Mayor Goodnight addresses Kokomo's past and future in State of the City

The address, which was Goodnight’s eighth as Kokomo mayor, included references to Chrysler’s $266 million equipment investment, ongoing construction of the city’s new YMCA facility and the evolution of the historic train depot district.

Almost as significant was what the speech didn't address, however, as Goodnight chose to shy away from the city’s more controversial topics, including Kokomo Municipal Stadium and the curbside recycling program.

The event began with a short introduction by Common Council President Bob Hayes, who, along with the rest of the council, was praised extensively by Goodnight.

“I want to say that I truly believe each and every one of you has earned your place on this council,” Goodnight said. “You earned it through your integrity and your leadership.”

Following the speech, Hayes returned Goodnight’s compliments and discussed the strides the city has made during the mayor’s two terms.

“There are many cities that would give anything to have the budget that we have, the finances we have in reserve and all these projects that have been done,” Hayes said. “What I really found encouraging was him going back to the beginning of his administration and dreaming. Many people probably thought the mayor and the councilman were crazy, so I am amazed by the progress we have made in Kokomo.”

After Hayes’ introduction, Goodnight was greeted by a standing ovation.

Goodnight described Kokomo’s past and future economic investment opportunities, including those by a multitude of companies: Coan Engineering, Pastarrific Italian Restaurant, LA Auto Gear, and others.

“Back during the recession, we were hit as hard, if not harder, than any city in the Midwest,” Goodnight said after the address. “We had a lot of ground to catch up in a short amount of time, and I think we have done that.

“But are we content with where we are? I’m not,” he added.

Goodnight then asked audience members to take a step back and imagine how his speech would have been received five years earlier.

“By that point in my speech, there would have been a lot of strange looks and maybe even some nervous laughter,” Goodnight said to the audience. “But what if I had kept going? What if I had told you that in just a few short years, Kokomo would have a new four-story parking garage, with 35 apartment units on the fifth and sixth floors?”

Included in his list of previously unimaginable achievements was Kokomo’s current baseball stadium project. Goodnight moved briskly away from the topic, choosing not to address the stadium’s myriad controversies.

“This is a State of the City, the entire city,” Goodnight said following the speech. “I thought it was important to talk about everything, and I’m trying to get people to understand the bigger challenges facing us.”

Hayes, who has spoken previously about local partisanship, defended Goodnight’s decision not to address the issue.

“I think that might have been because of the litigation, and I would have been hesitant to talk too much about it,” Hayes said. “In my opinion, I think the baseball stadium will get resolved.”

Goodnight eventually moved on to the topic of quality of place, which he said is an ongoing challenge for a community with a high number of daily commuters.

“Make no mistake, just holding onto our current residents is not enough,” Goodnight said. “When we make decisions, we must think about our current residents, but we must also think about our future residents.”

Goodnight went on to discuss Kokomo’s evolution away from the “status quo,” which he said many are content to live within.

“That’s why everything we do, from economic development, to blight removal, to infrastructure, to parks and recreation, to public transit, must be aimed at making Kokomo a great place to live.”