Mayor Lloyd Winnecke 2015 State of the City of Evansville Address

Fellow Rotarians, special guests & citizens of Evansville. Thank you for this annual opportunity to speak

about the status of our great city.

As your Mayor, I stand before you……to proudly report…..that the state of our city is strong. It is without a doubt that Evansville is a community that is energized, passionate and engaged.

There are many ways to evaluate any government entity, and two of the most traditional are economic development and financial strength.

Looking at the past 3 years, our city is strong in job creation with over 24-hundred full-time jobs created and retained in a wide range of industries. Our economic development team is unyielding, working deals daily as the city competes with other communities across the country.

Last year, the city was successful in efforts to land the Haier America Research and Development Center. Haier is the world’s largest manufacturer of appliances, and chose Evansville for its first U.S. Product Tech Center.

The initial $5 million investment and 50 jobs is also a symbolic victory for our city, which has a storied history in appliance manufacturing.

The fact that so many displaced Whirlpool product engineers STILL live in Evansville was one of the key selling points to Haier.

Mead Johnson Nutritionals is celebrating its 100th year in our city and the multi-million dollar expansion this year of its infant formula production sends a message that Evansville and Mead Johnson will be important partners for years to come.

After a year of courting Fisher Dynamics, our city was selected as the site of its new manufacturing facility to build and assemble front seat components for the automobile industry. The company will hire 169 employees and pay average wages of $19.61 an hour.

Whether it’s a start-up like Envolve Engineering, or a major expansion at Berry Plastics, the Growth Alliance and Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana continue to produce solid results.

In addition, companies like Escalade Sports and Boots Manufacturing have also expanded by reinvesting in their companies.

Along the economic development lines, I frequently hear about the need for additional air service out of Evansville. I’d like to give a shout out to Airport Manager Doug Joest and Marketing Director Diana Page for their efforts in answering that need.

Last fall, U-S Airways began three daily flights to Charlotte. From Charlotte, U-S Airways flies to 120 destinations.

And just two weeks ago, we announced that United Airlines is coming to Evansville this June, adding three daily flights to Chicago. The United Airlines addition creates 79 new destinations for Evansville fliers through O’Hare.

These new travel options will greatly enhance our job attraction and retention efforts, while also offering many new options for vacation goers. The estimated annual economic impact of these additions is in the millions of dollars.

The city’s financial situation is another standard measurement to review.

There is no doubt that property tax caps have forced local governments across the state to examine their efficiency and spending, and Evansville is no different.
We live within the budgets approved by the Common Council. In fact, we spent approximately $5 million less than budgeted last year.

Even with declines in revenue as a result of the tax caps, city government continues to operate, make smart reductions when needed, all while making strategic investments in city services and infrastructure and delivering the kind of city government that sets Evansville apart.

Following the city’s extensive conversion of its accounting software system, Evansville has achieved consecutive clean audit opinions from the State Board of Accounts, reaffirming confidence in our financial management. Further evidence that our city is fiscally strong comes straight from the opinions of Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, both of which have reaffirmed our bond ratings.

The agencies say we have “adequate to good cash reserves,” and “a large and diverse employment and income tax base,” which are reasons why the city has the capacity to take on major projects. Whether it is commercial and retail growth, or the renewed interest in the urban core, our city is strong with development.

At the State of Real Estate a couple weeks ago, it was reassuring to hear of expansions throughout the city, coupled with the prediction of growth in all commercial sectors in 2015.

Our urban core has the benefit of having a Tax Increment Financing District, also known as a TIF. The public financing method does not increase property taxes, but rather reallocates funds from property taxes to encourage investment within the district.

The downtown TIF has enabled the city to take on projects such as the convention hotel and medical school campus, which is why we are pursuing a new downtown master plan, the city’s first since 2001.

We believe it is our duty to serve, to the best of our ability, not only the day to day demands of operations and logistics of the city of Evansville, but to preserve our heritage and look to the future, to ensure our children and grandchildren can be proud of their city.

A downtown that is vibrant, that welcomes business and commerce and provides local culture, education and entertainment, is at the very core for creating real growth that can be sustained over time.

To that end, this administration is working tirelessly to ensure our downtown continues to build on its vibrancy. The downtown hotel and the medical school campus are at the heart of our strategic planning.

The hotel, particularly, has been met with challenges involving geotechnical conditions, extended community discussion over funding and overall cost associated with construction. However, we are committed to the process and have continually fought to move this project forward, to find alternative ways to accomplish our goals for downtown.

There are few American cities of our size, which do not have a convention hotel in their downtown. This administration understands the importance of delivering such an asset to this great City and we will not relent in efforts to get it done.

