2016 will be a busy year for the City of Warsaw Redevelopment Commission, City Planner Jeremy Skinner told the board at its Monday evening meeting. But before Skinner went into an overview of the upcoming year’s projects, board members were sworn in by Mayor Joe Thallemer and had to elect the commission’s president and vice president. Tim Meyer was unanimously selected as president, with Rick Snodgrass as vice president. Other commission members include George Clemens, Jeff Grose, Mike Klondaris and non-voting member Curt Hermann as the Warsaw School Board’s representative. In nominating Meyer as president, Snodgrass said, “Tim is one of the most experienced members on the commission. He’s had personal experience with TIF bonds through Medtronics. I think he’s the most qualified person we have at the moment.” Snodgrass was the vice president in 2015 for the commission but took over the duties of president after Charlie Smith’s death in an airplane crash in October. Clemens nominated Snodgrass to serve again as vice president in 2016, saying, “Echoing the same words that he said about Tim – his longtime experience and commitment to this commission merits him that.” In presenting his overview of 2016, Skinner said, “Obviously, this being the beginning of the year, we have a lot of projects that we’re going to be doing this year.” The biggest project for the upcoming year for the Redevelopment Commission will be the Buffalo Street project, he said. “We did the bond issue last year.” The engineering work for Buffalo Street is underway now and began about a couple of weeks ago. “With Fort Wayne being one of the winners of the Regional Cities (Initiative), we’re going to be packaging our project to send to them for some additional funding to help support that project,” Skinner said. Other projects the Redevelopment Commission will continue to work on, he said, include phase two of the Technology Park, Husky Trail and the roundabout, CR 300N and the bridge out there, and demolition of at least part of the old Gatke Manufacturing building. Thallemer told the Commission, “It’s exciting on this first day of many of our new, or second terms to lay a lot of these projects out. A lot of these are just foundational from the first term. I think a lot of us chose to run again knowing that it takes more than four years to get a lot of this stuff done. “I’m very excited about the leadership that was shown in the past, and I’m most excited about a new Redevelopment Commission to put some new twists to these ideas,” he continued. Thallemer said he received some news Monday that the Buffalo Street project could potentially fit into the Northeast Regional Cities Initiative. “It’s been on the project list, but the fact that the project is ready to roll – the infrastructure portion will go to bid about midsummer ... so having that project at that point in the timeline aligns us with the needs and desires of the (Regional Development Authority) to have projects ready to roll. Of course, we’ll have to spend a lot of time and work to convince them that it’s the appropriate project, but we’re in a good position to make that pitch.” He said that’s all going to happen pretty quick as the RDA moves ahead. “It’s hard to know the exact details because there’s still funding that needs appropriated by the legislature to finish out the monies that were promised to the three regions. But assuming that that goes through, the RDA is ready to move, they’re ready to fund these projects. We’re keeping our fingers crossed,” Thallemer said. The Buffalo Street project has been in the works for some time, he said, and the city is very proud of it. “The project is going to happen with or without it, but it sure would be nice to dovetail it with funding from Regional Cities, so we’re just in a great position to do that,” Thallemer said. “It’s just a great first day in office.” Klondaris asked if Thallemer knew when that funding would come available. “No. That’s the problem. It’s been awarded. We feel like it’s money that will be available. But, they moved pretty fast on the process when they made the Regional Cities Initiative competitive. All of a sudden there were things that we needed to do that we had a very short time (on) because it moved so fast. There’s potential this funding could move that fast as well. But I think we’re in a good position to be involved and I couldn’t be prouder we’re to that point,” Thallemer said. On Wednesday, he said all the city department heads will sit down together to coordinate the city’s projects, and there will be some strategic planning with the common council. “We’re setting our focus for the next four years and the Redevelopment Commission is a huge part of that. Has been and continues to be with the projects and the Regional Cities. It’s just a great time to be on the Redevelopment Commission, it really is,” Thallemer concluded. Skinner added, “We’ve got a lot of projects coming up. I’m excited.” The board Monday also approved the minutes of the Dec. 7 meeting and the claims, including: Troyer Group, $605; Clevenger Insurance, $500; Medtronic Bond Payment, $113,600; Indiana Economic Development Association Foundation, $250; Regions Bank Bond – Warsaw Commons, $60,309.38; Huntington National Bank, PVD #1 for $140,141.25, PVD #2 for $22,685 and PVD #3 for $7,485; and Troy Reith Appraisal Service, $400. The time of the commission’s meetings for 2016 will move from 1 to 4 p.m. on the first Monday of every month, with the exception of July and September because of holidays. The July meeting will be at 4 p.m. July 11, and the September meeting will be at 4 p.m. Sept. 12.
