Mayor Thallemer Gives State Of The City Address
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Thallemer, who is going into his third year as mayor, said the council prioritized six strategic goals in 2012 for the elected officials during their four-year term of service.
The presentation was aired live on WIOE and will be available for the next two weeks on the radio station’s homepage, http://wioe.com/site/
The first goal is growth management. Thallemer said the city started working on updating its comprehensive plan in 2013. The preliminary version of the plan was presented last week to Warsaw Plan Commission.
The plan will guide land use and transportation planning and give clarity and consistency to growth and planning for the next 5 years. The plan will be adopted this spring.
The city also completed a Ball State Visioning Charette last summer to allow citizens and community partners to look at areas in the city and imagine how they might look different in the future.
The next step is to create sustainable projects from those ideas, Thallemer said. The city will apply for the 2015 Stellar Communities initiative that involves a housing, transportation and economic development focus. Funding is awarded through the program to two communities each year to make improvements.
Strategic goal two is business retention and expansion. The city continues to use abatements and tax increment financing to facilitate business retention and expansion. The expansion of Winona PVD using TIF District financing is an example of the beneficial use of business personal property tax, Thallemer said.
Industry partners rely on collaboration with education partners to develop and advance workforce development initiatives to strengthen the unskilled, skilled and professional pool of employees locally, he said.
“We must continue to train our best and brightest to support our world-class companies right here in Warsaw,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said the city supports the work of OrthoWorx to create an orthopedic specialty hospital with an emphasis on research and education in Warsaw.
The third strategic goal is business attraction. Thallemer said the development of the Warsaw Tech Park is an agreement reached between the city and West Hill Development LLC in October that created a blueprint for land acquisition, infrastructure development and facility construction.
By May 1, the road and infrastructure to service four industrial sites behind Ivy Tech will be completed. By the end of this year, a 50,000-plus-square-foot shell spec building will be ready to market.
Thallemer said the city’s trail system is continuing to progress. This year, Winona Avenue from Argonne Road to Smith Street and up McKinley Street to Krebs Trailhead Park will be completed. This is a collaborative project with Winona Lake.
Another project slated for this year is bridge reconstruction with the addition of a pedestrian lane on CR 300N near Madison School.
The fourth strategic goal is the downtown. Last year the city completed work on the plaza as well as the OrthoWorx-funded remodeling and occupancy of the third floor of City Hall. First Friday and Farmers Market continues to bring activity to the district, Thallemer said.
This summer, the city will display temporary bronze sculptures in the downtown that promotes arts in the community.
The fifth goal is communication and process and Thallemer encouraged residents to attend city meetings.
The sixth goal is neighborhood revitalization. This year Warsaw Housing Authority and Housing Opportunities of Warsaw will continue to make available programs for owner-occupied housing improvements.
This year the city will initiate a rental registration program designed to identify the city’s rental housing inventory and, pending current state legislation, eventually develop a rental inspection program.
Thallemer said the city also will continue to combat the issue of meth in the county.
“Our officers are better trained, better equipped and are better assisted to handle illegal purchase and meth lab detection,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said the Husky Trail road improvement project will begin with engineering and right-of-way acquisition this year. Construction is expected in the second half of 2015.
In closing, Thallemer, acknowledged the 2013 passing of two individuals who served the city, David Beall, former Warsaw Municipal Airport manager, and Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan, former local architect.
Thallemer said the city council has worked hard to pass a budget that meets the needs of the community, but is mindful of the downtrend in funding. He said the city will continue to manage growth, protect assets, improve livability, collaborate to maintain a viable workforce and keep neighborhoods strong.[[In-content Ad]]
Thallemer, who is going into his third year as mayor, said the council prioritized six strategic goals in 2012 for the elected officials during their four-year term of service.
The presentation was aired live on WIOE and will be available for the next two weeks on the radio station’s homepage, http://wioe.com/site/
The first goal is growth management. Thallemer said the city started working on updating its comprehensive plan in 2013. The preliminary version of the plan was presented last week to Warsaw Plan Commission.
The plan will guide land use and transportation planning and give clarity and consistency to growth and planning for the next 5 years. The plan will be adopted this spring.
The city also completed a Ball State Visioning Charette last summer to allow citizens and community partners to look at areas in the city and imagine how they might look different in the future.
The next step is to create sustainable projects from those ideas, Thallemer said. The city will apply for the 2015 Stellar Communities initiative that involves a housing, transportation and economic development focus. Funding is awarded through the program to two communities each year to make improvements.
Strategic goal two is business retention and expansion. The city continues to use abatements and tax increment financing to facilitate business retention and expansion. The expansion of Winona PVD using TIF District financing is an example of the beneficial use of business personal property tax, Thallemer said.
Industry partners rely on collaboration with education partners to develop and advance workforce development initiatives to strengthen the unskilled, skilled and professional pool of employees locally, he said.
“We must continue to train our best and brightest to support our world-class companies right here in Warsaw,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said the city supports the work of OrthoWorx to create an orthopedic specialty hospital with an emphasis on research and education in Warsaw.
The third strategic goal is business attraction. Thallemer said the development of the Warsaw Tech Park is an agreement reached between the city and West Hill Development LLC in October that created a blueprint for land acquisition, infrastructure development and facility construction.
By May 1, the road and infrastructure to service four industrial sites behind Ivy Tech will be completed. By the end of this year, a 50,000-plus-square-foot shell spec building will be ready to market.
Thallemer said the city’s trail system is continuing to progress. This year, Winona Avenue from Argonne Road to Smith Street and up McKinley Street to Krebs Trailhead Park will be completed. This is a collaborative project with Winona Lake.
Another project slated for this year is bridge reconstruction with the addition of a pedestrian lane on CR 300N near Madison School.
The fourth strategic goal is the downtown. Last year the city completed work on the plaza as well as the OrthoWorx-funded remodeling and occupancy of the third floor of City Hall. First Friday and Farmers Market continues to bring activity to the district, Thallemer said.
This summer, the city will display temporary bronze sculptures in the downtown that promotes arts in the community.
The fifth goal is communication and process and Thallemer encouraged residents to attend city meetings.
The sixth goal is neighborhood revitalization. This year Warsaw Housing Authority and Housing Opportunities of Warsaw will continue to make available programs for owner-occupied housing improvements.
This year the city will initiate a rental registration program designed to identify the city’s rental housing inventory and, pending current state legislation, eventually develop a rental inspection program.
Thallemer said the city also will continue to combat the issue of meth in the county.
“Our officers are better trained, better equipped and are better assisted to handle illegal purchase and meth lab detection,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said the Husky Trail road improvement project will begin with engineering and right-of-way acquisition this year. Construction is expected in the second half of 2015.
In closing, Thallemer, acknowledged the 2013 passing of two individuals who served the city, David Beall, former Warsaw Municipal Airport manager, and Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan, former local architect.
Thallemer said the city council has worked hard to pass a budget that meets the needs of the community, but is mindful of the downtrend in funding. He said the city will continue to manage growth, protect assets, improve livability, collaborate to maintain a viable workforce and keep neighborhoods strong.[[In-content Ad]]
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