I’m reporting on this because I think it’s a good opportunity to meet and maybe get to know one of the serious contenders in this important congressional race. It also represents a significant event for downtown Westfield–a chance for people to visit the Grand Junction area.

I recently met Susan at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon. I found her to be conversant on the progress that Westfield has made in recent years and the related issues. She seemed to be genuinely eager to get to know more people in Westfield.

She certainly has credentials. Former Indianapolis Deputy Mayor in the Goldsmith administration; former United States Attorney, appointed by President George W. Bush; former Vice President and General Counsel of Ivy Tech Community College.

For more information on Susan’s campaign, visit her website at www.SusanBrooks2012.com.

Although I haven’t yet committed to supporting a particular candidate in this race, I believe it’s important for voters to get to know as much as they can about candidates and to meet them face-to-face if the opportunity arises. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you attend this function if you can.

KK

P.S. Don’t expect to see me there as my son has WYSI baseball evaluations at the very same time.

With the imminent transformation of U.S. 31 into a limited access highway (think freeway), there are a number of properties that first had to be purchased by the state. You may have already seen some empty buildings, particularly on Greyhound Court south of Wendy’s. Well, rather than simply bulldozing paradise and putting up a parking lot (OK, freeway), the state (INDOT) has agreed to allow the Westfield Fire and Police Departments to conduct traning exercises on, in, and around the condemned buildings.

This partnership between the City and INDOT is a great idea because it allows our public safety personnel to engage in some training that’s pretty close to the real thing. It’s one thing to train on a mocked up structure or in a big tin can, but it’s something entirely different when you’re chopping a hole in the roof of a commercial building (or so I’m told).

According to a city press release, more than a dozen structures on the West side of 31 between Greyhound Pass and 161st street are part of this agreement–with potentially more to come as the highway consruction proceeds.

So, as you’re driving on 31, don’t be too concerned when you see a flurry of public safety activity in the next couple of weeks. But please, heed the sirens and pull over as the emergency vehicles pass. Who knows, they might be responding to the real thing.

KK

The purpose of the joint meeting is to maintain an open line of communication between the two organizations and to ensure that all are aware of the major issues.  They really ought to be at least an annual affair.

Although I didn’t attend, I have spoken with participants and audience members and can relay some of the highlights.

This meeting was hosted by the City Council and so it occurred in the City Hall meeting room where the City Council customarily meets.  Generally, the home court advantage alternates from meeting to meeting.  I’m told the room was fairly full, but the audience was primarily school and city employees. Only two members of the general public attended.

Not surprisingly, the School Board’s major concern involved budget constraints.  Declines in assessed valuation coupled with property tax reform have made things very difficult for the school corporation. Moreover, state mandated, all day kindergarten will add to operating costs.  

A significant issue discussed involves the allocation of TIF revenues.  Westfield had been one of a very few Indiana communities that did not absorb 100% of the revenue generated from TIF districts.  Until recently, our practice had been to split that revenue in such a way that the city received 75% and the remaining 25% flowed through to all the other local taxing authorities such as the school, the library, the township, etc.  However, with some major infrastructure needs looming in the near future, the city decided that it needed the full amount of the revenue created by the TIF districts.

The school naturally questioned that decision.  The Mayor explained that the only way Westfield will be able to grow its AV (assessed value) is to make road and infrastructure improvements to attract businesses to locate here.  The city needs the full amount of the TIF revenue to do that.

Growth in AV will result in growth in revenue.  The property tax rate is applied to the assessed value of all the real estate in the township to come up with the amount of property tax owed by each parcel owner (subject to tax caps, of course).  If AV declines (as it has during these troubled economic times) and the tax rate remains steady, then revenue will decline.  

The way to increase revenue is to increase either AV or the tax rate (or both).  Clearly, increasing AV is the preferred course.  If AV is grown enough, it’s possible for both tax rates and tax payments to decline.  That’s why it’s so important to attract economic development to Westfield.

Unless you are knee deep into local government finance on a daily basis, it’s very difficult to really understand the nuances involved.  I’ve only ventured into these waters up to my ankles and the breadth of my knowledge (or lack thereof) certainly reflects that.

I believe it was good for the School Board and the City Council to have a face-to-face discussion.  It should probably happen more often.

KK

I don’t foresee too much downtown new construction in the immediate future. There’s just too much uncertainty, given the economy and the change and disruption soon to be caused by US 31 construction and its overflow effects on SR 32. I also don’t see small businesses being able to afford the kinds of rents they’d have to pay for new construction. So in order to see some growth in downtown, it’ll have to be achieved by businesses moving into existing structures.

Did you know that there are roughly 25 existing properties in Westfield’s downtown that are vacant and available for sale, lease, or rent? I didn’t–until recently. Anne Poynter, Executive Director of the Downtown Westfield Association, did the research and came up with a list. It would be great if we could entice some nice little restaurants like Keltie’s and the late, Queso Blanco to relocate to the Grand Junction area. Other boutique businesses, some catering to the young-at-heart trail using crowd, would be ideal as well.

It’ll take a concerted effort to attract such “talent.” We can’t just wait and hope that another Jan’s Pizza will magically appear. The mayor has asked the Grand Junction Task Group to actively market our downtown to potential businesses. That effort is under way.

You too can help by talking up downtown Westfield to any business owners that you might know. Highlight the various activities that occur here during the year like the Grand Junction Derby, the Farmers’ Market, Westfield Rocks the 4th, Westfield in Bloom, and the Christmas Tree Lighting. Also mention the Midland Trail, Old Friends Cemetery Park, the Natalie Wheeler Trail, the Red Man, and the mural on the Westfield Pharmacy building. There’s also the City’s Facade Improvement program that offers matching grants to encourage property owners to make improvements to their buildings.

