2015 january-february actionlines magazine

ACTIONLINES

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

INDIANA ASSOCIATION OF CITIES AND TOWNS MAGAZINE

Steps in the right directionMoving toward a walkable state

ACTIONLINESJANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015 3

CONTENTS

Actionlines (ISSN 1092-6259) is published by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an official opinion on the part of the officers, staff or membership of IACT. Indiana elected municipal officials receive an annual subscription to this publication through payment of their munici-pality’s membership dues. IACT Associate Members receive an annual subscription to this publication through payment of their annual membership dues. The annual subscription rate is $50. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Actionlines, 125 W. Market St., Suite 240, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

ACTIONLINES

IACT OFFICERS

Duke Bennett President

Terre Haute Mayor

Greg GoodnightFirst Vice President

Kokomo Mayor

Lloyd WinneckeSecond Vice President

Evansville Mayor

Matthew GrellerExecutive Director &

Chief Executive Officer

REGULAR STAFF CONTRIBUTORS

Rhonda CookDeputy Director and

Chief Federal and State Policy Officer

Brian GouldField Services Manager

Natalie HurtSpecial Events & Conferences Director

Jennifer SimmonsDeputy Director & Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Justin SwansonAssistant Government Affairs Director and Legislative Counsel

Jodie WoodsGeneral Counsel

ADVERTISING

Anne TrobaughCorporate Relations Director

Indiana Association of Cities and Towns125 W. Market St. Suite 240 Indianapolis, IN 46204 Phone (317) 237-6200 Fax (317) 237-6206www.citiesandtowns.org

VOLUME 18 / ISSUE 1JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

COVER STORY: Steps in the right direction: Moving toward a walkable state

DEPARTMENTSIN PLACE

5 ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH PARKS

8 MUNICIPAL DEADLINES

10 QUESTION OF THE MONTH I am a newly elected official and I have concerns about a potential conflict of interest in my new position. How can I determine if I have a conflict?

IN WRITING

16 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Matt Greller discusses IEDC’s quality of life initiative

17 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett explains how meth is wreaking havoc across our state

IN VIEW

12 MEMBER NEWS

13 CALENDAR & EVENTS

15 MEMBER Q&A Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke

IN BRIEF

22 LEGISLATIVE SESSIONSee stats from this year’s session and info about IACT Legislative Day

20


INPLACE

INSIDE• Municipal Deadlines• Question of the Month

Enhancing Quality of Life through Parks

ACTIONLINES JANUARY / FEBRUARY 20156

IN PLACE

A PRIME EXAMPLE

These benefits can be seen in countless Indiana communities. Need an example? Travel north up US 31 to the City of Plymouth and visit the City’s newest park, River Park Square. The park, which held its grand opening in June of 2014, provides a strong case study for many of the benefits parks can provide. • Community Engagement/Education – Check. The Mayor’s Youth

Council led the local efforts to name the park.• Community Revitalization – Check. The park is located down-

town in an area that was subject to frequent flooding, and it is designed to serve as an important step in bringing additional growth and vibrancy to the downtown area. The park is also the permanent home to the well-established and locally popular Plymouth Farmers Market, which plays host to hundreds of resi-dents on Saturday mornings during spring and summer months.

• Public Health – Check. The park includes a multi-use path that connects with the existing Plymouth Greenway trail.

• Arts and Culture – Check. The park includes a flexible outdoor performance area for hosting outdoor performances, concerts, art and craft shows, and similar cultural events.

CALL IT WHATEVER YOU WANT, but we all know quality places when we see them. Quality places have quality amenities. Quality places offer citi-zens clean streets, strong infrastructure, adequate green space, diverse entertainment and cultural opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and much more. Considering this, perhaps no other municipal amenity can shape local quality of life like the municipal park.

