Speaker 2
hello and welcome to ask the mayor on WFIU. I'm Joe Hren. This week we're in Terre Haute with Mayor Brandon Sakbun. Hello, welcome so good to have you on the show. How
Speaker 1
are you doing Terre Haute? Good you doing? Okay, yeah. Well, if you, I mean, folks can't hear this because we're on camera, but if you were sitting in my office right now, you would hear the sounds of progress, and that is what we're seeing all across Terre Haute. We've got a demolition project of the old county jail, and that's a county project 150 meters from my office. We've got two large downtown demolitions, 19th and beach. The EPA is still cleaning that up. We've navigated federal funding and those conversations, plus we have a number of residential demolition projects on abandoned homes that we're going to start. But just like we're tearing some of the old down, we're also building new a number of housing projects have kicked off across the city, residential housing, income based housing, apartments. The city of Terre Haute is continuing to stay focused on progress in 2025 you can physically see it. You can hear it, and it's just the mood is great here in Terre Haute, Indiana,
Speaker 2
I'm gonna say when I drove in, I was prepared. I didn't know how much of the old jail was down already. It's almost all gone. Yeah, you know what, what the county wants to do with that
Speaker 1
area. So the county temporarily will do some parking for handicap folks and have an extension of a road, but they are looking at a number of municipal projects at the county level to do, and we appreciate them keeping us informed, and all the work that they're doing really taking down an eyesore right by city hall in our courthouse.
Speaker 2
Yeah, well, I mean, you've been busy. It's February, but here we are right in the midst of another legislative session. Yeah, you've been to the State House hearing Governor Mike Braun and his property tax cuts and asking local community leaders to prove it, prove that you need, yeah, the money. How did that go? I
Speaker 1
thought that was a great conversation. You know, I appreciate the governor's office for saying, Hey, can you show us the data? Can you show us the numbers we've owned a number of state legislators that we've met with, we've shown them what's being used, and I know a lot of focus is on Elon Musk and Doge right now, and cutting out what folks perceive as waste, and it's really what I highlight to the community, is what we've already done. We've paid off leases, we've consolidated positions, we've got. We have purchased new equipment that makes city employees more efficient and deliver better services drive around town. We're installing pot we're fixing potholes at a quicker rate. We're cleaning manholes at a faster rate. Our sidewalk projects have doubled just this year, and it's all because we are shifting and moving things in and out to be as efficient as possible and as lean as possible. There are some areas where we can't do that in, and that's public safety, right? But it's just a great conversation that we appreciate with the state. Of course, some other units of government are affected, like the county, like public education, and we, you know, I commend them for having these open conversations as well. A lot of people shy away from the property tax conversation because it gets perceived as political, and people get upset. But I really just think it's good to have a pragmatic, policy focused discussion, and that's what we've been doing, and we look forward to seeing how it progresses. Governor even
Speaker 2
was here in Terre Haute, I think, yeah, last week for a more of a kind of a community listening session. I think. Were you there?
Speaker 1
Well, it was just with, what, with one couple from vermillion County, and we thank him for stopping by. It was a smaller event. We kind of connect more with our legislators, and we'll be in contact with his office as well. So
Speaker 2
are you hearing change? Are you hearing them? Hear You?
Speaker 1
We do? We've seen some change, we saw some amendments, and we always look forward to those. I think what's important really about what's going on this year instead of previous years is it's not the state government versus the local government. It's a conversation. And then what I tell folks is, guys, it's February, right? This legislative session goes till April. So just understand that policy does take time, and I appreciate you know all the folks who've reached out and shared their opinions. And you know, again, we're always focused on progress. Sometimes there's some challenging conversations around taxation there, and we welcome them. Well,
Speaker 2
here's a challenging conversation about the Senate approving a bill to ban Diversity Equity. Inclusion initiatives and state government public schools, proponents say ensures government treats everyone equally. Critics say it's designed to instill fear. As the mayor of Terre Haute, how do you react to that bill?
