Connersville, Fayette County officials chat about future

Fayette County Council President Mike Wenta led the discussion that included the council members, Connersville Mayor Harold Gordon, County Commissioners, City Council and City Board of Public Works and Safety.

All thought the meeting was timely and overdue.

"We sometimes think we're enemies but we all work in the same city and the same county," Gordon said. "We work together on the emergency medical services, the animal shelter and others. We need jobs and we all need to work towards that goal."

There will always be differences but animosity is not necessary, said Frank Jackson, commissioners' president.

Gabe Nobbe, City Council president, said the last city administration began the effort to address quality of life issues and that needs to continue. In the past year, the city added the Nickel Plate Trail and purchased land to relocate the Babe Ruth Complex and add a canoe launch.

"I believe there is tremendous potential by highlighting the great asset we have in the Whitewater River," he explained. "Right now, that asset, we kind of hide it. There is no public access to the river and when we add the canoe launch there will be public access. There can also be more trails to add to the quality of life."

Quality of life is important when attracting people to the community. People will drive to jobs but want to live where there is a good quality of life, he said. If the people come because of the quality of life, then other jobs will come because there will be talent already here.

He suggested using a portion of the non-tillable acreage of the county farm along the river for a trail extension from the Nickel Plate Trail to Roberts Park.

There are options for improved tourism in the downtown area where the Whitewater Valley Arts Association will open its gallery soon and Historic Connersville Inc. has discussed moving the museum to the area, Gordon said. That would give people coming to the Whitewater Valley Railroad something to do and maybe they will spend money in Connersville.

Board of Works Member Annette Riedman suggested meeting with owners of downtown properties about making improvements and working with potential entrepreneurs to get some core businesses in those vacant buildings. That would result in more opportunities for people coming to the railroad to spend money locally.

"We've got a great community, why not showcase it?" she said. "Sure we have our problems, we need jobs, but once the attitude changes, I think it will automatically change a lot of things."

Commissioner Zane Badore pointed out that often when a big project is suggested, the public comes out against it. The community has to be willing to make changes. The state will be more likely to help if the community changes its attitude.

Board of Works Member Tim Bentley said on the side of his full-time job he does some real estate work and has thought of starting a business. Many of the available properties are run down or overpriced.

Downtown parking is also a problem, Jackson added.

Outside walking malls are making a comeback and the downtown would be perfect for that with some added parking, Wenta said. The other thing the community has is history that is not being emphasized. Maybe a section of the Whitewater Canal could be reconstructed for tourists to see.

"The community has a ton of potential but you have to reinvent yourself," he said. "The days of Visteon with 3,500 jobs is probably long gone. I'd rather have 30 companies with 100 employees each because you lose one of those companies and you're not taking such a massive hit. We have to get the people together and it won't be us as governmental officials. We need to work together with HCI and others to bring out the gems in our city and show to the people in other communities."

In response to a call for a festival, Nobbe suggested using the Bicentennial Committee as an example and let the people lead. The government can help but not lead.

County Councilwoman Shirley Risch suggested creating small committees with members from each government body to work on these projects between the joint meetings.

"We've all been around these tables many times over the years and a lot of good ideas came out of them," she said. "But they've come and gone and now we need to bring them back."

It's time to market the community as safe where the trail can be walked safely and it's a low cost of living, she added. Walking would also help the overall health of the community.

Badore opened a concern for Park Road where there are also many open storefronts and more coming. It's dying and there needs to be an effort for that area as well.

"We have a lot of assets to sell and I sell it when I go on these sales meetings to New York and Chicago, Cleveland, Nashville and all these places," said Dan Parker, Economic Development Group director. "I'm selling the aquifer, the airport with it's 6,600 foot runway and landing system, taxiway, refurbished terminal. I sell the 2-3 million square feet of available space but every community is doing the same thing.

"The woes we have are temporary and will go away. The assets will remain. The good people who want good things to happen will remain. I work as hard as I can and also pray for good things to happen and the good things will happen."

A revitalization committee will be established with subcommittees.

Commissioner Leota King thanked the city for taking the step to purchase the land for the new ball fields and river launch because potential employers tell her they want good things for their employee's children.

She said the new Fayette County Women's Voices will be more than willing to work with the new committee because some are on committees that are similar in nature.

Representatives from the Fayette County Commissioners and Council addressed the issue of the distribution of the Economic Development Income Tax to try an dispel misunderstandings with that distribution.

"I know the city has an interpretation that the County Council just took the money from you but that couldn't be further from the truth," Mike Wenta, County Council president, told the city officials. "We're in dire straits and we're robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's either cut services or lay people off."

The Fayette County Government Center is both a county and city building and to keep it open, funds had to be found, he pointed out. There was no intent of short-changing the city but money was available and not something the county wanted to do. The council looks every year to get off that EDIT money for the courthouse operations because some day the money won't be there.

The county has opted to use some of that EDIT money to pay the utilities. The law says the money goes first to make the bond payments. Then the money is used for courthouse utilities and the remaining money is split between the city about 52 percent, the county about 48 percent and the town of Glenwood, a small percentage.

The EDIT was the funding mechanism to repair and expand the courthouse, County Commission President Frank Jackson said. There was a court order in place to make the facility handicap accessible.

Coming in the future, he said, a boiler in the courthouse needs to be replaced at an estimate of nearly $8,000. The air handlers at the jail need to be replaced eventually and they are original to the building which was constructed in 1989. One air handler blew up the other day. The total cost to replace all 12 is $46,000 and change.

For the 2015 Capital Improvement Plan, the distribution plan, the county received a total of $855,495 from the EDIT tax paid by residents. Of that, $170,000 went to the annual bond payment on the courthouse project. Then the county takes $367,000 for courthouse operating expenses and $50,000 for courthouses equipment and maintenance, for a total of $587,000.

That leaves $268,495 to distribute to the county, city and Glenwood. For the city, that number is $139,617.40; $128,617.40 to the county.Town of Glenwood planning received $2,000 within the county's funding.

The city and county use their moneys for economic development projects.

The city pays the bond on the Roberts Park swimming pool project and the county spends $8,000 for public transportation, $80,000 for its funding of EDG, $15,000 for regional economic development funding, $18,000 for community development contracts and $5,878 for economic development projects.

City Council President Gabe Nobbe explained the city's portion barely pays the bond payment on the pool, which is why the city has not been able to contribute to EDG. If the distribution from the county were larger, the city could help fund EDG.

Jackson promised to send the county the proposed 2016 Capital Improvement Plan to the city so they can view it and offer concerns.