Valparaiso council approves changes to Human Relations Council, overriding mayor’s objections

The Valparaiso Common Council adopted Ordinance 8-20-25, revising the structure and name of the city’s Human Relations Council, after a 5-2 roll call vote. The ordinance shifts appointment authority to a split model — six members appointed by the council and three by the mayor — and removes the word “advisory” from the council’s formal title.

Supporters said the changes increase the body’s public visibility and ensure broader representation. “We're here for our second and final reading of the changes to the Human Relations Council,” Councilwoman Hunt said in presenting the ordinance, adding that the proposal “introduces a more balanced structure with appointments made by both the city council and the mayor. 6 by the council, 3 by the mayor.”

Hunt said removing “advisory” signals that the council should be “recognized as a public facing body that serves as a bridge between residents and your city government,” and argued the split appointments provide checks and balances that protect the council from political fluctuation.

Mayor Costas spoke against the measure, urging caution about changing the relationship between the executive branch and the council. “The council essentially enacts ordinances, and it has fiscal oversight. Mayor is in charge the mayor's office is in charge of the delivery of all city services overseeing 400 employees, and essentially the daily operations,” the mayor said, arguing the existing advisory relationship helped the mayor’s office address day-to-day service delivery and minority issues directly.

Other council members offered differing perspectives: some said the change encourages collaboration across branches and preserves the council’s long-term function, while at least two members voiced concerns that the council-led appointments could undermine the mayor’s ability to use the Human Relations Council as an advisory resource tied to city operations.

On the roll call, the clerk recorded the following votes: Patton — Yes; Domer — Yes; Papillo — No; Anderson — No; Capitan — Yes; Hunt — Yes; Reed — Yes; Cotton — Yes. President Capitan announced, “Ordinance number 8 passes with a 5 to 2 vote.”

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance 14-20-25: Capacity fee, Damon Run area — Passed 7-0. Miss Poulos presented the amendment to the capacity fee for all new connections in the Damon Run area; the fee will increase from $2,700 to $4,909. Under the adopted structure, the City of Portage receives $4,000 of the new fee and the balance goes to Valparaiso City Utilities. The council closed the public hearing and approved the ordinance by roll call.

- Ordinance 15-20-25: Ethics code housekeeping — Passed 7-0. The council approved code updates to ensure five state-related code sections are reflected in the city’s municipal code. The sections restored to the published code were described by staff as relating to official misconduct, bribery, ghost employment, conflicts of interest, and profiteering from public services; the amendments were presented as a clarification to match the original 2006 ordinance text.

- Ordinance 16-20-25: Vacation of platted alley between Erie and Chestnut streets — Carried over to next meeting. The council opened a public hearing on a petition to vacate a platted alley adjacent to 254 and 256 Erie Street. Planning staff reported no record of a prior vacation in city or county archives, and utility locates (Valparaiso City Utilities and NIPSCO) reported no utilities running through the alley. The Planning Commission recommended vacating the alley and the Board of Public Works forwarded a 3-0 recommendation to the council. Petitioner names on file include Lehi Lane and Jerry and Patricia Deutsch; the Litke Trust (property owner) provided written permission to proceed. Staff noted the alley as platted at 16.5 feet wide, meaning each adjacent landowner would receive half if vacated; staff also said one demolished house encroached about 1.5 feet into the platted alley. The council voted to carry the ordinance over to the next meeting for further consideration.

Why it matters

The Human Relations Council ordinance changes alter how members will be selected and how the body is formally characterized. Supporters framed the changes as a way to broaden representation and raise the council’s public profile; opponents, including the mayor, warned of blurring functional lines between the executive and legislative branches on matters tied to city service delivery. The other ordinances passed with routine votes, while the alley vacation was advanced procedurally for additional review after public testimony and staff reports.

What’s next

Ordinance 8-20-25 takes effect according to the municipal adoption rules described in the ordinance language. The alley-vacation item (Ordinance 16-20-25) will return to council at a future meeting after the required procedural steps. The water and utilities board indicated further study is forthcoming on water-supply options and capacity fees that may inform future utility rate or service decisions.

Ending note

Council members and staff said they expect additional public outreach and potential future adjustments to processes tied to newly structured boards and commissions, including how tasks are assigned to the Human Relations Council and how appointments will be coordinated between the mayor’s office and the council.