If you are a bit skeptical, let’s quickly review what the American Planning Association says about parks. APA’s City Parks Forum Briefing Papers are a must read for any municipal planner interested in learning more about the benefits that parks bring to local communities. APA’s Park Fo-rum outlines in detailed briefs “how healthy parks are fundamental to many aspects of community prosperity.” APA demonstrates how parks impact community revitalization, community engage-ment, economic development, neighborhood safety, education, public health, tourism, and arts and cultural programs among others.

Now that we understand the benefits, let’s con-sider the process. The first step in developing a strong parks and recreation program is to develop a 5-year parks master plan. Among other things,


IN PLACE

an effective parks master plan ensures that park programs are driven by local citizens and that the amenities in your parks provide the cultural and recreational uses that local citizens desire. A strong master plan will also help prioritize your efforts and ensure that individual park programs and properties are connected to each other and the desires of the community.

Perhaps the most important component of the master plan process is community engagement. By educating and engaging citizens (both users and nonusers) in the planning process, communities enhance public trust and ownership in the process and minimize potential misconceptions related to park programs. More importantly, however, the process helps communities ensure that citizens understand the value and tradeoffs that come with planning and implementing municipal park programs and facilities.

In addition to public input, a strong parks master plan includes a detailed analysis of the needs your community has identified through the public involvement process. An effective needs analysis goes beyond simply identifying park and recreational needs, and explains what amenities are important for your community and why those amenities are

important. When complete, a strong parks master plan will layout a detailed action plan identifying responsible parties, potential costs, potential funding options, and an implemen-tation schedule.

Include these items in your parks master plan and you have a great roadmap for your community for years to come. Follow this roadmap and you will increase the quality of life in your community for years to come.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Outdoor Recreation provides a wealth of resources for communities interested in developing Parks and Recreation Master Plans.

— Zach Bishton, Operations Manager, IndianaChristopher B. Burke Engineering, LLC

Perhaps the most important component of the master plan process is community engagement.


IN PLACE

QUESTION OF THE MONTHI am a newly elected official and I have concerns about a poten-tial conflict of interest in my new position. How can I deter-mine if I have a conflict?

ANSWER: If you believe you have a conflict of interest, I.C. 35-44.1-1-4(d) provides for the filing of a disclosure, which must be filed with the governmental entity and approved during a public meeting. Learn more about this and similar issues during our webinar, Newly Elected Officials Training for New Office Holders on March 24th.

?This feature should not be considered a complete list of deadlines. If you know of an important deadline, please submit it to Jennifer Simmons at [email protected].

!MUNICIPAL DEADLINES

MARCH

1 Units file 2013 Annual Report with SBOA. The Annual Report must be filed before the Department can approve a 2015 budget or additional appropriations for a taxing unit. IC 5-11-1-4; IC 6-1.1-33.5

1 Assessment and valuation date for all tangible property except annually assessed mobile homes under IC 6-1.1-7 (2015 pay 2016 tax bills). IC 6-1.1-1-2; IC 6-1.1-1-19. The valuation date implies two other deadlines for the same day:

Date by which annexation must become effective so that reorganized unit can seek adjusted max levy for 2016.

Deadline for establishing new taxing units.

2 Deadline for each political subdivision to submit annual report to the Department in Debt Management of any outstanding bonds or leases (as of January 1). IC 5-1-18-9.

2 Deadline for solid waste district to provide SB 131 annual report to the Department, the appropriate legislative council, and the Department of Environmental Management. IC 13-21-3-13.5

2 Last day for political subdivisions to report to the Department information and data on its retiree benefits and expenditures. IC 36-1-8-17.5 (HEA 1266-2014 Sec. 24, effective July 1, 2014)

16 Last day for county auditor to prepare and deliver to the Auditor of State and county treasurer a certified copy of an abstract of the property, as-sessments, taxes, deductions, and exemptions for taxes payable in 2015 in each taxing district of the county. IC 6-1.1-22-5

16 Last day for redevelopment commissioners or their designees to file with the unit’s executive a report setting out the activities during the preceding calendar year. IC 36-7-14-13