When the Indiana University Board of Trustees discussed the location of the new medical school campus, it was clear that our city enjoys a positive reputation from all over the state.

This unique project is designed to address a statewide need… access to, and improving the quality of healthcare in Indiana. When the legislative sessions ends in late April, the final size of the project will be determined with the approval of a new state budget. In my personal conversations with Governor Pence and leaders in both chambers, it is clear that this project enjoys wide support.

Last week, Congressman Larry Bucshon and I had meetings with leadership in both the House and Senate making our case that the final state budget includes not only the graduate medical educational component, but also the University of Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech pieces as well. It is clear that legislators agree this project an important step in creating a statewide solution to build a pipeline of healthcare professionals ready to live and work in Indiana – and of course, we want them to stay in Evansville once they complete their degrees.

This project is turning heads in a positive way all over Indiana thanks to its partnerships. On one hand, you have Indiana University, the University of Southern Indiana, the University of Evansville and Ivy Tech working together on the campus front. But you also have Deaconess Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Memorial Hospital in Jasper and Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes coming together to create robust residency programs.
This is where doctors do their training. And we know that seven in ten doctors stay in the communities in which they do their training.

It’s hard to describe the true level of momentum this project enjoys. And it’s because of the hard work of so many people in our city. But two stand out in my mind. Dr. Steve Becker, the school’s Dean. And Pat Shoulders, a member of the IU Board of Trustees. Dr. Becker has been in the middle of building all of the partnerships. And Pat has been an outstanding champion for this project.

There’s also an obvious huge economic benefit to our city. Just think of how an influx of all of those students and faculty will help our urban core. Since the announcement, not a week goes by that I don’t hear about someone’s plan/need/desire to expand in, move to or speculate on downtown.

I was the commencement speaker for the Signature School last May. I told the graduates to take pictures of Downtown Evansville, because when they return for their five and ten year reunions, they will not recognize it. Our downtown is on the launching pad.

The development opportunities are growing, but without a clean city — streets, sidewalks and neighborhoods — our efforts are hindered.

I know that our city is strong with pride because of the incredible partnership we enjoy with Keep Evansville Beautiful and Republic Waste Services. Our Clean Evansville initiative has picked up 80,000 pounds of trash in the past three years. Over 5,000 volunteers have come out with us on the first Saturday of each month to pick up trash. We have scout troops, church groups, civic groups — like Rotary — neighborhood associations; we have families who just want to pitch in. It’s a great feeling!

Perhaps there is no greater symbol of community pride than the LST 325. It was the passion and support from our citizens that helped convince the board to renew its contract with the city. The board is comprised of a bunch of great, dedicated people. Let’s send a message to board members affirming their decision. I challenge everyone here today to take it upon themselves to visit the LST. Take your family. Encourage a school field trip. Go with your fellow Rotarians.

If our efforts to convince the Legislature of land-based gaming are successful, the LST could have a new, more prominent home on our riverfront.

Tropicana has been a great community partner, and its investment in Evansville will continue to further our tourism industry.

The potential combination of a new convention hotel, a land based casino with the brand new softball complex, new features at Mesker Park Zoo, as well as the recent expansions of both Willard Library and the Museum of Arts, History and Science are all elements to make our city a strong destination.

Thanks to Bob Warren and his team, the $16.5 million dollar (fully funded by the innkeeper tax) softball complex is scheduled for opening in late May and already has 21 of the available 23 dates booked for 2015.

The complex is projected to draw 180-thousand-to-200-thousand new visitors annually, generating $13 million-to-$16 million annually to our economy. Ladies and gentleman, that represents brand new investment and business to our city.

No doubt that quality of life is also an important measurement of a city.

Last year, we were able to announce the gracious pledge by Rotary to help fund the Rotary Centennial Wetland at the future Roberts Park. Those efforts continue and we are finding additional ways to keep this project going.

I’m pleased to announce that on Arbor Day, April 24th, the city will be planting over 200 trees around the perimeter of Roberts Park. This effort is being spearheaded by Josh Crull and Tom Guggenheim who have started a fundraising effort. The donation will be kept in a new fund at the Parks Foundation, where anyone can donate to have a tree planted at Roberts Park.

In addition, the Parks Department is working with local running groups to mark temporary trails on the site, until funding is in place to move forward with Phase 1 infrastructure of Roberts Park.

I was further inspired over the past week by the response from the simple request asking citizens to share why they believe our city is strong.

These photographs, comments and posts are the reasons from you on why Evansville is a strong city and is moving forward.

