In many ways, it’s hard to believe it’s been 100 days since I stood on the stage at Bosse High School and took the oath to become Evansville’s 35th mayor. In many other ways, it’s hard to believe it’s only been 100 days.
Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to be with you today to present my first State of the City address. I’m grateful to the Rotary Club of Evansville for this opportunity and your willingness to make this event available for all to attend. I’d also like to thank UE Department of Theatre students Brynna Waters, Lillian Carlson, Bailey Crawford, Lindsay Perr for their beautiful singing, and Hadlie Comer who will be painting the vision.
A lot has happened since January 1.
One hundred days ago, we launched a new era in Evansville. We broke two glass ceilings, swearing in the first Black mayor and the first female mayor in the city’s 212-year history. The energy … the enthusiasm … the hope that I felt that day have carried us through these first 100 days, as we’ve finished assembling our team and gone right to work moving Evansville forward.
First I want to thank my team.
[Ask staff to stand and be acknowledged]
We held our first Cabinet meeting on Day 1; the mayor’s office staff and all of the city department heads. There was a sense of opportunity in that meeting – the excitement of a new administration, of a new beginning.
I felt that from the cabinet; I feel that from city employees when we invite different departments down for coffee and conversation once a month. I appreciate what they do for our city and their enthusiasm for serving the people of Evansville. These are true public servants who love our city, and who are excited about the opportunity to make it a better place for everyone. It’s that kind of passion for this place that makes Evansville the city it is today, and that will move it forward into the city it can become.
So we’ve assembled a great team and we have good partners in our city council. I also have a great partner in Marques at home who reminds me every day to be great.
We all have hope, enthusiasm, and a passion for moving Evansville forward. But we need more than that to show for 100 days in office, right? As they say, actions speak louder than words…..
Don’t worry. We have it. Does everybody remember this? (Display 100 Day Roadmap)
I said at my inauguration that I knew I was going to be held to a higher standard, and I knew you were going to be watching. And I told you I was ready – I told you I was going to make sure Evansville is a city that works for everyone, and I knew you were going to hold me accountable for that. I knew I was going to hold myself accountable, too.
That’s why this document – our 100-Day Roadmap – was ambitious, it was specific, and it was measurable. So everyone could see if we did what we said we were going to do.
(Display 100-Day Roadmap with completed items checked off)
Connected with local, state, and national leaders
Established an interfaith council
Engaged the community to strengthen public trust and confidence in our team
We did what we said we would do…
Today, I will share the details of what was in that plan, and what we’ve accomplished in these first 100 days. But I think it’s important to note that the 100-Day Roadmap is just the introduction – it’s the opening chapter. The other thing that happened in these first 100 days was that we learned more about the state of our city. We learned more about the challenges facing us; we learned more about the opportunities in front of us. And we learned more about what it will take to overcome those challenges. That’s the rest of the story – it’s what the next 1,360 days are about.
So as we stand – or sit – here today, what is the state of our city? I think Evansville is a city with great things going for it … and with even greater potential.
How do we reach that potential?
It starts by acknowledging the challenges that are in our way. Challenges like funding, which I’m gonna stick a pin in and come back to later. Challenges like public transportation, where our METS bus system is constantly working to find enough drivers to cover its full set of routes. Despite that, the system has carried more than 132,000 fixed-route rides in the first two months of 2024.
We also face challenges in infrastructure – let’s face it: some of it is in disrepair. Our water filtration plant is more than 100 years old; it needs to be updated, and significant portions of it need to be replaced. But that comes at a cost; last week, the average Evansville resident saw their water bill go up by $3 per month. That increase was set in 2022; it will be followed by two more that were set at the same time. I know that’s hard for some Evansville residents, who are already hurting from the high cost of utilities. I want you to know that I hear your concerns, and I was proud to echo them at the February Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission hearing on CenterPoint’s rate increase.
Unfortunately, some increases are necessary for maintaining our quality of life – and I can’t think of many things more basic and necessary to have a strong quality of life in a city than clean, healthy drinking water. A new water filtration plant is critical to continuing to have that in the future. That’s why we’re moving forward with plans to update and upgrade the plant; construction is expected to begin by the end of this year, to bring the plant online in 2028. But it’s also why we’re looking at options to expand assistance programs for those who are struggling.
Another significant infrastructure challenge in this first 100 days has been our pools.
