By CANDY NEAL
cneal@dcherald.com

HUNTINBURG — Mayor Steve Schwinghamer has added two more members to the Huntingburg Board of Public Works and Safety.

Neil Elkins and Dustin Schmett will join Schwinghamer, Kerry Blessinger and Keith Souders on the board in February.

Schwinghamer decided to add the extra members to have more viewpoints on the board.

“By adding the two extra members, you get more discussion, more ideas and can have better discussions,” he said. “There are more different ideas. It's always nice to get different viewpoints about things, to make sure we are doing the right thing.”

“Three is a small number to have on a board,” Schwinghamer said. “Five just seems to be a better number.”

He also wanted to be able to have one-on-one conversations with board members as needed. That can’t be done if the board has only three members.

“If I wanted to discuss something with a member one on one, I’d have to do it in a public meeting because two people make a quorum,” he said.

Schwinghamer announced the appointments at Tuesday’s Huntingburg Common Council meeting and at Thursday’s public works board meeting. Elkins’ and Schmett’s terms will run until the end of Schwinghamer’s term, which is Dec. 31, 2023

The mayor made other appointments to various boards. Those are:

• Economic Development Commission: Lorena Gonzalez, three years.

• Housing Authority: Neil Elkins, four-year term, and Jody Welborn, three years.

• Market Master Committee: Sarah Flamion, Jenna Gogel, Sandra Kays, Paul Lake and Rachel Steckler, one-year terms.

• Park Board: Abby Fink, four years.

• Plan Commission: Mike Fulkerson, three years.

• Redevelopment Commission: Angelica Cruz, Daniel Bartelt and Helen Camacho, one-year terms.

• Revolving Loan Committee: Kevin Buechler, John Mundy, Steve Ripstra, Ken Schnaus and Nick Stevens, one-year terms.

• Tree Committee: Phil Ahrens, two years.

• Utility Rate Advisory Board: Gene Thewes, four years.

• Dubois County Airport Authority: Jay Maxey, three years. Maxey is completing Courtney Schwartz’s term; Schwartz is now on the Southwest Dubois School Board.

• Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission: Paul Lake, one-year term.

The Huntingburg Common Council also made board appointments. They include:

• Redevelopment Commission: Jayme Rasche and Nick Stevens, one-year terms

• Tree Committee: Heather Tretter, two-year term.