One of my personal reasons I believe Evansville is a strong city is the network of family and friends in our community. I’d like to take a moment to recognize my family network that is in Evansville. Joining me today is my wife Carol, one of your newest Rotarians. Carol is a true partner with me in this great journey. She is amazingly supportive. She also hates trash more than anyone I know! My parents, Ralph and Shirley, are both here today. Just two weeks ago they celebrated their 85th and 80th birthdays respectively. At last count, they had 315 birthday cards that came to the house.

So, how does our city remain strong?

It starts first with everyone in this room and every resident or worker in this community. Remaining optimistic, working hard, thinking outside the box and promoting the positives about our city.

Local government must listen to its citizens and find solutions to problems. In 2014 alone, the city held more than 100 public meetings to share information and seek public feedback and comments.

Through those public meetings, citizen concern system, and visioning sessions, our city is strong in citizen engagement.

More than four thousand people have participated in our city wide visioning sessions, known as VOICE. These engaged citizens have created projects and events reaching more than thirty five thousand people! Simply amazing.

Special thanks to Lynn Miller Pease and the entire Leadership Evansville organization for their partnership on the VOICE initiative.

Knowing the city can act and provide assistance is extremely rewarding, whether it is filling a pothole or developing a process to assist low income homeowners with repairs of utility lines.

And if the city cannot help, I want to know about it.

There is a tremendous amount of positive energy in this room; however, it is incumbent on all of us to continue striving to strengthen our city by ensuring open and accountable government.

This week, residents will have immediate access to comprehensive information on the roughly 60 city, county and joint boards and commissions.

My office partnered with City Clerk Laura Windhorst and the County Commissioners’ office to create a new board and commission online portal. The website shows the complete list of boards and commissions and allows residents to apply online and provides meeting details and contact information.

Additionally, this new technology allows the city and county to stream and archive board and commissions meetings. Residents can watch meetings online and the web portal gives anyone access to agendas and documents being discussed at these public meetings.

On a parallel path, the city will be revamping its website this year with a completely new and improved citizen concern tool.

In addition to enhancing access to information and providing engagement opportunities, the city should fully understand the financial ramifications of all ordinances before final adoption.

In the coming days, I will ask the Common Council to consider requiring a Fiscal Impact Statement for every proposed ordinance presented for vote.
The purpose of this simple ordinance is to better understand the cost, if any, of a proposed ordinance.

Local government exists to serve the people of Evansville, and in order to do so effectively, the residents of the City must have confidence and trust in the integrity of their government.

Through our community conversations discussing crime in our neighborhoods, residents are speaking up about the availability of jobs. As a result, we are working to strengthen our city by redefining economic development.

Even with a historically low unemployment rate, our friends at WorkOne are still struggling to fill more than four-thousand job openings right here in Southwest Indiana in the manufacturing, health care and automotive sectors.

The availability of good paying jobs…and the need to fill existing vacancies….has led to a new partnership between the City of Evansville and WorkOne.

Starting March 6th, and continuing each Friday, WorkOne Southwest Indiana job openings and hiring events will be posted throughout the Civic Center and promoted on Facebook and Twitter. These jobs will range from bank tellers to plant supervisors and managers…from radiologist and dental assistants to child care workers and clerical assistants.

The jobs may be with private companies, nonprofits or governmental agencies.
What we’re mostly talking about are the fastest growing, high-wage jobs of the future. And as they say…the future is now.

One thing we have learned through our monthly Traveling City Hall meetings and the Community Conversations that began last summer…..most people want to work. They want to work. And they want a job with a decent wage.

So…there are lots of good paying jobs out there…and people want to work.
The disconnect is that many of the workers lack the skills employers demand today.
That’s a reason our partnership with WorkOne will also focus on training opportunities, so we can train our workforce for the demand of highly skilled positions.

Tomorrow night, for the February Traveling City Hall Community Conversations program, participants will not only discuss the available jobs, but also the skills required to get on the pathway to those jobs. The meeting is at the EVSC Career and Tech Center.

We’ll have representatives from WorkOne, the Career and Tech Center, Ivy Tech’s School of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology and the City of Evansville all sharing information on hot jobs with higher wages, building a skill and training for adult workers, interviewing techniques and work ethics.

The presentations begin at 5:30 p.m., and there will be an opportunity to talk one-on-one with the job professionals and tour the Career and Tech Center. We plan to repeat the program in March at a location on the eastside.
By addressing this skills disconnect, we are redefining our economic development to meet the needs of current employers and our citizens looking for work.

While jobs are available and the pathway to employment exists, that does not mean that crime will be eliminated from our city.

That is why we are strengthening our city with our continued commitment to public safety.