We had to close Hartke Pool in February and Helfrich Pool last month due to safety concerns, leaving three out of six public pools closed this summer. Despite these difficult decisions, we’re addressing the challenge head-on by creating an aquatics plan. This plan will explore options such as building new pools or splash pads and gathering cost estimates and community input. Meanwhile, we’re increasing swimming hours by opening Lorraine Pool seven days a week and adding programming like free swimming lessons. I commend our Department of Parks & Recreation for its efforts in maintaining and expanding opportunities despite these challenges. This proactive approach demonstrates our commitment to moving Evansville forward.
We saw another example of creative problem-solving in Jacobsville this winter. Because if we’re going to talk about infrastructure challenges, we have to talk about our city’s roads and sidewalks. In the first quarter of this year, our street maintenance department patched 3,638 potholes – almost 50 per day. That’s one of the topics we hear about a lot: the potholes, and the overall condition of our roads. This is not about the effort being put in by our city employees – because if you need more evidence than patching 50 potholes a day, how about all of the orange barrels out there closing roads? They’re working on the roads; they’re doing their jobs. We lack the resources to do more, though, and that’s another challenge we need to face.
That’s why I want to call out the creative thinking that got about 1,200 square feet of new sidewalks in Jacobsville. But instead of telling you what was unique and creative about it, I’d like to show you.
VIDEO OF JACOBSVILLE SIDEWALK PROGRAM
After the success of that project, we now are looking at how this can be used as a template for funding future sidewalk projects in the city.
This is how we will overcome the challenges facing our city – how we will realize Evansville’s potential. We’ll recognize and acknowledge our obstacles; we will get creative to overcome them. And then, we’ll be transparent about it.
Now…let’s talk about funding, starting with some good news.
During the pandemic, the city received approximately $65 million in American Recovery Plan Act funds. Former Mayor Winnecke’s administration distributed those funds across several buckets. Those funds were allocated toward:
● PublicHealth
● AlleviatingNegativeEconomicImpact ● ServicetoDisplacedCommunities
● RevenueReplacement,and ● GrantAdministration
These are board buckets but examples of the type of projects funded include affordable housing projects, utility assistance, upgrading public safety technology, a weatherization project, adding new trails and more.
Some of the ARPA funds were disbursed immediately; about $32.3 million remains in an account, allocated but not yet paid out. Drawing interest. And that’s the good news.
Right now, we have more than $2 million in interest from those ARPA funds. These funds are uncommitted, and because they are drawn from interest, they do not have the spending restrictions that were on the original ARPA funds. My staff has had several conversations about the appropriate use for these funds; and one thing I will commit to right now is to hire a city grant writer who can help us identify, apply for, and obtain the funds to help us overcome some of our challenges.
I also will request this year that we make a $250,000 allocation from ARPA interest to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, to increase our community’s affordable housing initiatives. This investment coupled with the $500,000 already budgeted will not only enhance our home repair program but also contribute to the revitalization of our neighborhoods. By providing affordable housing options, we ensure that our residents, especially our aging population, can remain in their homes with dignity and security.
7
Neighborhoods are the cornerstones of our community. The places where people live, where they play, where they raise their children … our neighborhoods are the center of our lives, and collectively, they make up the heart of our community. Without thriving neighborhoods, we can’t truly have a thriving city.
In the past few years, we have seen some great things happening in our neighborhoods. We’ve seen Haynie’s Corner transform into an Arts District; we’ve seen the Franklin Street Corridor completely revitalized. More recently, we’ve seen strides in the Jacobsville neighborhood; this January, I cut my first ribbon as mayor on the new front door to Jacobsville, when they raised the arch at the head of North Main Street.
Our challenge now is to bring that same energy to other neighborhoods across the city. One piece of that is the one I hope to impact with those ARPA funds: ensuring that all of our neighborhoods – and especially the children and families who live there – have access to enough stable, affordable housing.
And we already are making strides in this area. Right now, we have 81 newly constructed, affordable rental units either completed or underway. We also have rehabilitated 46 others. Additionally, there are 10 new or renovated owner-occupied units. This totals 127 newly constructed or rehabilitated affordable housing units.
That’s good. But we can do more. We need to do more.
According to the Housing Needs Assessment completed by Bowen National Research last year, we need to build about 2,812 new rental units over the next five years to accommodate the housing needs in this area. Nearly 45% of renter households burdened by high housing costs are paying a significant portion of their income towards housing. This highlights the need for additional efforts in creating affordable housing, despite the progress we’ve made, we need to do more.
So we will do more.