31 Last day for redevelopment commissioners or their designees to file with the unit’s executive a report setting out the activities during the preceding calendar year. IC 36-7-14-13

SAVE THE DATE!2015 IACT Annual

Conference & ExhibitionSept. 29 - Oct.1, French Lick

IACT2015

ANNUAL CONFERENCE& EXHIBITION


IACT would like to thank its

2015 Strategic Partners:


INVIEW

INSIDE• Member Q&A• Calendar• Webinars• Events

MEMBER NEWS

This January the city of Jasper announced a total fiber installation in partnership with Smithville Communications and its Smithville Telecom subsid-iary. Once the multi-year project is complete, Jasper residents will have access to a full gigabit fiber net-

work, which will feature high-speed in-home and business wireless gigabit connectivity. The Jasper project represents a true “Fiber-to-the-Premise” (FTTP) installation, with no traditional copper-based or coaxial cable

involved.“This collaboration between Jasper and a national

Top 100 communications provider will propel Jasper residents, schools and companies to an even higher level of success,” said Jasper Mayor, Terry Seitz. “The decision by the City of Jasper to leverage fiber service to our mu-nicipal departments into a complete extension of fiber throughout the community will bring state-of-the-art communications capabilities. As technology becomes more immersed into our society I believe what we are beginning today will enable us to accomplish things beyond our wild-est imagination in the future.” Source: Inside Indiana Business

• Mayor Steve Croyle lauds Ardagh Group Glass North America for investing $71 million in its Winchester glass manufacturing facility. Source: Inside Indiana Business

• A bronze statue of former four-term India-napolis Mayor Bill Hudnut has been unveiled in the city’s downtown. Among his accom-plishments, Hudnut is credited with helping to spark a downtown revitalization. Source: Source: Inside Indiana Business.

• Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson has an-nounced plans to relaunch the Gary Air Show next July at Marquette Park.

• Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler finds renewed health on 2 wheels. The mayor says he aver-ages anywhere from 75 to 125 miles a week on his Trek Domane 4.1 Bicycle on Cardinal Greenway.

• The City of Mount Vernon is partnering with the Indiana Department of Transportation on a $6 million trail project. The Posey County effort includes two miles of trails, streetscapes and a neighborhood park. Source: Inside Indiana Business.

• Mayor Blair Milo decided to take Fitness Friday to the State level with her Step Up Sat-urday program. Step up Saturday was really a spinoff of Fitness Friday that was started in LaPorte. Source: LaPorateCountyLife.com.

• The City of Kokomo’s new Prospect League baseball team will be called the Jackrabbits.

Terry Seitz


IN VIEWINSIDE

CALENDAR

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IACT CALENDAR

MARCH

A 4 IACT Medical Trust Board of Trustees Meeting, Indianapolis

B 5-6 IACT/IU-SPEA Mayors Institute, Indianapolis

C 16 IACT Legislative Day, Indianapolis

D 16 IACT Board of Directors Meeting, Indianapolis

24 Webinar – Newly Elected Officials Training for New Office Holders

APRIL

E 16 Workshop – What makes a Quality Place?, Indianapolis

F 17 IACT Legislative Committee Meeting, Indianapolis

21 Webinar – The ADA Coordinator Check List

G 23 IACT Medical Trust Annual Members Conference, Indianapolis

MARCH

H 1-5 ILMCT Institute & Academy, Muncie

7-11 NLC Congressional City Conference, Washington DC

I 10-12 Purdue Road School, West Lafayette

J 17 Road Funding Day, Indianapolis

K 20 Southern Mayors Roundtable, Evansville

L 27 Northern Mayors Roundtable, South Bend

APRIL

M 24 Northern Mayors Roundtable, Columbia City

N 24 Southern Mayors Roundtable, Washington

24-27 International Municipal Lawyers Association Mid-Year Seminar, Washington DC

O 30-1 IMMA Annual Conference, Nashville

AFFILIATE CALENDAR


IN VIEW

Participation in workshops and webinars is eligible for IACT Municipal Management Institute (MMI) credit. Thank you to Wessler Engineering, the 2015 sponsor of the IACT Munici-pal Management Institute.

