With two absent council members at the July 27th, 2026 Valparaiso Council meeting there was still a majority of members so a quorum was present. The meeting went for an hour and fifteen minutes and began with a thirty minute presentation by the Human Relations Council (HRC). There were two ordinances on the agenda for the last city meeting in July. As always council began with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by roll call. Councilmembers Cotton and Reed were absent.
The HRC got the meeting started with a slide presentation on their newly adopted
strategic Plan. Last year the HRC was reconstituted by the Democratic majority council from a mayoral advisory council into the Human Relations Council that exists. All but one of the members resigned after this but the city council has appointed new members with one seat still vacant. The new members just had their sixth monthly meeting where they approved their Strategic Plan.
Councilman Jack Pupillo gave some pushback on the political neutrality of the HRC during the council’s response to the presentation. Pupillo began by reading from the HRC’s Strategic Plan where it says “The HRC will listen to all community members regardless of political affiliation, seek understanding rather than alienation, promote respectful dialogue.” He continued, “Yet the chair of the HRC has publicly referred to Trump supporters as traitors, collaborators, domestic enemies, and treasonous sheeple on social media.” Councilwoman Emilie Hunt, a nonvoting member of the HRC, tried to redirect away from the HRC chairman’s behavior by turning it back on Pupillo. Hunt asked Pupillo, “Have you experienced any way that you haven’t been treated fairly by this body?” Pupillo responded, “It’s not about me, it’s about the people.” The Mayor ended up gaveling the two of them as they debated the nuances of chilled political speech by government bodies like the HRC.
The first ordinance for the evening was Ordinance No. 11. 2026 up for second reading and final vote. This ordinance brought forth by Councilman Peter Anderson sets regulations for electric bicycle operation within city limits and specifically in the downtown area. There were some changes to the ordinance since it was last before council that came about through discussion within council and with the public. First change was the age limit for class 3 e-bikes was changed from 16 to 15 to align with state laws concerning mopeds, and 15 being the age teens can work. Next was changing the language concerning the downtown area from prohibited to dismount zone and changing the area called downtown. The downtown area is now considered Jefferson on the north to Indiana on the south and Morgan to Napoleon east to west. Riders will be required to dismount and walk their electric bicycles within this area. Safe behavior language was also added to the end of the ordinance and outlines unsafe prohibited behavior such as weaving through pedestrians or traffic and failing to yield where required. Ordinance No. 11 passed 4 to 1 with Councilwoman Barbara Domer being the sole no vote primarily for the ordinance not putting a speed limit on the e-bikes allowed to travel on sidewalks.
Next was the first reading of Ordinance No. 15, 2026 an ordinance appropriating funds in the Lane Mile direct distribution fund. This is state money of a little over one hundred thousand we are receiving from the gas tax distribution fund. This money will be placed in a separate city fund with restrictions on its use limited to road improvements. This ordinance was carried over to the next council meeting for second reading and final vote.
During council liaison reports Councilwoman Hunt highlighted the growing divide between the city council and the Valparaiso School Board that they appoint. Hunt, who is the school board liaison, began by describing a contract with the old superintendent McCall for consulting services at $3,000 a month whether or not he provides consulting services for the month. Hunt called out that the contract for the consulting services was executed before being approved by the school board. The school board has now added to their next meeting agenda an item concerning the role of the city council liaison and reconsideration of the contract with McCall. Hunt described how the school board has taken issue with her posting of publicly available information and concluded by saying. “My job is to represent them (constituents), not to make sure the board is comfortable. If the board doesn’t like the proximity of the council to them, I would gently remind them they have the power under state statute to separate themselves from us by becoming an elected board, something I would absolutely support.”
The Valparaiso Police Department has changed how they do National Night Out. It will now be held downtown Tuesday August 4th from 6 to 8pm at central park plaza. Come out and meet your Valpo police officers. There was one public comment at the end of the meeting by a gentleman who said in reference to the HRC. “Anytime we delineate humans into groups that have “special protections” we perpetuate classifying humans by their differences. Why are group relations deteriorating everywhere? Because the more we focus on our differences the greater they become.”
The next Valparaiso city council meeting will be August 10th at city hall 6:00pm.
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Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
