All open seats on Town of Chesterton municipal boards have been filled by their incumbents.

At a special meeting Monday evening, the Town Council and President Nick Walding, R-3rd, re-appointed all of the incumbents whose terms will expire on Dec. 31.

•On the Plan Commission: George Stone and Fred Owens. Terms expire Dec. 31, 2016.

•On the Park Board: Vince Emanuele. Term expires Dec. 31, 2016.

•On the Utility Service Board: John Schnadenberg and Scot McCord. The former’s term expires Dec. 31, 2015; the latter’s, Dec. 31, 2014.

•On the Police Commission: Craig Stafford. Term expires Dec. 31, 2015.

•On the Stormwater Management Board: Thomas Kopko. Term expires Dec. 31, 2016.

•On the Tree Board: Pat Carlisle. Term expires Dec. 31, 2015.

•On the Tax Abatement Advisory Committee: Rick Hokanson, Dave Adkins, Dane Lafata, Phoebe Jane House, and Clerk-Treasurer Gayle Polakowski. Terms expire Dec. 31, 2013.

•On the Redevelopment Commission: Paul Tharp, Edward Schoenfelt, and Council members Jeff Trout, R-2nd, Sharon Darnell, D-4th, Jim Ton, R-1st. Terms expire Dec. 31, 2013.

The council also reinvigorated the town’s Economic Development Commission—defunct for something like 30 years—by appointing Trout and Walding to the body. The council also nominated Darnell, whose appointment to the commission is in the hands of the Porter County Commissioners.

After the special meeting, Town Attorney Chuck Lukmann told the Chesterton Tribune that economic development commissions—provided for under state law—were very popular in the 1970s and into the 1980s, then faded from the scene.

Now they’re making a municipal comeback, Lukmann said. What they are empowered to do is this: authorize tax-exempt financing status to businesses, which in turn allows banks to loan those businesses money at a couple of points below the regular market interest rate.

Lukmann emphasized that the municipalities themselves are in no way on the hook for the loans. “Economic development commissions are very viable and valuable economic development tools,” he said.

Meanwhile, members unanimously voted Member Emerson DeLaney, R-5th, to the 2013 presidency and Darnell to the vice-presidency.

Liaisons for 2013: Street Department, Walding; Police and Fire, DeLaney; Parks and Utility, Darnell; Stormwater, Building, and Engineering, Trout; the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Ton.

Posted 11/27/2012