Cedar Lake’s new town council hires new town manager at first meeting of the year

Cedar Lake is starting the new year with a newly configured town council and a new town manager.

Officials did not renew the contract for former Town Manager Chris Salatas that expired Dec. 31, instead opting to hire a hometown candidate, Jeff Bunge. The move came after the council reorganized and added the action to the agenda.

New council members Greg Parker, a Republican who ran as an independent, Republicans Richard Thiel and Chuck Becker, and Democrat Mary Joan Dickson, who all ran on similar platforms, joined Republican Councilmen Nick Recupito and Robert Carnahan and Councilwoman Julie Rivera to form the new panel.

The four were seated after a contentious election season that saw a primary upset within the Republican Party. Rivera was the only incumbent Republican to win reelection. Recupito and Carnahan were not up for election.

Council members unanimously elected Recupito, president, and Parker, who formerly served three terms on the board, vice president, during their reorganization.

The four new council members ran on platforms of controlled growth, transparency and fiscal responsibility and come aboard following a contentious year of council meetings that saw the chambers packed to standing room only and several proposed high-density planned unit development projects deferred until the new year.

Salatas joined the town in February 2022 after serving as St. John’s town manager. Bunge has lived in Cedar Lake for 50 years and is a co-owner of True Value Hardware. He has served on the town’s Board of Zoning appeals for 26 years.

Salatas had the backing of the block of Republican council members who were not reelected.

His contract ended Dec. 31. His last day at work was Dec. 27, according to officials.

“We thought that was kind of going to be the case,” Parker said.

Parker said officials looked within the community for a replacement in selecting Bunge.

“We have a gentleman in the community who has a background in urban planning. He’s a homegrown business owner not connected to any political machinery,” Parker said to chuckles from the audience.

Recupito said he first met Bunge when he was appointed to the BZA.

“Working with Jeff got my feet wet with all this government stuff,” Recupito said. He described Bunge as a man of integrity and honesty.

Parker agreed.

“He knows an awful lot about this community and the people who live here,” Parker said.

The council approved hiring Bunge 6-1 effective Jan. 8, contingent on a contract being finalized.

Rivera voted against the hire but said it was no reflection on Bunge as a candidate.

Rivera said since the position just opened and there are new council members, it would be better to post the position and do four to six weeks of interviews.

Some in the gallery voiced their support for Bunge.

“I am very overwhelmed and happy to hear that,” Donna Corey said. She said she has known Bunge since high school and was happy to see the town manager was from the town after the last three came from St. John.

She said she hopes that somebody from Cedar Lake will be better for the town.

“We never got somebody from another area to come here and make a big difference in our town,” Corey said.

In another change, the council members said they plan to conduct public comment differently.

Recupito said the council would be changing the way it handles public comment. Currently residents have two opportunities to speak. They may speak on items on the agenda during the first public comment portion devoted specifically to the agenda, and then there is another opportunity for public comment at the end of the meeting that may be on any topic.

Moving forward there will still be two sessions, but residents can expect a response from town officials.

Carnahan said the town council would try to answer any questions presented to the best of their ability. If they are unable to answer a resident’s question, they will try and provide an answer at a later time.

“We’ll keep everything as civil as possible and have discussions with our neighbors,” Recupito said.

cnapoleon@chicagotribune.com