I’ve set a goal for our administration to help facilitate the construction or rehabilitation of at least 350 units of affordable housing inside the city limits, and to have those projects underway by the time I give this talk again next year. We will do this through public-private partnerships and utilizing a variety of residential development tools. We will also take steps to eliminate blight and will enhance our code enforcement efforts.
Doing this is critical because strong cities are made up of strong neighborhoods – neighborhoods where residents feel safe, have stable homes, and have access to beautiful, safe parks and public spaces for recreation and entertainment.
In some areas of this city, our parks fit that description. Evansville has 46 parks; some are beautiful, they’re safe, and if you happen to walk or drive through them on an average sunny day, you’ll see people relaxing, jogging, or playing sports.
Others offer opportunities for improvement. So we’re going to improve them; we’re going to make sure our parks are working for you.
We’ve already started. In February, we created a Park Police unit within the Evansville Police Department, so that we now have five officers and one lieutenant – whose primary job is to patrol our city’s parks. That was less than two months ago, and we’re already hearing about the results. From simple “thank you’s” to residents telling us that the increase in police presence has made them feel safer in the parks, public feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
That’s the first thing we’ve done. The second is that the Parks Department has identified parks where, shall we say, less than desirable behavior was taking place, and they have worked with the Park Police unit to do safety sweeps of those parks, helping to make them safer spaces for the general public. At the same time, park officials have begun working through items in our five-year Master Plan that will help make our parks even safer – things like new lighting and beginning the process of replacing damaged equipment in various playgrounds.
I know those little things aren’t always the most exciting. But they’re important to maintaining the safety and quality of place – and one thing we have heard about, especially in conversations about one particular outdoor music venue, is that Evansville doesn’t always excel in maintaining spaces.
I’ve received a lot of questions about Mesker Amphitheatre. And I’ve always had the same answer: We don’t have any plans, but if a private developer reached out with an interest in revitalizing Mesker, I would take that meeting. Enthusiastically.
Well … We are in the early stages of a conversation with a private developer, discussing the feasibility and extent of what could be done to revitalize Mesker Amphitheatre. I know for many, this is a crown jewel of Evansville, and while I don’t want to over-promise, I’m cautiously … and I do mean cautiously … optimistic that we will have news in the coming months.
These are the kinds of big swings we need to take if we want to build the best version of our city. An Evansville that is vibrant; an Evansville that is exciting.
And, of course, an Evansville that is SAFE.
I keep using that word – SAFE. And I keep using it because if we’re going to reach that potential that I talked about at the beginning, public safety has to continue to be a top priority of my administration. And it is.
Recently, we’ve had a few big wins in this area. For the Evansville Police Department, it was a February arrest that took more than 60 Glock Switches off the street. For those who don’t know, Glock Switches are devices added to handguns to turn them into automatic weapons, making those weapons significantly more deadly. Every Evansville resident owes a debt of gratitude to the officers who removed those from our streets.
Public safety is critical and the Evansville Fire Department is delivering too- that is why EFD was awarded the Indiana Fire Chief’s Association LIFE Award last year. This award recognizes fire departments for their work and efforts in firefighter Health, Safety, and Wellness; this is the third time EFD has won the award … the other two were in 2011 and 2017.
And for what it’s worth, the District Chief of Health and Safety who applied for that award is now our fire chief.
I am confident in the leadership of the men and women who serve us every day at both the Police & Fire Departments. Both of these departments are continuing to find ways to be better … to better serve the community, and to be better community partners.
This summer, the Evansville Fire Department is launching a new Fire Safe Community program, where firefighters of each station will work with the specific areas of the community they serve to offer free smoke detector installation and/or replacement, as well as free in-home fire safety assessments.
The EPD is focusing on community policing and expanding the Group Violence Intervention program. We’re using advanced technology and tools to enforce laws and hold serious offenders accountable. This includes tools like the Crime Gun Intelligence Center and Flock Camera system. However, we recognize not all involved in violent crimes are serious offenders. That’s where the Group Violence Intervention program steps in. Officers identify all involved and offer support to steer them away from violence. Our goal is to prevent crime by addressing its root causes, whether through interventions like GVI or guiding individuals with addiction toward treatment.
That’s one facet of what we’re hoping to do with our share of the Federal Opioid Settlement funds. Last week, we announced a request for proposals for more than $1.3 million in funding to help fight the opioid epidemic, with an emphasis on programs ranging from prevention to law enforcement to treatment and everything in between. In 2023, the city of Evansville awarded almost $650,000 of these funds to Youth First and Forefront Community Therapy. We hope to again award these funds to programs that can make a difference in the battle against opioids.