Speaker 1
You know, look how I perceive diversity, equity, inclusion is really through how we market and advertise, what positions we have available with the city, what policies, what projects we're doing. To me, you know, being inclusive is Ada sidewalks and cross ramps. You know, diversity is welcoming folks from all cultures and backgrounds to our city and really saying, Hey, if you move here, if you love here, if you work here, come on in. It's Terre Haute, Indiana. And, you know, I think that it's become a very politicized conversation, and I don't think that anyone truthfully is really understanding that the true nature of diversity, equity and inclusion, right? If you look at our parks projects, it is not equality. And you know, all 20 of our parks don't receive the same dollar investment. It's equitable in some neighborhoods that have been hit hardest because of the pandemic and inflation, they're hurting a little bit, so we got to give them a reason to get outside and engage in public health style activities. And so I really think it's been a misconstrued conversation. It happens right? Lot of stuff gets political, especially after and before elections. So just grounding it back down to reality, saying, Look, folks, you know, come on, just come see what we're doing, see how we take it. And hopefully that changes minds, but we're focused on Terre Haute right now and say, hey, look, we celebrate all history. We celebrate all cultures here. Well,
Speaker 2
let's talk about some of the news that came out Tuesday, the ACLU lawsuit against ISU, Indiana State University, saying the university worked with the mayor's office to provide to move pride fest 2025 to a park instead of ISU campus where the event was held, I think in 2023 2024 Yeah. What's your comment with this lawsuit? And I mean, the mayor's office is also included. You
Speaker 1
know, the city hosts a number of cultural events and activities. Joe specifically to the lawsuit, it's two individual or two outside organizations that are involved in this lawsuit, and while we are listed, we are not one of those two organizations, so we cannot comment on ongoing litigation.
Speaker 2
The Pride Center says it wasn't consulted during the discussion. So if that's accurate, didn't the mayor's office want to include the Pride Center in that discussion with ISU?
Speaker 1
You know, here's how I approach the mayor's office in the city, we try to include all groups, all conversations, just like when we recruit a business, you have discussions with education, discussions with workforce development, discussions in housing and even cultural events. It's always important to hear all voices, all concerns. And there are Hoosiers who are against these events, and of course, we listen to them as well. I mean, you have to be empathetic as a leader, and you have to let all voices be heard.
Speaker 2
Do you think ISU, the mayor's office, acted ethically during this process? Well,
Speaker 1
I won't comment on the on the process, as it's an ongoing investigation. Okay, all
Speaker 2
right, let's go back to some of the tax you know, we're talking about budgets, yeah, and so forth. And one of the things I've always learned about this show talking to mayors is how much the mayors love adding amenities as well to their cities. How hard is it as mayor now? I mean, you're, you know, just finished year one, and want to do so much. And now here you are starting year two, and you have the state saying we're going to, you know, cut property taxes, which, which for you, is like, Hey, I have to pay my police. I have to pay my
Speaker 1
So, amenities is an interesting term, right? And I always say it's not amenities, it's quality alike. People want parts. People want good schools, right? We're debating needs verse once right now. And I truthfully believe, if you look at the state of Indiana, if you look at where Hoosiers and folks from outside the Hoosier State moved to, it's two communities that invest in themselves. It's two communities that are investing in sidewalks, ensuring their streets or to the right standard, ensuring that neighborhood parks are invested in and ensuring that their schools are operating at a high level. So I think it's really important that to get away from the academic term of amenities, and that's something I'm very, very pointed and specific in saying, hey, look, you know, if the everyday person is okay with fewer services, fewer parks, fewer police and fire. That's a hard conversation to have, and if they truthfully say, no, we want less than they have to understand that that's that's what cuts would trigger. But again, I do think it's also on local government. We got to do a better job of showing all the great work that we are doing. Right we're. Not fraudulent and wasteful organizations. And I really appreciate the governor. I mean, he even said he goes local governments I think are more efficient than the state. What a great comment for him to say. More thankful that he's starting to lead with that, and we welcome the ongoing conversations. We can even go to
Speaker 2
the federal level. Are you seeing programs being cut from the Trump administration here in Terre
Speaker 1
Haute, there's always, there's always going to be impact, right? But I think what's important to note is, if something is cut, having that conversation, hey, you know, here's why that program was in place. And I always say investing in Terre Haute Indiana, investing in west central Indiana, in the Hoosier State, that is the definition of making America great again, folks, you know, where we got to get back to investing in the flyover states and building companies like in tech. That's a battery separator company, you know, bringing advanced manufacturing back, that that's making America great again. And I hope they understand that and really look at that a little more thoughtfully. And we were
Speaker 2
just in Columbus last week with Mayor Ferdinand, and she was disappointed they have to take out some of the recreational amenities for that river development that they wanted to do there. Cost more than doubled this past year after trying to get all the permit, all the permitting, which is a long, long process. And I know Terre Hautes embracing now, turning, yeah, the river. How is that going for you? Here? Great.
