The mayor says the designer for Switchyard Park has been hired but renderings won't be out until next year, the $72 million city budget is stabilized with one of the largest reserves in the state and why he's so conservative on annexation.
On this week's installment of Ask The Mayor, Mayor Mark Kruzan addresses these issues and more. Listen to the full conversation with Indiana Newsdesk anchor Joe Hren by clicking on the play button above, or read some of the questions and answers below.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Hren: It's only been a month, but perhaps we can get an update on two major downtown projects, Switchyard Park and the Trades District?
Kruzan: Switchyard Park is now in process, the designer has been hired, the firm was selected. The designs won't be ready until 2016 and I would hope that maybe you would see dirt being moved in the summer of 2016. There's not been a commitment from either mayoral candidate as to whether they support the full park investment or not.
On the Trades District, actually quite a bit has happened since we talked last month. The Redevelopment Commission will open bids from anyone else who might have stepped forward and we're hearing from talk that there might be another interested investor so we'll learn that this week. Meantime the firm we talked about already Flaherty and Collins is looking through the process and planning stages so there are quite a bit of deadlines coming up.
Hren: We have to mention the city budget that was approved last week, I think when residents hear about a $72 million dollar budget they wonder what's new or what is the city getting this year, but most of that cost is staff?
Kruzan: That is true, more than 90% of it is personnel. I think that my successor may be somewhat shocked at how little discretionary dollars are available.
Hren: Unless there are new revenue streams or big tax cuts, at least in the past year there's been new revenue with parking meters, where does that money go?
Kruzan: Not particularly, we are still paying for the meters themselves, but even when the revenue comes, it's restricted to state law as to how it can be used. But that's something the next administration will do. You can fund downtown priorities that are served by the meters.
Hren: We covered the story last week on the level of contaminants in the city water supply, have you been able to look into this and determine how serious this may be?
Kruzan: Well I'm not capable of understanding the technical aspects of it and I think most of us aren't, which is why the board is looking into people with greater expertise that can advise us. I think the board may contract with those experts who can give us expert opinion and, as importantly, an independent look at it. The one thing I haven't said is that these levels are within acceptable levels. And I think most people that read about it know, but I want to make people feel like hey, there is a problem here that we are in danger right now and we need to fix it. This is about preventing being a problem.
