Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Burns Harbor RDC rehires 4 staffers and reviews consultants

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By PAULENE POPARAD

Burns Harbor Redevelopment Commission administrator Joseph Rurode said it’s been a traveling road show lately, meeting with regional leaders and maintaining open lines of communication with potential master developers while also working on the RDC’s communication strategy once a development consultant is hired.

“We’re looking forward to turning the corner what comes next,” he told the RDC on Thursday.

Rurode later said he spoke with a friend across the country and his jaw dropped when he heard the names of the firms responding to the town’s request for consultants to devise a plan to implement the town’s 2009 master plan.

Ruroade said after the meeting that there’s no specific timetable when a master developer will be chosen. “It’s a matter of doing it the right way.”

Eleven lead firms using a total of 30 subsidiary firms have submitted proposals. Deadline for the submissions originally was Oct. 20 but was extended twice to eventually Nov. 25. The RDC has met several times since then in closed executive session reviewing the proposals, which may contain confidential trade secrets or sensitive financial information.

Thursday’s special meeting, which was followed by an RDC executive session, took the place of the scheduled Dec. 30 monthly meeting, which has been canceled.

In other business, the RDC voted unanimously to extend its current contract with four staff members through March 31, 2015. The four were hired in September through the balance of this year.

Retained with the same compensation and contract termination clause were Danielle Ziulkowski as communications manager for $2,000 per month; Tina Rongers of Karnerblue as a grants developer for not to exceed $18,000 based on $100 per hour; Rurode as RDC administrator for $5,000 per month; and Stu Summers as RDC coordinator for $120 per hour not to exceed 15 hours per week.

The RDC does not use a recording secretary; member Jeff Freeze does the minutes.

RDC member Cliff Fleming said Walter Cook Insurance Agency with offices in Merrillville and Valparaiso has assumed operation of the Frain Insurance business at 311 Melton Rd. Fleming said he has encouraged the new agency to keep the business in Burns Harbor, either at the current site or in another location.

Also Thursday, the RDC agreed to send the Duneland School Board a letter requesting that Ralph Ayres, a School Board member, be retained as its appointment to the RDC.

 

Posted 12/15/2014

 
 
 
 

 

 

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