Speaker 1
We've got the lily grant will kick off with a great YMCA project that we're happy to see. The private sector is also getting involved with some of the land in and around Fairbanks Park, which the city owns that land. And you know, when it comes to permitting. I know a number of mayors struggle with this. We try to be as efficient as possible, where if you do a local project, you can get a building permit in one day. If you need an inspection within 72 hours, we can send building inspection out, and we'll work with developers the entire step of the way. That's a model I'd love to see the state and federal government embrace. We cut through red tape here in the city of Terre Haute to try to make development as efficient as possible. I acknowledge there's other levels to that outside of local control, but I know we work our butts off to try to consolidate that process. And I feel for her. I mean, we have seen similar problems at times, because, you know, you got to get this form signed, that form sign, and we just try to package it all in and speed up the process. And of course, now, you know, there is price fluctuation with things, and you just got to monitor it.
Speaker 2
You know, a month ago, you said, Hang on, there's big news coming. And I believe you were talking about the funds to help renovate the YMCA. Yes, yeah, more on where Thank you coming from, and yeah, what it's gonna do? I've never been inside the YMCA here, so maybe, for those who aren't familiar, you can kind of
Speaker 1
well, go check it out. It's a little bit of an archaic building. So we are gonna do what's called capital stacking. So we've got some foundation investments, the Wabash Valley Community Foundation and the lily Foundation, they are bringing $7 million to the table. The city of Terre Haute is committing 2 million over four years through our gaming tax revenue. And now the YMCA is going to kick off the fundraising campaign to renovate the YMCA, add some features, address the courts, address the pool, you know, if you look at YMCA, is these true community recreational centers ours? Is it in the heart of the city, right by West Terre Haute, right by, you know, downtown, you can easily access it from Northern and Southern Vigo County. We want to make that our cornerstone of our riverfront revitalization, and I'm happy we made it this far, but
Speaker 2
it's great, news, State of the City address. Are you doing one? We are
Speaker 1
next Friday, it'll be streamed live on YouTube if you want to watch. And it's going to be a fun one. Any
Speaker 2
thing that you get, any preview you can give us, you know,
Speaker 1
we are so thankful the state of Indiana has worked with us on the community crossing grant program. We're paving more streets. We're investing into ourselves, thankfully, to some state funding. I'll preview some of our casino gaming tax revenue projects, and I'll also show how we cleaned up our financials and consolidated some things to deliver efficient services to the people of Terre Haute. Of course, I'll hit our parks and recreation and highlight all the businesses that are expanding and coming to the city of Terre Haute, Indiana.
