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2010 STATE OF THE CITY

JANUARY 13, 2010

 

Good afternoon, thank you for taking time out of your day to attend and thank you to the Chamber for sponsoring this important event. 2010 presents a special opportunity to help our community because of the 2010 Complete Count Census. The census is important for many reasons and to have every one counted is even more important. The reason the 2010 Census is an important issue for our community is because it determines a lot to things;

·        It will determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives,

·        It also will use the totals to determine how the Indiana Legislature redraws (gerrymanders) its legislative districts.

·        The totals also affect funding for our community, approximately $300 billion in federal funding comes to communities like ours and that amount is dictated by the numbers produced by the Census

·        The Census numbers are also used to track how our community is changing demographically and numerically.

 

All information concerning the census is completely confidential under penalty of large fines and imprisonment. An accurate count imperative, a complete count committee has already been established and chaired by Assistant Planner Arin Shaver Census questionnaires will be sent out during February and March and Census Day is April 1st this census has 10 questions and will take 10 minutes to complete. If you are interested in getting involved in the complete count committee please contact Arin at the planning department.
 
Over the past year we have been working hard on projects that we believe are making a difference in the future of our community. We have worked with the Logansport Municipal Utilities and received a grant for $600,000 to upgrade the storm water runoff on Yorktown Road; we have also received a $500,000 grant to do work on 4th street between E Melbourne and High Street that will continue our vision for the downtown business district, enhance the farmers market area and work well with our downtown strategic plan. We are working closely with the county on upgrading Chase Road according to traffic counts nearly 4,000 vehicles a day use that road and I believe that number will increase with the completion of the new Wal-Mart, the city and county share responsibilities for Chase Road and will continue to work together on enhancing the safety for the traveling public. The 18th street project is funded with reimbursable dollars from the federal government with the $350,000 we plan to is investigate the possibility of eliminating a hazardous railroad crossing and improving connectivity between the Hoosier Heartland Industrial Corridor to the middle of town and just as important is connecting the northern side of the county to where we hope we can establish another economic development area next to Ivy Tech.
 
Finally 419 E Market Street received over $60,000 of RECAP money (state funding) to improve the interior of that building and undoubtedly make the property more marketable.
 
The new 154,111 square foot Super Wal-Mart in under construction and progressing well. The completion of the Super Wal-Mart will attract new shoppers to Logansport and other parts of Cass County giving us more opportunities to show off our community. However, the development in that area must be considered not only to protect those citizens that have invested in homes around the area, but also for downtown development and future development around the Ivy Tech campus. In the calendar year 2009, during one of the largest downturns in the economy in decades of American history, inside the limits of the city of Logansport there has been $15,933,931 worth of commercial and residential investment, the majority of course being the Wal-Mart project. 
 
The Hoosier Heartland Industrial Corridor (HHIC) is well on its way to becoming a reality. Governor Daniels has fulfilled his promise, so far, to make the Hoosier Heartland Industrial Corridor a priority and a reality. The completion of the HHIC will, I believe, offer the communities along the corridor a better opportunity to grow business. We are, because where we are positioned, about ½ way between Indianapolis and South Bend and our proximity FT. Wayne and Lafayette puts us in a good location to be a supplier to larger manufacturers in those communities.
 
The Logansport Cass County Airport Authority has completed another piece of the puzzle that is making Logansport and Cass County a player in the 21st Century. The completion of the 5,001foot runway is a major mile stone for the future of this community. Now larger corporate jets will be able to safely land and take off in Cass County which is important for the retention of existing business and gives us the ability to attract more new business. I believe that if the cost of commercial flying continues to rise and the hassles of waiting in long lines and dealing with inspections, will make smaller airports like ours more attractive for those who can afford to fly privately. With the availability of the new runaway small 8 to 10 seat commercial planes will be attracted to our airport. Something surrounding communities cannot offer.
 
Today on the south-side of Logansport we have a new Ivy Tech Campus that has been open for just a few days. Do you realize that just 6 short years ago Logansport was not even on the Ivy Tech capital improvement program and because of support both city and county councils, the Cass County commissioners and Logansport Municipal Utilities, even more importantly local business and private citizens, showed their support and stepped up to the plate and contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars more to the Ivy Tech Foundation by purchasing classrooms and other instructional space at the college. We now have an 81,000 square foot campus which will foster economic development for this area for years to come?
 
Our goal now for Ivy Tech should be to expand that existing campus as soon as possible and the way to show the need for expansion is to fill it to capacity and according to Ivy Tech officials we are fast approaching that goal. If we are going to retain existing business, the workforce of this community, must continually re-educate themselves, to give the companies they presently work for the opportunity to expand into other areas of development, if we are to attract new business we must recognize that an educated workforce is essential not only for us individually, but it will make our community more appealing for the future of this great place we call home. Tomorrow's workforce must have the ability of solve more complex and challenging problems in a shorter period of time. Ivy Tech will be able to continually educate our existing and future workforce and give them the opportunity to fulfill their individual dreams. We cannot depend on our children and grandchildren to accomplish this workforce transformation we must lay the ground work for them starting today and instill in our youth the importance of continually educating themselves. The best way to do that is through example every union; every business should encourage their membership and employees to return to school by offering incentives to attend Ivy Tech and graduate with a degree.
 