The Mayor’s No Meth Task Force has taken a pro-active role in public education and advocacy in the fight against meth.

Our role is to educate the public on the social, economic and health related costs to the use of meth.

The Meth Suppression Unit, the city/county Narcotics Joint Task Force and Prosecutor’s Office deserve our collective thanks for their role in helping to reduce meth labs by 50% last year over 2013.

The decrease in meth labs is allowing police to also focus on traditional drug interdiction. Those efforts recently led to the arrests of dozens of suspects on state and federal charges. It also led to the seizure of more than 70 pounds of crystal meth and numerous firearms.

The Evansville Police Department Gang Task Force has also been a crucial partner in efforts to strategically prevent acts of violence and solve crimes involving illegal guns.

Although we are only two months into the new year, law enforcement has taken 72 illegally possessed firearms off the streets of Evansville.

It is critical to provide the necessary resources to all of our public safety employees to ensure their safety and enable them to respond accordingly.

Whether it is technology like Shot Spotter or a Quint (like the one shown here at Station 8) for the Fire Department, it is our obligation and duty to keep our residents safe.

We expect the best from our police officers and firefighters 100% of the time… when they are dealing with individuals usually in extraordinarily stressful times. Let’s continue to stand with them in unified support.

If you’ve driven your vehicle, or ridden your bike, on Oak Hill Road, Evansville’s first complete street, you know what a pleasure it is. And we cannot stop there. You have my pledge to continue strengthening our city by improving infrastructure.

The full cloverleaf interchange project at the Lloyd Expressway and US 41 is on schedule and expected to be open to traffic by September of this year. As one of the busiest interchanges in the state, it has been a headache and your patience is appreciated. However, when complete, it will be more functional, safer and have 2 fewer lights on the Lloyd Expressway.

To the east of the interchange, two new pedestrian bridges will also be complete by this fall. The closest bridge will connect the Greenway to the City’s first complete street…Oak Hill Road. The crossing at Vann Avenue will connect the athletic fields at the Evansville State Hospital Grounds with the future Roberts Park.

Last spring, the City of Evansville, along with the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization, began working on a city-wide Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity Master Plan.

This plan will be complete in the next few months and will outline a long-term vision based on public feedback of how Evansville can become more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. The intent of the plan is to create connections throughout the city – connections between neighborhoods, schools, parks, shopping centers and work places – to provide residents with active transportation options and create a better quality of life.
More than 1,000 residents have provided input throughout the planning process.

Bicycle and pedestrian improvements have been proven to positively impact community health, safety and economic prosperity in cities nationwide.

This plan will provide a road map for Evansville to become a City where bicycling is a safe, comfortable, and convenient travel option for users of all ages and abilities.
One of those critical connections will encompass the Jacobsville area, specifically the North Main Street corridor.

Several years ago residents of Jacobsville, located just north of the Lloyd Expressway, undertook an exercise of self-examination, spearheaded by ECHO Housing. This process took years, many meetings and conversations, planning and just plain hard work.

The result was a quality of life plan and 2 new groups: The Jacobsville Community Corporation (mainly business stakeholders) and the Jacobsville Join In (for residents).

One of those big ideas was a complete renovation of the historic North Main Street commercial district, featuring Evansville’s first protected bike lanes, expanded sidewalks, new lighting and a host of other features, to help bring new life to this neighborhood.

Last week, the Evansville Redevelopment Commission gave its blessing to the North Main Streetscape project, using funds from the Jacobsville TIF to bring new vitality to the commercial corridor, which will attract new private investment, new small businesses and new residents to this area.

According to an economic impact study released last week, it is evident that ongoing impacts will build upon one another, compounding gains and proliferating economic stimulus all along the retail commercial and residential corridor. The total economic impact by the end of a six year period is estimated at $12.4 million.

The Jacobsville Neighborhood Association is part of the larger United Neighborhoods of Evansville, comprised of over 40 neighborhoods throughout the city, who serve as the “eyes and ears” of the community. They share the pulse of the city and let us know where problems exist. UNOE is a critical component of Evansville’s success.

Clearing blight and revitalizing neighborhoods is fundamental to strengthening our city.

Common complaints to city hall involve trash in alley ways, high weeds, rodents, and unsafe residential structures that have been abandoned. Code Enforcement and the Building Commission work hard every day to address these very serious concerns however, it all comes at a price; as properties revolve on a seemingly endless cycle of tax sales and further abandonment.

Since 2012, the city has demolished 506 structures and cleared trash from countless properties….which equates to a savings of about $743,000 a year to the city due to demolition of these blighted structures.