MMI CREDIT

IACT MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS TRAINING FOR NEW OFFICE HOLDERS MARCH 24, 2015Hundreds of newly elected officials took office on January 1st and IACT is offering an opportunity to answer many of the questions you’ll have in the coming months. Conflict of interest, nepotism, public access, ethical prac-tices and budget preparation are just a few of the areas you will quickly need to become proficient in. The IACT Newly Elected Officials Training for New Office Holders webinar on March 24th will be your opportunity to learn the basic principles about each of these issues, plus more. Hear from experienced elected officials and our IACT General Counsel about techniques to make your transition into office smooth and hassle free.

THE ADA COORDINATOR CHECK LISTAPRIL 21, 2015The role of ADA Coordinator has been around since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, new emphasis has been placed on the position with state and federal funding tied to compliance. As with any critical role, many questions arise. IACT and the ADA Coordinators Association want to help you stay on track! This jam-packed webinar will offer ADA Coordinators of all experience levels some great tips for perform-ing self-evaluations of your community’s inventory, programs, goods and services. We’ll also have speakers on hand to discuss Title VI require-ments, ADA complaint policies, language services and some best practices for developing partnerships and cooperative relationships.

WEBINARS

IACT LEGISLATIVE DAY

EVENTS

IACT/IU-SPEA MAYORS INSTITUTE MARCH 5-6, 2015

The Indiana Association of Cities and Towns (IACT) and the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs (IU-SPEA) will hold their first session of the Mayors Institute this year on March 5-6, in Indianapolis. Hoosier mayors are invited to participate in the

Mayors Institute to achieve certification in this exciting city leadership program. Through enhanced leadership training and sharing of new, ef-

fective strategies to run city government, the Mayors Institute is an essential tool to guide Indiana’s mayors. This session of Mayors Institute will feature presentations on capital planning, cultural diversity, budget management strategies, combined sewers, proper expenditures of TIF dollars, and more!

2015 IACT LEGISLATIVE DAY MARCH 16, 2015HYATT REGENCY INDIANAPOLIS

The Legislative Session has a huge impact on cities and towns. You could have a huge impact, too, by attending IACT Legislative Day to learn how you can make a difference at the Statehouse.

Join us on March 16 in Indianapolis for a legislative briefing, lunch with Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellsperman and keynote speaker Casey Steinbacher and a reception with legislators at the Hyatt Regency. At the reception, you will have a chance to connect with legislators and help them understand how their decisions directly impact your community.

Be sure you are reading your IACT Legislative Summary every Friday afternoon and come prepared to talk to your lawmakers about the bills that could impact your city or town. Annexation, municipal LOIT adoption, town marshals and TIF are just a handful of topics being discussed at the State House. Register today, or onsite!

MI

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AYORS INSTITUTE

Indiana Association of Cities & Towns |

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IN VIEW

LLOYD WINNECKE EVANSVILLE MAYORMEMBER Q&A

IACT would like to congratulate Mayor Lloyd Winnecke on his recent appointment as the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Second Vice President. Mayor Winnecke is the 34th Mayor of Evansville and currently serving in his first term as Mayor. In 2013, IACT recognized the City of Evansville with the IACT Community Achievement Award and the IACT Green Community of the Year Award for promoting civic pride, work ethic, and the spirit of volunteerism through various city activities, in particular Clean Evansville.Now that you have started your new position we would like to put you on the hot seat. Quality of Place is an expansive term that includes many different characteristics but without question municipalities have placed an emphasis on bolstering parks and recreation. We would like to ask you a few questions about how the Evansville Parks system has been so suc-cessful and met the needs of your community.

