By KEVIN NEVERS

The Chesterton Town Council does not want to see the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau gobble up the Porter County Convention, Recreation, and Visitors Commission (PCCRVC) in a proposed merger of the two bodies.

At its meeting Monday night, members voted 4-0 to adopt a resolution in support of the continued independence of the PCCRVC. Member Emerson DeLaney, R-5th, was not in attendance.

“Whereas,” that resolution reads, “he PCCRVC is the official agency for destination marketing, planning, and development and is a key economic driver of sustainable tourism growth within Porter County;

“Whereas the PCCRVC has successfully marketed and promoted the unique venues and attractions of Porter County since its inception in 1984;

“Whereas the PCCRVC has actively and effectively participated in regional visitor marketing and promotion through membership in the Northern Indiana Tourism Development Commission and by identifying partnering opportunities for collaborative efforts with other visitor bureaus;

“Whereas the PCCRVC has developed a comprehensive strategic plan for further destination development and marketing of Porter County as a destination through effective utilization of the Porter County innkeepers tax revenue;

“Whereas the proposal to merge the PCCRVC with the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau would be detrimental to effective regional development of the visitor and tourism industry and would deny PCCRVC the opportunity to focus marketing and promotional efforts on the unique venues and attractions of Porter County;

“Therefore, be it resolved by the Chesterton Town Council that the PCCRVC should be and is hereby encouraged to resist merger with the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau and to continue its effective marketing and promotion of unique venues and attractions of Porter County while seeking partnership opportunities for collaborative efforts with other visitor bureaus to promote regional efforts at advancing the visitor and tourism industry.”

Floating Holiday

In other business, members agreed by consensus—with Member Dave Cincoski, R-3rd, an employee of the Chesterton Police Department, abstaining—to take under advisement a proposal to add a “floating holiday” to the list of authorized 2008 holidays, in lieu of a raise this year for municipal employees.

Clerk-Treasurer Gayle Polakow-ski said that the floating holiday has been proposed because some employees remain unhappy with the council’s decision, made last summer, not to grant a raise due to fiscal uncertainty. “This would be a morale booster since many of the employees feel slighted that they didn’t receive raises and that other communities gave raises for 2008.”

President Jim Ton, R-3rd, noted that the idea last summer had been to postpone any enactment of a raise for 2008 unless and until budgetary matters clarified. At the moment they haven’t, he said. “I don’t believe in giving raises for anticipated funds. . . . But I have not given up on the hope that we may come up with the money yet.”

“We did agree to leave health insurance as it is,” Ton added. “And that’s a real deal for employees.”

Federal Funds

Town Engineer Mark O’Dell told the council that he and Economic Development Coordinator Dwayne Williams are currently working on submitting to the office of U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-1st, an application for federal funding for FY 2009. Those applications are due Feb. 5. Visclosky annually invites municipalities to seek earmarks for sewer and water projects, transportation, flood control, agriculture, crime fighting, education and health, and infrastructure.

League of Councils

The Porter County League of Councils will meet at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 9. Its agenda includes the following items which are or have been hot-button issues for the Chesterton Town Council: a 2008 tax outlook for the Porter County Auditor, Assessor, and Treasurer; and a discussion about the equity of incorporated residents’ paying twice for the services of Porter County Animal Control, the first time in their property taxes, the second time in the annual fee which Animal Control charges a municipality.

No one from the Chesterton Town Council attended the last League of Councils meeting.

Be Patient

Cincoski took a moment at the end of the meeting to ask residents to be patient when it comes to things like leaf and brush collection and other municipal services. “Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate,” he said, so when the leaves decide to fall two weeks late and put the Street Department’s schedule out of whack—or when it snows—or when torrential rains cause flooding—be patient.

“Our department heads do a very good job of prioritizing what they have to do,” Cincoski said. “But our staffs are overworked. I see it every day.”

Cincoski noted that he was responding specifically to a resident who called him to complain.

Posted 1/15/2008