Unknown Speaker
And so that's Friday night. And taking
Speaker 1
anyone Friday morning, yeah, they can come on in. Yeah. Where's it at? Again, the taro Convention Center. Okay, all right. Great
Speaker 2
mayors. Youth Council of Terre Haute, excited. Yeah, launch it. It's fundraising campaign. So this is creating an accessible playground space in the city of Boeing, city owned coy
Speaker 1
Park. It is. It's in partnership with the ihcda, and it's an accessible playground and a neighborhood that hasn't seen some investments in a while and has a number of families. So what we believe in is if we give. A chance to do something remarkable. We'll support them. We'll see how it goes. So now, if they raise $35,000 the state puts in $35,000 so they're going to start a fundraising campaign, and we wish them the best. They'll hit the media circuit. They'll meet with businesses. It's a true student run organization. And
Unknown Speaker
I think you have another announcement too. I
Speaker 1
do my wife and I have the bundles of Hope baby supply drive, and we're looking forward to that. It's a basically baby shower for the families here in Terre Haute, Indiana, the faith based community has been so great in supporting us. A number of businesses have supported this effort. So Vigo county residents can come drive through the parking lot, and, you know, write out what they need and get some supplies for newborns, or soon to be newborns. So how can people be take part of it? So our drop off sites do close on this Thursday, but if they do have items they want to donate, bring them to City Hall by Friday, and the distribution is Saturday, 10am to
Speaker 2
noon. I know we're almost out of time, but what else do you have?
Speaker 1
We are getting so close on a number of projects, the Deming Park pool, we're renovating that facility, and it won't be this grandiose, you know, Marshall Illinois style water park, but it'll be what we can afford. We'll update the pool. We'll bring in some water slides, obviously the Fairbanks Park and YMCA, we've got progress there. And, you know, Joe, I try to tell everyone one of my goals is to give kids an excuse to put that cell phone down and go outdoors, embrace nature, and our parks and recreation department has really embraced that. From a public safety standpoint, we're in the process of hiring our second social worker, you know, law enforcement, these guys and gals are put in so many tough situations, so making sure we have folks with knowledge on the resources to help with situations that aren't violent, that aren't criminal, and we appreciate the Terre Haute Police Department for all they do in embracing that program. So there's a lot going on here in the city of Terre Haute and a lot of progress. Thanks so much. And to see you in March. We'll see you next month. Thank you.
hello and welcome to ask the mayor on WFIU. I'm Joe Hren. This week we're in Terre Haute with Mayor Brandon Sakbun. Hello, welcome so good to have you on the show. How
Speaker 1
are you doing Terre Haute? Good you doing? Okay, yeah. Well, if you, I mean, folks can't hear this because we're on camera, but if you were sitting in my office right now, you would hear the sounds of progress, and that is what we're seeing all across Terre Haute. We've got a demolition project of the old county jail, and that's a county project 150 meters from my office. We've got two large downtown demolitions, 19th and beach. The EPA is still cleaning that up. We've navigated federal funding and those conversations, plus we have a number of residential demolition projects on abandoned homes that we're going to start. But just like we're tearing some of the old down, we're also building new a number of housing projects have kicked off across the city, residential housing, income based housing, apartments. The city of Terre Haute is continuing to stay focused on progress in 2025 you can physically see it. You can hear it, and it's just the mood is great here in Terre Haute, Indiana,
Speaker 2
I'm gonna say when I drove in, I was prepared. I didn't know how much of the old jail was down already. It's almost all gone. Yeah, you know what, what the county wants to do with that
Speaker 1
area. So the county temporarily will do some parking for handicap folks and have an extension of a road, but they are looking at a number of municipal projects at the county level to do, and we appreciate them keeping us informed, and all the work that they're doing really taking down an eyesore right by city hall in our courthouse.