For many communities the battle is not being able to allocate re-sources for new parks and trails but to maintain their current assets. Can you tell us a little bit about how the Clean Evansville program was started and how volunteerism has created a sense of community pride?

The idea for Clean Evansville came about during my campaign for office. I was on a driving tour of the city with one of our economic development officials who said a site selector had recently visited Evansville and pointed out the community had a lot of litter. Once he pointed it out the problem became evident. Litter was almost everywhere. That’s when I decided it would be fun and beneficial to lead a litter pick up on the first Saturday of every month rotating through the city’s six council wards. We started the first week I was in office and the results have been better than I expected. To date, more than 5,000 volunteers have picked-up over 80,000 pounds of trash. We’ve had Scouting troops join us, churches, civic organiza-tions, bankers, realty groups, city employees, elected officials and more. We organize a massive clean-up day in the spring and a high school litter competition in the fall, attracting more than 500 students at each event. Clean Evansville has been recognized with local community leadership awards and the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Green Community of the Year Award. The program has been emulated by other communities in Southwest Indiana and the city of Akron, Ohio.

Can you tell us a about the Energize Evansville program and how this innovative program has used experts and specialists to improve the health of Evansville residents? We launched Energize Evansville shortly after I came into office in 2012 after a national poll placed Evansville among one of the most obese cities in the nation. The unscientific designation was offensive and we felt we should do something about it. Our thought was to offer residents a free exercise program led by trained fitness professionals who donate their time. It has been a cost effective and inspiring solution. We host the

program monthly at a different city park, thereby increasing attendance at the park and exposing a possibly underutilized city-owned facility, such as our indoor swimming pool, to the general public. The results have been phenomenal. People appreciate the fact that they don’t have to pay a fitness trainer to help them. We are now in our third year, and we have suc-cessfully reached both sedentary and active people through our program-ming. Exercise sessions have included boot camp, yoga, aquatic aerobics and Zumba, just to mention a few. Last year, Deaconess Health System partnered with Energize Evansville to add a walking component during summer months.

How has the parks department been successful in working with outside groups and not-for-profit organizations to allocate resources and meet the needs of its citizens?

The Parks and Recreation Department works with local organizations to improve our city’s parks. One unique partnership was City Serve Day held in April 2014. What started out as an idea among three local faith com-munities turned into a community-wide service event with nearly 1,000 volunteers working in 21 city parks painting, picking-up trash, landscaping and making minor repairs to playground equipment. The Evansville Parks Foundation has been instrumental in providing valuable donations of time, money, equipment and talent to the Parks Department. When the water slide at the city’s largest outdoor pool was damaged beyond repair and had to be removed just before the opening of the 2014 swimming season, the Parks Foundation provided funding to quickly remove the slide and purchase floating amenities and shade structures. The Foundation and the

continued on page 20 »


INWRITING

COLUMNS• From the Executive Director

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO MATTHEW C. GRELLER

A Starting PointWhen I first heard about the Indiana Economic Develop-

ment Commission’s idea for an initiative that focused on big investments, partnerships and collaborations that empha-sizes a regions quality of life and attractability, I was very enthused. I couldn’t remember a time when state leaders so openly advocated for healthy and vibrant cities and towns. Of course, the devil was and remains in the details, but I took this as a positive sign in the right direction.

Since the early days when the Regional Cities initiative was first discussed, to the unveiling of their extensive studies of many successful, growing regions around the country, to the announcement from the governor that he would advocate for $84 Million towards the program, I remain optimistic.

I do understand the hesitation of smaller cities and towns who wonder what’s in it for them when the emphasis will largely be on our states mid to large-sized communities. I perfectly understand the fear of being left behind while a large influx of dollars goes to my neighbors.

Let me assure you, we are aware of this concern and have talked with the Governor’s office and IEDC officials and emphasized the need for all communities to feel welcomed in this initiative. We also encourage you to read the IEDC’s study and see how the successful regions they reviewed in-cluded counties as well as cities and towns large and small.