Crime prevention also means reaching out to our other vulnerable populations, and in this, I want to commend the Evansville Police Department for creating a Mental Health & Homelessness Outreach program.
Let’s take a look…
VIDEO WITH Officers JOSH BREWER/MARIO REID
This is just one example of how Evansville has become a statewide leader in behavioral health. Next week, Dr. Steven Becker will be here to give an update on another community effort, this one coming out of the Mary O’Daniel Stone and Bill Stone Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Downtown Evansville.
We must continue programs like these, supporting our most vulnerable citizens. That also includes helping our children/teens – looking for the best ways to support them as they grow into adults. That doesn’t mean getting into their curriculum at school … but it does mean helping ensure that they have the wraparound support they need to succeed. That’s all the things we’ve been talking about: Stable homes, safe neighborhoods, parks, and other opportunities for development activities outside of school.
Plans are underway and this summer, we’re launching a Safe Summer initiative to provide exciting opportunities for our community youth. The Evansville Police Department will host Friday movie nights in our parks, featuring different films each week. Additionally, the Department of Parks & Recreation will offer open gym sessions at the CK Newsome Center, a Splash Into Summer Remix program, and Field Trip Fridays for youth programs. The initiative will kick off in May with a Summer Activities Fair, where parents and children can explore various summer camps, programs, and volunteer opportunities in one convenient location. Stay tuned for more information coming soon. We need to ensure our kids have a safe and enjoyable summer vacation.
And that’s just the start – because we all know summer isn’t the only time we need to support our children. Evansville needs to work for them every day – to ensure every day that they have a safe, vibrant environment where they can live, learn, and thrive.
As part of that effort, I recently convened the first meeting of the Mayor’s Education Roundtable – a group of educators, business leaders, nonprofit professionals, and community stakeholders who are coming together to address local educational and youth development needs. Our collective aim is to craft a comprehensive, citywide youth master plan, laying the groundwork for enhancing the lives of all youth.
We’re also engaging local youth directly in this effort with the creation of a new Youth Advisory Council. This group, comprised one member from each City Council ward, nominated by their City Council representative, and three “at-large” members selected through an application process, will advise my administration about the issues that matter most to them, and engage with us about how to face the challenges confronting our children.
It’s a cliche to say that “the children are our future.” But these children are the future of our city; we must offer them the opportunities and support that they need to succeed from cradle to career.
I remember the days as a middle and high schooler even beyond my school activities I had safe options for fun- Carver Ridley Rollerome, New Hope Baptist Church Carnival on Lincoln Ave, numerous activities at the CK Newsome Center, and teen dances at the Victory.
Engaging our youth also means moving Evansville forward in a way that excites them – building a better Evansville where our young people want to live. Where they can get a good job; and where they will choose to raise their family. To do that, we need to ensure Evansville is a place that cares about
what they care about … and today, more and more young people are concerned about the environment. As a city, that’s an area where we can step up … and we’ve already started.
In our first 100 days, we renamed our EPA to the Evansville Climate Collaborative. Through this city department, we are on our way to recognition as a Clean Community – a state certification program by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management that recognizes cities that are proactive in taking environmental sustainability actions. And we have been designated a SolSmart community – a national program that helps cities expand solar energy use, making it more affordable and accessible to everyone.
We also have secured federal dollars toward reducing our city’s greenhouse gas emissions, we’ve partnered with Leadership Everyone to launch a citizen engagement group, Community Voices for Climate Action; and we have partnered with WNIN on a PBS Climate Engagement grant that will fund the creation of educational videos and materials to increase awareness about the climate issues that we face, and the solutions we can deliver.
This all comes in addition to METS adding four new, solar bus stops – with four more coming quickly on their heels – to complement a METS bus system that is growing increasingly hybrid.
We’ve gone to work to make Evansville a leader in climate readiness and resiliency – and that’s one step in building a better Evansville for all.
Another is ensuring that Evansville remains the anchor for development in our region – and we have several projects coming up that keep us moving in that direction.
On May 21, the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership and Sasaki unveiled the River Vision plan – a master strategy for 50 miles of the Ohio Riverfront, centered on Downtown Evansville. It’s an exciting plan, and … you know what? I’m gonna show you part of it. Just a sneak peek … just a picture. An image of the proposed rethinking of the Downtown riverfront, showing a place for relaxation, recreation, and for all of our residents and visitors to play.