We were honored this past summer with a visit from the Honorable Hideyo Shimizu mayor of Mibu Town, Japan and a delegation of Japanese business and civic leaders further enhancing our efforts toward a sister city relationship in Japan.
 
I believe we must expand our foreign marketing effort to other countries. The state of Indiana believes it-----they continue to court foreign businesses to Indiana from around the world and I believe Logansport should be one of those communities, standing alongside the governor, as a leader in marketing our community ahead of those communities not willing to spend the resources and time needed. How quickly will these marketing trips pay off is uncertain. What is certain if we are not involved they may not happen at all?
 
On January 18th I am invited to attend a meeting in Chicago with the Consulate General of China along with 6 other mayors from around Indiana. The Chinese are very interested in the Midwestern part of the United States and especially Indiana because of the governor's recent marketing trips there. The Logansport community must take advantage of these types of economic development opportunities, the cities that do will undoubtedly grow, and the communities that don't will suffer because of their complacency. No matter who is leading our community, in the future, we must make sure that our leadership is willing to continue and expand those foreign marketing opportunities.  One form of economic development that is rarely mentioned is the number of adult and youth sports activities that are held in Logansport and Cass County each year. Athletic events that take place at A.I.M. sports complex (like national qualifiers in softball) and Fairview Park with the Ohio Valley youth league baseball tournaments and the AAU events bring revenue and visitors into our community that normally wouldn't be here. We must not forget the many volunteers that also bring us the Arts Festival, the Taste of Cass County and the Light up Logansport Parade. They all do a tremendous service to our community with little recognition. We owe a debt of gratitude to those organizations and many volunteers that donate the hours needed to make events like that happen. I would like to read a quote from the man known as the Lion of the Senate, the late Ted Kennedy. "Citizenship is far more than just voting every two or four years. The strength and genius of our democracy depends on the caring and involvement of our people." If anyone here has ever been involved in any of the events I mentioned please stand. I think we should give ourselves a round of applause.
 
Not everything in 2009 has been rosy we have lost two businesses over the course of 2009 Modine (approximately 200 employees) and most recently Carlisle (nearly 120 employees). Because of lower assessed values and the proposed property tax caps the amount of money the City used to receive has shrunk significantly making it more challenging to manage the city.
 
The combined dispatch has had some difficulties getting off the ground we must realize this was a tremendous step, for everyone involved, it was put together in one year, and it will take some time maybe 2 or 3 years before it works as we know it should, we must make every effort to make combined dispatch work because it is the right thing for our community.
 
We are looking at a new era in local government whether we like it or not to think that other consolidations will not be mandated in the future because of funding short falls may not be realistic. We have many great opportunities available to us as a community and we must take advantage of each and every one of those opportunities. We (Logansport and Cass County) have seen challenges many throughout our 172 years of history we have weathered the economic storms like the one we currently face, we have survived floods, fire, world wars, and the depression of the 1930's.
 
Faith and work ethic. We will, as a community become stronger because of this economic storm we now battle, we will, as a community become greater because of adversities we now face, but we, the leadership, must realize the truth in this quote from WWII veteran and United States Senator Bob Dole, when he said "when it's all over, it's not who you were. It's whether you made a difference!" We the leadership, must know we can make a difference if we are not blinded by the fear of uncertainty or the anxiety of change we must know in our hearts we are standing on the front line of the future, the battles will be difficult, the challenges may be monumental but we will win those battles because we are Logansport, we conquer those monumental challenges because we are Cass County and more importantly, we will succeed because we are a community. If the smallest of us fall short of our goals then we all suffer.
 
 Controversy is not bad if something positive comes from it. As leaders we must all keep an open mind concerning our communities' ability to grow and prosper. The ability to work together IS essential and we must realize we all struggle everyday with the uncertainty of the future, because our past struggles are still clear in our minds, therefore we must work harder to fulfill  the promises we know we must keep to the people who elected us. It is not just our job---it is our obligation---to our present day citizens and to the future generations that will live, work and raise a family in Cass County and Logansport.  The leadership cannot make this happen on their own it will take involvement from every citizen it will take understanding from the community as a whole. We must realize and adhere to the belief that CAN'T IS NOT AN OPTION.
 
This past year has been a difficult at times, and at other times I have enjoyed a great deal of satisfaction with the accomplishments we have made more importantly it has been a learning experience I thank God every day for the opportunity you have given me to serve as mayor, to be here and talk with you today, and I look forward to coming again next year and celebrate with you the trials and the accomplishments of 2010.
 
May you all have a joyous and profitable 2010 and may God smile upon you and yours with peace and happiness.
 
Thank you.