Smaller communities in a participating region may not see a big cash infusion and may have trouble forging part-nerships that bring large amounts of private sector money to the table – but being part of a successful region has its privileges. It may be tough rallying around huge investments in a region’s largest city – but the fastest growing regions in

the country have seen all communities in the region benefit when they wall work together under one strategy and vision. One excerpt from the study that stood out to me was:

Certainly many suburban communities were doing well before their regional city was transformed, but they always did better after. As businesses grow in the core, neighbor-ing communities increase in population, tax base and, as a result increased quality of place amenities and infrastruc-ture are funded locally.

The entire IACT legislative team, which includes me, understands the introduced bill is a starting point for the discussion and there is a long way to go between now and the last days of session. Please share your specific concerns with us. You can view a copy of HB 1403 at www.iga.in.gov or follow your weekly IACT Legislative Summary for more information. You can also view the Regional Cities report on the IACT website under our 2015 Legislative Session tab.

The State’s Regional Cities initiative does need funded via the state’s biennium budget. Again, there is a lot of ground to plow between now and then. Until such time, I strongly encourage our small and mid-sized communities to get more familiar with the many programs Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellsperman’s office has to offer. We look forward to having Lieutenant Governor Ellsperman at our Legislative Day on March 16 to talk about the new Hometown Collaboration Initiative for communities under 25,000, Stellar Communi-ties and many other funding programs. There are funding opportunities through her office that meet the needs of so many Indiana communities.

For more information on IACT Legislative Day visit the IACT website at www.citiesandtowns.org.


IN VIEW

Meth. It’s a disgusting, equal opportunity offender. It harms families, especially children. It ruins lives, contami-nates housing and it’s dangerous and nearly impossible to clean up – assuming it’s found before it explodes.

Meth and its manufacturers and users have wreaked hav-oc on our communities for far too long. In 2013, the most recent full year of statistic available, Indiana had the dis-honor of ranking 1st in the nation in the number of meth lab incidents. As the mayor of a city that has been beleaguered by homemade meth and the consequences of such, I have

taken a firm stand. I’ve taken a stand as a mayor, President of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, parent, husband and citizen. Enough is enough.

We can’t say we hate meth and its consequences and not do everything reason-able and proven to stop the cycle. It’s time to return pseudo-ephedrine products to prescription only status and end the ease with which so-called “smurf-ers” are able to access

the drug that is such a critical component of homemade, domestic meth.

In Indiana, a box of product containing pseudoephed-rine is sold every 15.5 seconds. The safeguards the General Assembly put in place in recent years are well-meaning, but they aren’t working. Limiting the amount of pseudoephed-rine products a person can purchase has failed. Since the initial phase-in of purchasing limitations Indiana has seen a 125% increase in meth lab incidents. The system designed to track purchases of pseudoephedrine was fully implement-ed in 2012. Since then, Indiana has seen a 29.6% increase in meth lab incidents. It’s time to take the action on a strategy that’s working in other states.

Since the state of Oregon adopted a pseudoephedrine

prescription law in 2006 their meth lab incidents have gone down by 96%. Missouri, a state that once consistently led the nation in meth lab incidents, has gone to a local option to make pseudoephedrine a prescription drug. Since 2009, 73 counties, cities and towns have taken advantage of the local option. The average reduction in meth lab incidents in these localities is 70%. There are more stats just like these. It’s time for Indiana to act.

Retailers have argued the inconvenience and cost of this move outweighs the benefits. However, it’s the costs to taxpayers of cleaning up these horrible labs and caring for the perpetrators in our jails our citizens should rebel against. And, the pure public safety concerns and human toll brought about by this sickening epidemic surely outweighs conve-nience.

Cities and towns need many things from our legislature in order to build the quality places necessary to move our state’s economy forward. But not everything we need re-volves around more funding. Sometimes what we need, like in this case, is common sense legislation that is proven effec-tive. Join me in saying enough is enough. Tell your legisla-tors it’s time to act. Ask them to support language making pseudoephedrine a prescription only drug.

