The Porter County Council is set to make an appointment to the Indiana Dunes Tourism Board of Directors, and now the council wants to appoint two people to that board.
The council voted 5-1 on Tuesday to ask the county commissioners to reform the commission and approve the additional appointments. Chairman Mike Brickner (R-At-Large) was the lone dissenting vote. Councilman Andy Bozak (R-At-Large) was absent.
There were four applicants for the vacancy created by Mitch Peters’ resignation from the tourism board amid controversy over the sudden resignation of former tourism board executive director Lorelei Weimer and his payment of a $225,000 settlement to her.
The council voted against expelling Peters from the board.
The four candidates running to replace him were Republican 4th District City Councilman Andy Vasquez, Cameron Wilde, Ryan Peters and George Romero.
City Councilman Jeremy Rivas (D-2nd Ward) questioned why Vasquez applied.
“I think we want some involvement,” he said. If the council wants to appoint its own members, it should probably ask commissioners to rewrite the ordinance, he said.
Councilman Ronald “Red” Stone (R-1st District) suggested adding city council members as well as citizens.
“We also have liaisons who can be bridges of communication,” noted City Councilman Greg Sims, D-3rd Ward.
“Our liaisons were not good at communicating,” Stone said.
Stone said if he were a commissioner, there would have been reforms made to the commission.
“Public participation is crucial, especially in a case like this,” Rivas said.
“I think it’s important that these committees have public input,” said Councilwoman Sylvia Graham (D-Citywide).
While any council member can attend board meetings, Vazquez said being a member of the board will give them greater participation in the board’s direction.
“I was with the tourism board many years ago and we’ve come a long way in that time,” Graham said.
Rivas suggested asking the commissioners to allow the council chair or a representative to attend board meetings.
Council attorney Harold Harper said the six members of the tourism committee are required to have some industry experience, and if there was anyone on the council who was qualified and wanted the job, it was Vasquez, Stone said.
Vasquez, an organic farmer, is a member of the Duneland Chamber of Commerce and attends the Portage Farmers Market as well as two other markets in Lake County.
“I personally want to see this through,” Brickner said, “and I don’t know anyone who could serve more effectively than Rep. Vazquez.”
Graham responded that he believes it is important for citizens to be part of their government.
“I don’t disagree with that. I don’t disagree with that at all,” Brickner said.
“Whenever we had an issue involving the tourism bureau and its agencies, Mitch was there for us more than any other Porter County commissioner,” Rivas said.
Harper said he looked at both provincial law and city council bylaws regarding tourism commissions and saw nothing that would prevent council members from serving on the commission. “I think this is more of a political issue.”
State law gives the council 30 days to select a replacement candidate, and if the deadline passes, the tourism board can make the selection on the council’s behalf.
Harper said the tourism board’s new lawyer, Patrick Lip, had indicated the board was not interested in stalling parliament and had promised to seek an extension.
“There’s a small chance that if they do something trivial our appointments could be revoked,” Harper said, but he doubts that will happen.
Doug Ross is a Post-Tribune freelance reporter.
