Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Look around virtually anywhere in the city of Warsaw, and you'll find the impact of Jeff Plank.
In his 13 years as mayor, Plank and his administration have overseen more progress for the city than any other single administration.
The list of accomplishments include major capital improvement projects such as the City-County Athletic Complex, Central Park and the Senior Opportunity Center. But for every visible project there's an equal number of programs and policies that have had just as much effect.
An aggressive list of projects began to take shape soon after Plank took office in 1983, with the most striking and visible results often associated with roads and recreation.
A sense of accomplishment no doubt swept over the mayor on Sept. 13, 1995, when Plank gathered in the new Central Park with other city officials and contractors to commemorate the new four-lane highway on North Detroit Street.
Those projects, along with the CCAC, developed throughout his 13 years in office and brought about numerous headaches.
"It was a day of relief," Plank recalled Friday following his announcement that he will resign in a few weeks.
Many of the accomplishments were part of a domino effect as the city's landscape continued to develop over the past dozen years.
From the outset of his election in 1983, Plank made clear his desire to move the softball fields from Center Lake. At first, he proposed the two diamonds be shifted to the fairgrounds, but eventually, with the use of almost all private dollars, he led a huge plan to develop the City-County Athletic Complex west of town.
Plank spearheaded the long-sought demolition of the old Freshman High School and the construction of Zimmer's world headquarters where the old school was located.
By creating a then-controversial tax incremental finance district, the city recouped tax revenues from the Zimmer project to finance the sprawling Central Park and surrounding infrastructure improvements. The park, which includes a plaza and two performing stages, is now the focal point for many of the city's festivals and musical programs.
Aside from Central Park, Plank was a strong supporter of other parks. He authorized, with park board support, several neighborhood parks that included new playground equipment. He also led efforts to construct Kiddieland at Center Lake. Almost all of those park improvements were financed with revenues from the state cigarette tax.
Plank also set the stage for demolition of the old Murphy Medical Building on Winona Avenue. The city received rights to the property and then traded it to a contractor who promised to tear down the giant cement structure which had sat dormant for years. Soon Afterward, the property was sold to Marsh Supermarkets which then constructed its new store.
Under Plank, the city also worked to correct a dozen storm drainage problems that had lingered for years, began a long-range street improvement program and expanded sewer service to protect the three lakes that fall within city limits.
But most likely his crowning achievement has been his ability to keep annual budgets consistently under the state's frozen levy. And beyond that, the administration annually returned thousands of unspent departmental dollars that were, in turn, used in the following year's budget.
Another quiet success story involved the airport where the city took over much of the control from the private sector 10 years ago. The airport now funds its entire budget on revenues, mostly from fuel sales, and is considered self sufficient.
Plank also put into place programs that have become traditions in the city. Those include:
4 A revolving loan program organized through The Warsaw Community Development Corp to revitalize and enhance the downtown business district.
4 Yard Waste Recycling, a program recognized by the state in which residential leaves and brush are collected and then offered back to residents in the form of compost.
4 Dial-A-Truck Program in which residents could rid their homes of major appliances and trash and load it into a city truck over the course of a day or two.
4 A sidewalk rehabilitation program in which the city and homeowners share the cost.