Meth Wreaks Havoc on State

PRESIDENT’S COLUMNDUKE BENNETT, Terre Haute Mayor

ICAMMM INFORMATION

IACT is a member of the Indiana Coalition Against Meth Making Meds (ICAMMM). The goal of the Coalition is to return pseudoephedrine to a prescrip-tion only medication to reduce the number of domestic meth labs in the state of Indiana.

Follow ICAMM On Twitter @ICAMMM_ https://twitter.com/ICAMMM_


COVER STORY

Movingwalkabletoward a

state

By Kim IrwinExecutive Director of Health by Design


HEALTH BY DESIGN

Health by Design is a coalition working to create healthy, thriving communities by convening diverse partners, educating on best-practices, facilitating dialogue, promot-ing smart design, providing technical assistance and advocating for policy change. Our objective is to ensure that Indiana communities have neighborhoods, public spaces and transportation infrastructure that promote physical activity and healthy living. Learn more at www.healthbydesignonline.org.

Over the last decade, a shift has occurred in communities across the U.S. It has happened in communities like Kokomo and Cumberland. It’s a key part of planning from the Lake Michigan shore to the banks of the Ohio River. It has put cities like Carmel in national headlines, and

made places like Goshen the envy of their peers.To understand this shift, elected officials and civic leaders have commissioned

countless studies and sought the input of legions of experts. But, really, you don’t need studies or experts to explain it. You only need to compare the neighborhoods we built in the late 20th Century with the ones we increasingly choose to live in today.

What will you see that’s different? Sidewalks. OK: That’s an oversimplification, but the truth is, over the past few decades we

have built car-centric neighborhoods with no sidewalks in communities isolated by busy thoroughfares. Today, on the other hand, we gravitate in increasing numbers to neighborhoods built around a desire to walk from place to place. We want easier access to jobs, schools, friends, shopping, the doctor, community amenities and more.

We want walkability. The good news is, when we shift to walkable communi-ties, we don’t just get a nice amenity – we also get financial, community and health benefits.

If you are the kind of person who values data, the evidence is compelling. The National Association of Realtors recently released a report showing that 60 percent of residents want “a neighborhood with a mix of houses and stores and other businesses that are easy to walk to.” If you focus your data on the people who are coming of age and likely to drive the real estate marketplace in the coming years – the 18- to 34-year-olds known as Millennials – you see that 75 percent want to live in a place where they don’t need a car to get around, according to a survey by the Rockefeller Foundation and Transportation for America.

So, what’s drawing us to these walkable neighborhoods? What are we looking for when we make sidewalks a major consideration?

First, there’s that aspect of community we describe as “quality of life.” While that can be a subjective term, these days it seems most often to describe places where we’re connected to our neighbors and we can walk to actual destinations.

But there are also more tangible matters drawing us to these neighborhoods. For one thing, they’re more economically vibrant. People on foot are far more likely to casually stop and shop, and easy connections to nearby businesses help to forge the kind of loyalty that leads to long, profitable relationships. In addition, land use strategist Christopher Leinberger points out that walkable pre-war and pre-auto neighborhoods were the only neighborhoods to hold their value during the real estate downturn of 2008-2012.

As you might guess, walkable neighborhoods also promote better health. To see why, visit areas with new pedestrian pathways. Neighborhoods where few people took walks suddenly become popular places to stroll. Such anecdotal evidence is supported by research showing that access to walking trails makes people 55


Pigeon Creek Greenway Advisory Board donated funds to install recycled plastic benches along the Greenway. The Ronald McDonald House Charities presented a $12,000 grant to the Parks Department to purchase new, fully ADA-accessible playground equipment at a city park designed for physi-cally challenged children. Several new organizations also came forward to “adopt-a-spot” at city parks last year.

