Two Porter Cove
residents will face off in the race for Porter Town Council Ward 3
representative in the upcoming town elections.
The Republican
incumbent Rob Pomeroy faces a challenge from a Democrat opponent, William
“Bill” Lopez.
Pomeroy, 54, works
as an IT systems analyst for Hewlett Packard at ArcelorMittal. He was first
elected to the Council in 2011 when the Town’s budget was in disarray and
although it’s not quite where it needs to be yet, he said, the Council
continues to make progress towards getting it balanced.
“We are not totally
out of the woods yet so we need to continue to make this a priority into the
next term. It’s something that takes time,” he said.
Past decisions
In an interview
with the Chesterton Tribune, Pomeroy said he stands by the many
decisions he’s made as a Councilman.
Pomeroy said he
cares about getting the roads fixed and resurfaced in town. He voted in
favor of the Redevelopment Commission’s decision earlier this year to bond
for $3.5 million for road improvements and a new public works building which
will keep revenues from the town’s tax increment finance district coming in
past 2025. The main roads should be fixed first, he said.
With those funds,
Pomeroy said he hopes the Town will be able to replace its older dump and
plow trucks.
Other decisions
Pomeroy supports is the Council’s decision to give Town employees raises of
3 percent next year since they have not been given one since 2012. “I think
our town employees all do a great job and work hard and should be rewarded,”
he said.
Recently, the
Council approved allowing dogs and other pets at Porter Beach west of the
State Street line while keeping the area to the east for humans only. He
believes that most dog owners are responsible for their pets and are
considerate of other beachgoers.
Focus on parks
Having lived in
Porter Cove for 19 years, Pomeroy said another priority for him will be to
replace the playground equipment at Kids Cove “It needs to be taken out for
safety reasons.”
Pomeroy said he has
heard residents complain that the Town seems to devote time and funds to one
park -- Hawthorne Park -- but he asserts “that is not true.” Recently there
have been efforts to raise money for equipment at both Kids Cove and
Hawthorne, such as the Wagner’s Ribs meal fundraiser and the Stash Dash with
Crazy Legs Race Series.
An advocate for
park activities, Pomeroy said he is excited to see the different trail
projects about to be finished such as Porter’s leg of the Dunes-Kankakee
Trail which is being paved now. Connections to the Porter Brickyard Trail
should be finished in the next two years and he hopes residents will start
using them.
One thing Pomeroy
would like to see is a memorial for Porter’s “fallen heroes.”
Parks are important
to the quality of life for residents, Pomeroy believes, and he commended the
parks department on their dedication to the town and for accomplishing
projects like the Tilden Memorial Garden at Hawthorne Park.
Public safety
Also enhancing
quality of life is safety, Pomeroy said, and the Town Council has supported
actions to protect residents and visitors. Pomeroy said he will continue to
vote for these types of improvements and in August voted to purchase a
flotation device launcher that can reach distressed swimmers at the beaches
about 70 yards out before rescue teams can reach them.
As for traffic on
U.S. 20, Pomeroy said he attended the recent meeting held by the Indiana
Department of Transpiration to widen the highway at the Waverly Rd.
intersection and is happy to hear plans for adding traffic lanes and traffic
lights.
He said he would
next like to see traffic lights at the Wagner Rd. intersection on U.S. 20.
Pomeroy said he
doesn’t have plans to make any policy changes to the Town Government.
Restaurant to boost
economy?
When asked his
thoughts on economic development, Pomeroy said he looks forward to the
reopening of the Spa Restaurant on Mineral Springs Rd. which has been
remodeled as a speakeasy like the ones out of the prohibition era. The place
should draw some visitors from outside of town, he said.
“I think having a
nice restaurant will add great economic value to the town,” he said.
Learning the ropes
In his own words,
Pomeroy said he would make the better candidate for this race due to his
experiences during his four years as a Council member. He has served as a
liaison for a different department each year, starting with Parks, then
Fire, Police and most recently Streets.
Having knowledge of
what town employees do on a daily basis gives you first-hand insight into
understanding their budgets and projects, Pomeroy said.
“In general, these
past four years have given me the experience of how town government is
executed and all the procedures to adhere to. Having this experience is
definitely an advantage in being an effective councilman,” he said.