruptly in January.
Peters had been considered a citizen appointment and Rivas asked if anyone from the council had touched base with the commissioners on a potential switch to a council member in the role.
“I like the idea of having our finger directly on the pulse,” said Bozak after making the nomination. “I do like a citizen appointment, but I think for this one, after all the problems we’ve had, it makes sense to get involved.”
Council Vice President Red Stone, R-1st, seconded the motion and Vasquez was voted in with a vote of four yeas, two abstentions, and one nay. Councilman Greg Simms, D-3rd, voted no. Rivas and Councilwoman Sylvia Graham, D-At-Large, abstained. “I feel badly that we’re losing our citizen appointment,” Graham said.
“You better make sure you give us a report every month,” Rivas told Vasquez. “You see what happened to the last guy. I didn’t want to vote no against you Andy, just the way this all went.”
“Even for anybody voting no I take that as no personal affront,” Vasquez replied. “I just feel you have to vote your conscience and I thank you for being honest with your vote. I will do my best to make sure I am reporting to everyone like I did on the NIRPC Board.”
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.