The downtown riverwalk has not only served as a recreational asset for the citizens of Evansville but also as an economic development tool in promoting your downtown district. How important of a role does walkability play in attracting residents and businesses to down-town Evansville?

The walkability of downtown Evansville has been incorporated into all plans that impact infrastructure related to economic development and quality of life. The walkability of the downtown - located adjacent to the arts district and the historic First Street neighborhood - was a primary component of our proposal to locate the new Indiana University School of Medicine cam-pus in downtown Evansville. Medical students and faculty will be able to live and work within a few short blocks of downtown bars and restaurants, the Ford Center arena, Victory Theatre and Old National Events Plaza. The greenway is a huge asset. It is common to see people walking, running, cycling, eating lunch or just gazing out over the riverfront along one of the most scenic views on the Ohio River. We know from medical student feedback that the walkability of a new campus is vital.

Municipal parks and walkability of downtowns play a major role in quality of place for communities. How has the City of Evansville made these characteristics a focus of planning for future projects?

The City of Evansville has made walkability a primary focus of planning for our downtown developments and has created a Bicycle Friendly Com-munity Task Force. The value of the downtown and quality of place was affirmed by our Regional Plan for Sustainable Development, completed in 2014. The RPSD emphasized urban density and infill development of vacant and underutilized land. Moving from the broader vision of the RPSD, the city engaged the community in two park and pedestrian-oriented planning efforts, including surveys and public meetings, to update the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and a Bicycle and Pedestrian Connec-tivity Master Plan. Both documents will be completed this year and will enable the city to expand services to enhance the quality of life for visitors and residents. Demonstrating our commitment, a number of projects are already under construction or development. The city worked with INDOT to include pedestrian crossing improvements with a US 41 corridor signal improvement project, and a trail segment and pedestrian bridge as part of the new interchange at US 41 and SR 62/Lloyd Expressway. The city has also started design work on a streetscape project and dedicated bike lane connecting the downtown riverfront greenway to the North Main business district and historic Garvin Park.

Winnecke continued from page 15

percent more likely to be physically active. Given our chal-lenges with chronic disease and other health problems, it makes sense that we should make walking more accessible to Hoosiers.

Walkability even has an impact in the classroom. Re-search shows that kids who walk to school show up more prepared to concentrate on schoolwork. They are healthier, and they seem to learn more about safety, independence and the value of time spent in nature.

But this is not a trend only for the young. Older Hoo-siers also find increased value in walkable communities, as more of them want to “age in place” – rather than moving to retirement communities – but don’t want to be isolated when they can no longer drive. In a recent study, aging adults placed walkability as one of their top three concerns, alongside good schools and safe communities.

Not so long ago, when “walkable communities” was a fairly new term, some people might have thought it was a fad. Today, I think you’d find few people with that attitude. In Indiana, we have begun to embrace this shift, but we have much work to do. Many communities still lack connectivity and walkability. As a result, as we compete with other areas for the best residents, workers and employers, we could find ourselves at a disadvantage.

On the other hand, if we continue to take steps toward making Indiana a state of walkable communities – and, as a result, a state of healthy, happy people – we’ll create a place where people want to live now and into the future.


IN BRIEF

2015 Legislative Session

1,200570

6

Number of bills filed

Number of bills IACT is tracking

Number of bills filed involving annexation

Tweet with us: #IACTlegday


Don’t miss IACT Legislative Day on March 16!

Hot Topics of the SessionAnnexation, Electric Service Territories, Broadband, Assessment Appeals, & Local Option Income Taxes

Featured Speakers

Sue EllspermanIndiana Lieutenant Governor

Casey Steinbacher President and CEO

Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce North Carolina

In addition to ten years of local government experi-

ence, Casey has spent 26 years in Chamber of

Commerce work.

Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellsperman will join at-

tendees for lunch and brief remarks about the many

programs in her office that benefit Indiana’s small and mid-sized communities.

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