I truly believe that a successful and vibrant downtown is an amenity that benefits all residents of Westfield. Businesses are much more likely to relocate to Westfield as a whole if there is a “happening” downtown. (See the previous post about economic development.) People like to live in communities that have a certain buzz to them. So lets get buzzing.

KK

Many of the 68,000 people in the seats at Lucas Oil Stadium were corporate decision makers.  They came here from all over the country, if not the world.  Most of them were blown away by Hoosier hospitality and exuberance while they were here.  Who knows?  The next time they decide to build a national distribution center, open up a mid west regional office, or move their corporate headquarters, maybe they’ll seriously consider Indianapolis because of the experience they had here during Super Bowl XLVI.  It could happen.

It is called economic development.  It’s the reason Indianapolis wanted to host the Super Bowl.  It’s why Lucas Oil Stadium was built and partially funded with public money.

Likewise, economic development is why we do a lot of the things we’re doing in Westfield.  Take Grand Park, for instance.  Although it’ll be nice to have plenty of playing fields for Westfield youth to play soccer, football, and baseball, it’s the businesses that locate around the sports campus that we’re really after.  Those businesses will construct buildings, create jobs, and pay taxes.  They will help shoulder the tax burden that now rests so heavily on residential homeowners.

The Grand Junction and a revitalized downtown are also economic development generators.  Just like our budding trail system and Grand Park, they are amenities for people who live and work in Westfield.  Amenities improve quality of life.  That’s what people and businesses look for when they relocate.

So the next time you hear a public official utter the phrase “economic development,”  just think “Super Bowl” and you’ll know exactly what they’re talking about.

KK

I took this photo of the Super Bowl Ring display at the NFL Experience

There’s lots going on in Westfield these days.  The Grand Park Sports Campus is underway.  The Grand Junction is moving along.  US 31 freeway construction has started.  We have a new City Council.  There’s a little thing called the Super Bowl happening a bit south of us. . . . Just to name a few.

However, one of the difficulties that we endure here in Westfield is that there really is no dedicated 20th Century form of media to adequately inform the public.  Sure, there’s the Indianapolis Star, but really, how much energy do they expend reporting on life in Westfield?  There’s actually a Carmel,/Zionsville/Westfield weekly edition of the Star that I get for free in the mail.  For a while it made an attempt at reporting some local content.  There would be one story on the front page focusing on one of the three municipalities.  The rest of it was ads and recipes.  Now the sole story is gone and the ads don’t even make an attempt at being local.  It’s a waste of paper as far as I’m concerned.

“But, Ken,” you say, “we have the Current in Westfield.”  To which I counter that a good third of Westfield residents don’t get Current in the mail because they don’t have a Westfield address.  Current mails its Westfield edition only to 46074 addresses.  That means if you live in Village Farms or Bridgewater you get Current in Carmel and if you live in Brookside, you get Current in Noblesville.  When I was writing my column in Current in Westfield, some of my biggest fans lived in Carmel.  Go figure!

What about The Noblesville Daily Times (or whatever it’s called these days)?  What’s their circulation in Westfield?  Maybe 500?  Enough said.

The City tries to communicate with residents by stuffing fliers in the utility bill, but I’ve never found that to be an effective way to communicate.  I’d guess that most people throw out stuff that’s stuffed in the bill.  Believe it or not, there are still some Westfield residents who are on well and septic.  For a long time they never received a utility bill from the city.  (That may be moot now with the storm water utility and the garbage collection service that I believe is charged to every resident.)

Recently, the City has been mailing a monthly newsletter titled Westfield Matters to residents, highlighting some of the goings on in Westfield. It’s a nice four page glossy piece that looks a bit like an over sized post card.  I think I accidentally threw it in the garbage the first time it came in the mail–and I was expecting it!  It’s a good attempt, but it too, has its limitations.

So maybe in the year 2012, we should start utilizing new media.  That’s where this blog comes in.  I’ll do my best to talk about things that are relevant to Westfield, just like I did on a weekly basis at Current in Westfield for over three years.  Except that I won’t be restricted by their schedule (or their editing).  I’ll write as things happen.  It’ll be part reporting and part opinion.  Hopefully, you’ll read and maybe even comment.  But please keep the interaction civil and clean.  And don’t be anonymous.  I’m putting my name on this product for all the world to see.  If you feel moved to respond to what I’ve said, please identify yourself.

Thanks for reading.

KK

Santa House to continue!

The Santa House will be relocated to Hadley Park (corner of 32 & Union Street) for the next two weekends and Christmas Eve (2pm-4pm). Santa & Mrs. Claus will open the House on Saturdays & Sundays from 2pm-4pm (with the exception of 12/18 when the house will be closed)

Winners of the JoSheWe Girl Scout Gingerbread House Competition hosted at The Fern:

Daisies, Troop 307
Brownies, Troop 1505
Juniors, Troop 631

Winner of Merchant Light Competition hosted by Westfield in Bloom:

Union Street Flowers & Gifts (2nd year in a row)
Good Life Coffee House was a close second!
Way to go Downtown Merchants! You really lit up the community with your spirit!

I also want to thank Anthony Tokarz Photography for documenting our evening. Here’s the link to his wonderful photos: http://atokarzphoto.zenfolio.com/p411251061

http://wrtv.cityvoter.com/west​field-farmers-market/biz/61523​8

Go to www.cababaseball.com for more information.