Speaker 2
Yeah, well, I mean, you've been busy. It's February, but here we are right in the midst of another legislative session. Yeah, you've been to the State House hearing Governor Mike Braun and his property tax cuts and asking local community leaders to prove it, prove that you need, yeah, the money. How did that go? I
Speaker 1
thought that was a great conversation. You know, I appreciate the governor's office for saying, Hey, can you show us the data? Can you show us the numbers we've owned a number of state legislators that we've met with, we've shown them what's being used, and I know a lot of focus is on Elon Musk and Doge right now, and cutting out what folks perceive as waste, and it's really what I highlight to the community, is what we've already done. We've paid off leases, we've consolidated positions, we've got. We have purchased new equipment that makes city employees more efficient and deliver better services drive around town. We're installing pot we're fixing potholes at a quicker rate. We're cleaning manholes at a faster rate. Our sidewalk projects have doubled just this year, and it's all because we are shifting and moving things in and out to be as efficient as possible and as lean as possible. There are some areas where we can't do that in, and that's public safety, right? But it's just a great conversation that we appreciate with the state. Of course, some other units of government are affected, like the county, like public education, and we, you know, I commend them for having these open conversations as well. A lot of people shy away from the property tax conversation because it gets perceived as political, and people get upset. But I really just think it's good to have a pragmatic, policy focused discussion, and that's what we've been doing, and we look forward to seeing how it progresses. Governor even
Speaker 2
was here in Terre Haute, I think, yeah, last week for a more of a kind of a community listening session. I think. Were you there?
Speaker 1
Well, it was just with, what, with one couple from vermillion County, and we thank him for stopping by. It was a smaller event. We kind of connect more with our legislators, and we'll be in contact with his office as well. So
Speaker 2
are you hearing change? Are you hearing them? Hear You?
Speaker 1
We do? We've seen some change, we saw some amendments, and we always look forward to those. I think what's important really about what's going on this year instead of previous years is it's not the state government versus the local government. It's a conversation. And then what I tell folks is, guys, it's February, right? This legislative session goes till April. So just understand that policy does take time, and I appreciate you know all the folks who've reached out and shared their opinions. And you know, again, we're always focused on progress. Sometimes there's some challenging conversations around taxation there, and we welcome them. Well,
Speaker 2
here's a challenging conversation about the Senate approving a bill to ban Diversity Equity. Inclusion initiatives and state government public schools, proponents say ensures government treats everyone equally. Critics say it's designed to instill fear. As the mayor of Terre Haute, how do you react to that bill?
Speaker 1
You know, look how I perceive diversity, equity, inclusion is really through how we market and advertise, what positions we have available with the city, what policies, what projects we're doing. To me, you know, being inclusive is Ada sidewalks and cross ramps. You know, diversity is welcoming folks from all cultures and backgrounds to our city and really saying, Hey, if you move here, if you love here, if you work here, come on in. It's Terre Haute, Indiana. And, you know, I think that it's become a very politicized conversation, and I don't think that anyone truthfully is really understanding that the true nature of diversity, equity and inclusion, right? If you look at our parks projects, it is not equality. And you know, all 20 of our parks don't receive the same dollar investment. It's equitable in some neighborhoods that have been hit hardest because of the pandemic and inflation, they're hurting a little bit, so we got to give them a reason to get outside and engage in public health style activities. And so I really think it's been a misconstrued conversation. It happens right? Lot of stuff gets political, especially after and before elections. So just grounding it back down to reality, saying, Look, folks, you know, come on, just come see what we're doing, see how we take it. And hopefully that changes minds, but we're focused on Terre Haute right now and say, hey, look, we celebrate all history. We celebrate all cultures here. Well,
Speaker 2
let's talk about some of the news that came out Tuesday, the ACLU lawsuit against ISU, Indiana State University, saying the university worked with the mayor's office to provide to move pride fest 2025 to a park instead of ISU campus where the event was held, I think in 2023 2024 Yeah. What's your comment with this lawsuit? And I mean, the mayor's office is also included. You
Speaker 1
know, the city hosts a number of cultural events and activities. Joe specifically to the lawsuit, it's two individual or two outside organizations that are involved in this lawsuit, and while we are listed, we are not one of those two organizations, so we cannot comment on ongoing litigation.
Speaker 2
The Pride Center says it wasn't consulted during the discussion. So if that's accurate, didn't the mayor's office want to include the Pride Center in that discussion with ISU?