Around the same time, developers break ground on the new 5th and Main building. That building – The Vault – you’ve heard a lot about will feature a first-floor commercial, with 160 residences upstairs. It is expected to be completed in 2026.
Then, later this summer, INDOT will break ground on Section 3 of the I-69 Ohio River Crossing project, which will continue to advance the state’s priority – and our priority – to complete the I-69 corridor throughout the state of Indiana. At the moment, this new section of I-69 is slated for completion in 2031, but we are working with other stakeholders to look for federal grant opportunities that would accelerate that timeline.
Because we need a strong connection to the rest of the state … we also need strong connections around the country. I am pleased to share that Evansville Regional Airport is making positive progress in that direction. Recently, they have announced several routes to Florida, including Breeze Airways service to Orlando International, Allegiant’s flights to St. Pete-Clearwater, and flights to Destin. They have seen American Airlines’ seat capacities return near pre-pandemic levels thanks to increased aircraft sizes and more frequent flights to Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth.
And I know the team at EVV is working hard to re-establish a few routes we lost. I’m optimistic that our Chicago flight will return this year. That’s why is up to us to fly EVVFirst to keep these flights.
These partnerships built through the Evansville Regional Airport – along with projects like I-69 and the establishment of a new TIF district at the South Kentucky Ave Corridor is a tool to attract new businesses and spur economic development – all are part of the collaborative, regional approach that this administration has embraced. This is why we are in regular communication with Evansville Regional Economic Partnership as we partner to try and attract new development to the region; it’s also why we continue to advocate for competitive utility rates, quality schools, workforce training, lower crime, better investments in quality of place ( our local amenities likes parks, trails, our zoo, museums, etc), all which are critical to attracting new industry, as well as to encourage the expansion of the existing industry.
And it’s why we’re working to streamline our development process and make it easier for new development in our city. We want to be well-positioned for growth when I-69 is complete.
In February, we held the first meeting of our Blue Ribbon Committee to discuss Evansville’s code, zoning, and permitting practices, to modernize and streamline the development process. The initial meeting was filled with good discussion, and the committee members raised several strong ideas. Since that meeting, the Area Plan Commission has reached out to invite each member to meet individually as we begin the work of making Evansville more friendly to develop.
This – like so many of the things I’ve talked about so far today – was part of our 100-Day Roadmap … the plan we set for our first 100 days. Today is Day 100. So … where do we go from here?
Well, the first part is to make a plan.
We’ve already contracted for a full review of the city’s finances, and that process – which was also part of our 100-Day Roadmap – has already begun. Financial transparency is critical, so you will receive a report of the finance review once completed. At the same time, we will begin preparing the 2025 budget. Next month, we will start an organizational assessment and strategic plan for this administration. Using the interest generated from our American Recovery Plan Act funds, we will contract with an outside consultant to chart the course for our service delivery. Through this process, we will define clear goals, strategies, and key objectives to ensure your city government is efficiently aligned to work for you.
Call it our Roadmap for the next 1,360 days … and beyond.
Because like I said: Evansville today is a city with a lot of great things going for it. We have momentum in revitalizing neighborhoods like Haynie’s Corner, Franklin Street, and Jacobsville. But we have the potential to do more – to bring all of our neighborhoods along, ensuring no one gets left behind.
We have momentum in developing our Downtown – momentum that’s moving to our Riverfront. But we also have the potential to take that momentum beyond Downtown, so that all parts of our city share in thriving economic development.
And we have momentum in our population. Make no mistake: We are the most important asset this city has. We are the people who have chosen to live here. To work here. To raise families here. We are the ones working every day to move Evansville forward. We may not always agree on the best route to get there, and that’s okay. The important thing is that we continue to work together to build up our city – all of our city – and that we continue that work until Evansville is a city that works for all of us.
I know that’s an ambitious vision. But you – the people who live in Evansville today, and the people who will be here in the future – don’t deserve anything less. I’m proud to be your mayor, and I’m excited about working alongside you to build a city that works for everyone.
I know we can do it. I know we will do it. I know it won’t be easy, and I know there will be challenges. But I also know that we, as a city, have shown the resiliency to fight through those challenges, and the creativity to overcome them.
So over the next 1,360 days, Evansville will be at work for you. We will build on the great things we have going for us, and begin to realize the untapped potential of this city.
And we’ll do it together – let’s write the next chapter of Evansville’s story – one of progress, prosperity, and promise for generations to come.
Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your unwavering commitment to our great city. May God bless all of us and the city we call home.
FOOTNOTE: The City-County Observer posted Mayor Terry’s article without bias.