In 2014, the city was fortunate to be a recipient of $2.3 million in funds through the state’s Blight Elimination Program.

And tonight at the CK Newsome Center, a public hearing regarding the second round of the Blight Elimination Program will be held beginning at 6 o’clock.

Since June 1st the Evansville Brownfields Corporation and the Department of Metropolitan Development have undertaken a concerted effort to revitalize the Haynie’s Corner commercial corridor.

The DMD has concentrated portions of our Federal allocation of Block Grant monies into strategic investments in new and existing small businesses and in infrastructure improvements for this area. Successful results to revitalize this important historic and economically challenged neighborhood are evident in numerous ways.

An investment of roughly $450,000 of our HUD Federal economic development dollars has resulted in $1.7 million in private investment including: An expanded Bokeh Lounge, two new restaurants…Sauced and soon the Dapper Pig.

A request for proposals will be issued shortly for a new mixed use development where the former warehouse/drug store building was recently demolished. In addition, 14 new apartments in the historic Maybelle and Montrose buildings will bring new residents to this flourishing area. Infrastructure improvements include a much needed 44 space public parking lot near the historic Alhambra Theater will begin construction in April.

Building on the success of Haynie’s Corner and the Blight Elimination Program, the city has engaged the services of the Center for Community Progress. This is the foremost non-profit authority in the country, dedicated to rebuilding blighted neighborhoods.
They begin work in late March to help the city and neighborhoods outline a systematic approach to curtail property abandonment and vacancy, eliminate blighted structures in our neighborhoods and encourage reinvestment.

We anticipate that this will be the springboard to full city-wide land banking through the Evansville Brownfields Corp., which has proven to be an extremely effective approach in the center city.

All of these efforts, initiatives, and strategic long term investments are focused towards strengthening our city. One strategic investment by the state is Interstate 69. Yes, the trip to Bloomington is much better, and the trip to Indianapolis will get even better in the years to come.

I’d like to recognize my colleague from Henderson, Kentucky, Mayor Steve Austin.

Together with the Bridge Link coalition, our advocacy for the future Interstate 69 bridges is steadfast and gaining traction in Indianapolis and Frankfort. The Indiana Department of Transportation is currently working on a statewide transportation funding outline. In that report, INDOT is conducting a tolling study for the Interstate 69 bridge project and should be completed later this summer.

While a massive bridge project or interchange are obvious projects, the improvement of the city’s water and sewer infrastructure is an unseen challenge that must be addressed.

Keep in mind that 1,000 miles of waterlines exist underground with more than 600 miles of cast iron with an average age of 90+ years.

Since 2012, the city’s water lines have experienced over 1,000 breaks with 500 occurring in 2014.

With the unprecedented water main breaks, the water side of the utility has invested heavily in these breaks, as well as full replacements of lines that are part of a refresher program. Upgrades in Howell and on Kratzville Road totaled over $1.5 million.

As we consider long term needs, it is hard to fathom that the original water treatment plant was built in 1900. The utility is currently rehabilitating the “north section,” which was built in 1954, but major decisions on the future of the plant will need to be made to ensure the quality of water service to our customers.

On the sewer side of the utility, the city has turned a corner in its negotiations with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Following a productive meeting last month with myself and IDEM Commissioner Tom Easterly leading the overall discussion, all parties agreed to work collaboratively on a series of technical meetings with the desire to reach an outline on an agreed solution by the end of April 2015.

The federal mandate to curb our combined sewer overflows will easily be the largest infrastructure investment to date by the city. As a final investment figure is yet to be finalized, the city has been authorized to proceed on several projects.

The $6.8 million dollar Cass Avenue sanitary/storm water separation project is an example of a project that will reduce storm water from entering the combined sewer system and is the final phase of multiple projects to minimize flooding on the southeast side.

With all of that, I still have not shared all of the good works of all of our city departments. To do that, we may be here another at least a couple of hours…. Instead, I would ask that all of the city department heads and staff that are with us today stand and be recognized.

Public service is a calling and your work to strengthen our city is greatly appreciated.

In closing…..rest assured that our Administration comes to work every day with a positive attitude and a goal of finding solutions to help our city grow.

At a recent forum, a comment from a well-known community leader struck me….and has since been at the top of my mind since when he said,

“For the first time like I don’t feel like an outsider anymore…..I can feel the momentum in our city…..and feel like a part of its progress.”

Those are words that I desire for every citizen of this great city.

To the citizens of Evansville, thank you for the opportunity to serve and be a champion for the city I love.

Thank you and God bless the City of Evansville.

Lloyd Winnecke, Mayor
City of Evansville, Indiana