Speaker 1
You know, here's how I approach the mayor's office in the city, we try to include all groups, all conversations, just like when we recruit a business, you have discussions with education, discussions with workforce development, discussions in housing and even cultural events. It's always important to hear all voices, all concerns. And there are Hoosiers who are against these events, and of course, we listen to them as well. I mean, you have to be empathetic as a leader, and you have to let all voices be heard.
Speaker 2
Do you think ISU, the mayor's office, acted ethically during this process? Well,
Speaker 1
I won't comment on the on the process, as it's an ongoing investigation. Okay, all
Speaker 2
right, let's go back to some of the tax you know, we're talking about budgets, yeah, and so forth. And one of the things I've always learned about this show talking to mayors is how much the mayors love adding amenities as well to their cities. How hard is it as mayor now? I mean, you're, you know, just finished year one, and want to do so much. And now here you are starting year two, and you have the state saying we're going to, you know, cut property taxes, which, which for you, is like, Hey, I have to pay my police. I have to pay my
Speaker 1
So, amenities is an interesting term, right? And I always say it's not amenities, it's quality alike. People want parts. People want good schools, right? We're debating needs verse once right now. And I truthfully believe, if you look at the state of Indiana, if you look at where Hoosiers and folks from outside the Hoosier State moved to, it's two communities that invest in themselves. It's two communities that are investing in sidewalks, ensuring their streets or to the right standard, ensuring that neighborhood parks are invested in and ensuring that their schools are operating at a high level. So I think it's really important that to get away from the academic term of amenities, and that's something I'm very, very pointed and specific in saying, hey, look, you know, if the everyday person is okay with fewer services, fewer parks, fewer police and fire. That's a hard conversation to have, and if they truthfully say, no, we want less than they have to understand that that's that's what cuts would trigger. But again, I do think it's also on local government. We got to do a better job of showing all the great work that we are doing. Right we're. Not fraudulent and wasteful organizations. And I really appreciate the governor. I mean, he even said he goes local governments I think are more efficient than the state. What a great comment for him to say. More thankful that he's starting to lead with that, and we welcome the ongoing conversations. We can even go to
Speaker 2
the federal level. Are you seeing programs being cut from the Trump administration here in Terre
Speaker 1
Haute, there's always, there's always going to be impact, right? But I think what's important to note is, if something is cut, having that conversation, hey, you know, here's why that program was in place. And I always say investing in Terre Haute Indiana, investing in west central Indiana, in the Hoosier State, that is the definition of making America great again, folks, you know, where we got to get back to investing in the flyover states and building companies like in tech. That's a battery separator company, you know, bringing advanced manufacturing back, that that's making America great again. And I hope they understand that and really look at that a little more thoughtfully. And we were
Speaker 2
just in Columbus last week with Mayor Ferdinand, and she was disappointed they have to take out some of the recreational amenities for that river development that they wanted to do there. Cost more than doubled this past year after trying to get all the permit, all the permitting, which is a long, long process. And I know Terre Hautes embracing now, turning, yeah, the river. How is that going for you? Here? Great.
Speaker 1
We've got the lily grant will kick off with a great YMCA project that we're happy to see. The private sector is also getting involved with some of the land in and around Fairbanks Park, which the city owns that land. And you know, when it comes to permitting. I know a number of mayors struggle with this. We try to be as efficient as possible, where if you do a local project, you can get a building permit in one day. If you need an inspection within 72 hours, we can send building inspection out, and we'll work with developers the entire step of the way. That's a model I'd love to see the state and federal government embrace. We cut through red tape here in the city of Terre Haute to try to make development as efficient as possible. I acknowledge there's other levels to that outside of local control, but I know we work our butts off to try to consolidate that process. And I feel for her. I mean, we have seen similar problems at times, because, you know, you got to get this form signed, that form sign, and we just try to package it all in and speed up the process. And of course, now, you know, there is price fluctuation with things, and you just got to monitor it.
