The Porter County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday named their 2010 appointees to act on various boards and committees.

The commissioners first announced they are keeping the same officers from this past year with Robert Harper, D-Center, president and fellow commissioner John Evans, R-North, vice-president. Commissioner Carole Knoblock, D-South, will retain her role as commissioner secretary.

Harper will serve as the commissioner appointee for the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, the Porter County Plan Commission, the Center of Workforce Innovations, and the Emergency Advisory Council. Knoblock will stay on the Drainage Board. Evans is the appointee for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, the Community Corrections board, the Child Protection Team, and the Gary/Chicago Airport board.

The commissioners also made appointments to two boards. Those appointments were Russell Pumroy to the Kankakee River Basin Commission and County Clerk Pamela Fish to the Common Wage Construction Rate Committee.

The commissioners also reappointed Don Cirrincione to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Donna Werner and Elizabeth Forbes were both selected for four-year terms on the Porter County Board of Health. Harvey Nix will be the new appointee to the Drainage Board along with reappointed member Russel Pumroy.

Larry Klemz, who is being reappointed, Dennis Norman and Dennis Seramur will serve one-year terms on the Jail Museum Advisory Board. Ruth Jarnecke will stay on as the Porter County Parks and Recreation appointee. Tim Cole and Richard Burns will stay on with the Porter County Plan Commission. Lynn Ross and Ed Campbell will be the commissioners’ two appointees to the Porter County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals.

Evans named his appointee to the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitors Commission, Republican Jeff Good. Evans said he was considering reappointing incumbent David Canright as his appointee but said he wanted to give the Democrat nomination to the Porter County Council. The council ended up tabling its decision on Tuesday after considering Canright with two other nominees, Candace Shawn and Donna Werner.

Two new spots have opened on the Porter County Redevelopment Commission after the commissioners agreed to expand the board from five to seven members last month. Mike Bucko and Jonathan Nallie will fill those seats.

Diana Kasmoski and Anton Waitrus will both be on the West Porter Township Fire District board. The six appointments to the Wildlife Management Advisory Board were Dr. Jenny Shebesh, Robert Gregg, Robert Hemlich, Glenn Wiles, Mark Scales and Mary Ann Zona-Gregg.

The Porter County Plan Commission is making progress in an effort to alleviate drainage problems countywide.

The commissioners gave their approval to initiate a Request for Proposal to receive bids for aerial photography and topography to assist with the drainage study. Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson said the commissioners needed to make their approval quickly under recommendation of Drainage Board President Dave Burrus, who said March would be the best time to take the photographs before the trees begin to leaf.

The bid proposal will be advertised in local newspapers and will also be available at the Porter County Auditor’s Office. Thompson said DLZ Indiana will be assisting them with the proposal.

Porter County Surveyor Kevin Breitzke after the meeting said the cost for aerial topography has “dropped significantly” over the past 10 years from being more than $1 million to now being in the range of $500,000 to $600,000 due to the advancement and the efficiency of the LIDAR technology.

He also said detail is better resolved where the grid of the pictures works in one-foot contours comparable to ten-foot contours previously. The resolution will allow the drainage board to see around manmade structures like bridges and railroads where the board will be able to view watershed lines they had trouble seeing before.

“It gives us a snapshot in time,” said Breitzke.

In a similar matter, Breitzke spoke to the commissioners about using funds to continue work on drainage projects at Lakeside Meadows subdivision in Valparaiso. The commissioners approved using $20,277 leftover from a CEDIT fund that went to a separate project fixing inadequate drainage at Fairview subdivision at the CR 325E and Division Road intersection in Morgan Township.

The course is set for the 16th Annual “Ringing In Spring” 5k run on the morning of Saturday, April 3.

Race Director Mike Jones received approval from the commissioners for his proposed route. Jones said the race will start at the new Valparaiso Family YMCA and will make its way around Walden subdivision north of Valparaiso down Oak Grove Drive back to the YMCA.

He said the course is the same as the previous year and that he has already coordinated it with the Porter County Sherriff’s Office.

Jones also said that 1,200 runners have signed up for the event, roughly the same as last year.

The proceeds from the race will go to benefit the Valparaiso Family YMCA.

Posted 1/6/2010