The Porter County Board of Commissioners named psychologist Kim Brunt to the Porter County Board of Health Tuesday morning by a 2-to1 vote. Brunt was appointed to the post after the recent resignation of neurosurgeon Ron Michael.
It was the second appointment to the Board of Health in two weeks, following the ouster of Jessica Jepsen for remarks she made on social media regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, and the subsequent resignation of Michael. When replacing Jepsen two of the three commissioners chose not to make an appointment from among a list of five candidates provided by the Board of Health.
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Commissioners Vice President Barb Regnitz, R-Center, had nominated family practice physician Christopher Osan, and he was voted in with the support of Commissioners President Jim Biggs, R-North. Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, voted against Osan’s appointment, instead wanting to pull from the provided list of five.
Tuesday she got her wish after her nomination of Brunt. “Kim Brunt would fit our needs the most right now,” Blaney said, explaining that the county’s focus on mental health would be better served by having a mental health professional on the Board of Health. Brunt is an associate professor at Purdue Northwest and raised her family in Chesterton.
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Regnitz said she had a candidate she wanted to put forth. “Can I ask, are you willing to nominate Laura’s nomination?” Biggs asked her.
“I have a nomination,” she replied.
“Well, I’ll be the bad guy here,” Biggs said.
Regnitz said the board already has three physicians. “I think it is important to have another voice on the board who is not in the clinical environment,” she said before nominating Tom Gooding, a naval veteran and commercial pilot, whom Regnitz valued for his experience in negotiating.
“It’s a good problem to have, to have two good candidates,” Blaney said. “Actually, five.”
“The board would be happy with any of them,” said Health Department Director Carrie Gschwind. Blaney and Biggs voted for Brunt’s appointment and Regnitz against.
In other business, the commissioners unanimously voted to appoint Porter County Engineer Michael Novotney as interim director of Development & Storm Water Management.
“Thank you for the opportunity. Looking forward to the opportunity and looking forward to carrying on the legacy that Bob left us,” Novotney said of former director Bob Thompson, who resigned effective Sept. 29 after criticism he facilitated the crafting of the county’s first solar ordinance that was beneficial to energy giant NextEra Energy. Thompson later rejected NextEra’s application.
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Scott Cherry of Skillman Corporation, which is overseeing the county’s three big building projects — the renovation of the Memorial Opera House, the renovation of the Porter County Jail, and construction of a new highway garage — gave an update on those projects.
The MOH renovation consists of two bid packages: one for masonry and roofing, which are slated for completion by mid-December, and one for auditorium seating and possibly windows, which will be bid in early 2024.
Regnitz said that the production of Guys and Dolls had been canceled, as well as all events for summer, giving a four- to five-month window for construction.
A kickoff meeting for the jail project was held Sept. 21 to develop a preliminary scope and budget. This project will also be broken into two bids, one for the roof and other long-lead items that will be bid in June 2024, and the other bid in November or December for the remaining items.
A detailed kickoff meeting was held Oct. 5 for the highway garage and bidding is expected in May 2024.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Porter County commissioners approve new health board member 2-1