Speaker 2
You know, a month ago, you said, Hang on, there's big news coming. And I believe you were talking about the funds to help renovate the YMCA. Yes, yeah, more on where Thank you coming from, and yeah, what it's gonna do? I've never been inside the YMCA here, so maybe, for those who aren't familiar, you can kind of
Speaker 1
well, go check it out. It's a little bit of an archaic building. So we are gonna do what's called capital stacking. So we've got some foundation investments, the Wabash Valley Community Foundation and the lily Foundation, they are bringing $7 million to the table. The city of Terre Haute is committing 2 million over four years through our gaming tax revenue. And now the YMCA is going to kick off the fundraising campaign to renovate the YMCA, add some features, address the courts, address the pool, you know, if you look at YMCA, is these true community recreational centers ours? Is it in the heart of the city, right by West Terre Haute, right by, you know, downtown, you can easily access it from Northern and Southern Vigo County. We want to make that our cornerstone of our riverfront revitalization, and I'm happy we made it this far, but
Speaker 2
it's great, news, State of the City address. Are you doing one? We are
Speaker 1
next Friday, it'll be streamed live on YouTube if you want to watch. And it's going to be a fun one. Any
Speaker 2
thing that you get, any preview you can give us, you know,
Speaker 1
we are so thankful the state of Indiana has worked with us on the community crossing grant program. We're paving more streets. We're investing into ourselves, thankfully, to some state funding. I'll preview some of our casino gaming tax revenue projects, and I'll also show how we cleaned up our financials and consolidated some things to deliver efficient services to the people of Terre Haute. Of course, I'll hit our parks and recreation and highlight all the businesses that are expanding and coming to the city of Terre Haute, Indiana.
Unknown Speaker
And so that's Friday night. And taking
Speaker 1
anyone Friday morning, yeah, they can come on in. Yeah. Where's it at? Again, the taro Convention Center. Okay, all right. Great
Speaker 2
mayors. Youth Council of Terre Haute, excited. Yeah, launch it. It's fundraising campaign. So this is creating an accessible playground space in the city of Boeing, city owned coy
Speaker 1
Park. It is. It's in partnership with the ihcda, and it's an accessible playground and a neighborhood that hasn't seen some investments in a while and has a number of families. So what we believe in is if we give. A chance to do something remarkable. We'll support them. We'll see how it goes. So now, if they raise $35,000 the state puts in $35,000 so they're going to start a fundraising campaign, and we wish them the best. They'll hit the media circuit. They'll meet with businesses. It's a true student run organization. And
Unknown Speaker
I think you have another announcement too. I
Speaker 1
do my wife and I have the bundles of Hope baby supply drive, and we're looking forward to that. It's a basically baby shower for the families here in Terre Haute, Indiana, the faith based community has been so great in supporting us. A number of businesses have supported this effort. So Vigo county residents can come drive through the parking lot, and, you know, write out what they need and get some supplies for newborns, or soon to be newborns. So how can people be take part of it? So our drop off sites do close on this Thursday, but if they do have items they want to donate, bring them to City Hall by Friday, and the distribution is Saturday, 10am to
Speaker 2
noon. I know we're almost out of time, but what else do you have?
Speaker 1
We are getting so close on a number of projects, the Deming Park pool, we're renovating that facility, and it won't be this grandiose, you know, Marshall Illinois style water park, but it'll be what we can afford. We'll update the pool. We'll bring in some water slides, obviously the Fairbanks Park and YMCA, we've got progress there. And, you know, Joe, I try to tell everyone one of my goals is to give kids an excuse to put that cell phone down and go outdoors, embrace nature, and our parks and recreation department has really embraced that. From a public safety standpoint, we're in the process of hiring our second social worker, you know, law enforcement, these guys and gals are put in so many tough situations, so making sure we have folks with knowledge on the resources to help with situations that aren't violent, that aren't criminal, and we appreciate the Terre Haute Police Department for all they do in embracing that program. So there's a lot going on here in the city of Terre Haute and a lot of progress. Thanks so much. And to see you in March. We'll see you next month. Thank you.
