The Porter County Council has one appointment to make to the Indiana Dunes Tourism board of directors. Now the council wants to put two people on that board.
The council voted 5-1 Tuesday to ask the county Board of Commissioners to revamp the board to allow the extra appointee. Council President Mike Brickner, R-At-large, cast the sole no vote. Andy Bozak, R-At-large, was absent.
There were four applicants for the vacancy created when Mitch Peters resigned from the tourism board amid controversy over the sudden resignation of former Executive Director Lorelei Weimer and paying her a $225,000 settlement.
The council had voted against forcing Peters off the board.
The four applicants for his replacement were Councilman Andy Vasquez, R-4th; Cameron Wild; Ryan Peters; and George Romero.
Councilman Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, asked why Vasquez applied.
“I think we want some engagement,” he said. If the council wants to appoint one of its own, perhaps it should ask the commissioners to rewrite the ordinance, he said.
Councilman Ronald “Red” Stone, R-1st, suggested adding a council member as well as a citizen.
“We have liaisons too that could be a communications bridge,” Councilman Gregg Simms, D-3rd, pointed out.
“Our liaisons didn’t do a very good job of communicating,” Stone said.
Stone said if he were a commissioner, there would have been changes made to the board.
“Citizen participation is critical, especially for something like this,” Rivas said.
“I think it’s important to have input from someone from the public on these boards,” Councilwoman Sylvia Graham, D-At-large, said.
Any council member can attend board meetings but being on the board would increase participation in the direction the board takes, Vasquez said.
“I was on the tourism board years ago, and we made a lot of progress during that time,” Graham said.
Rivas suggested asking the commissioners to allow the council president or a proxy to serve on the board.
Council attorney Harold Harper said six members of the tourism board must have some industry experience. If any of the council members is qualified and wants to serve, it’s Vasquez, Stone said.
Vasquez, an organic farmer, is a member of the Duneland Chamber of Commerce and participates in the Portage farmers market as well as two in Lake County.
“I personally would like to get this done,” Brickner said. “I don’t know who we’re going to find to serve more effectively than Councilman Vasquez.”
Graham responded she thinks it’s important for citizens to be a part of government.
“I don’t dispute that. I don’t disagree with it at all,” Brickner said.
“Mitch more than any board member in Porter County came before us” any time there was an issue involving the tourism board and its agency, Rivas said.
Harper said he reviewed both state law and the council ordinance regarding the tourism board and didn’t see anything that prevents a council member from serving on it. “I think it’s more of a political question.”
State statute gives the council 30 days to make a replacement. If not, the tourism board is allowed to make a selection on the council’s behalf.
New tourism board attorney Patrick Lyp has indicated the board doesn’t intend to step on the council’s toes, Harper said. He promised to ask for an extension.
“There’s that slim possibility that if they get a wild hair that we could lose our appointment,” Harper said, but he doubts that will happen.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
