Valparaiso council approves ordinance changing Human Relations Council appointments, 5-2

The Valparaiso Common Council on Tuesday adopted Ordinance 8-20-25, a revision to the Valparaiso Municipal Code that changes how members of the Human Relations Council (HRC) are appointed and removes the word "advisory" from the body's name. The measure passed on a second and final reading by a 5-2 roll call vote.

The ordinance revises Valparaiso Municipal Code sections 38.01, 38.02, 38.03 and 38.04 to allocate appointment authority for the HRC so that six members are appointed by the council and three are appointed by the mayor. Proponents said the split will broaden representation and make the HRC more publicly visible. "The revised ordinance introduces a more balanced structure with appointments made by both the city council and the mayor," Councilwoman Hunt said during the discussion.

Council President Capitan framed the change as a durability measure and argued the name change signals a public-facing role rather than a purely advisory one. "You don't lose one iota of your…