A friend sent me a link to this article from Inside Indiana Business. The article cites a Ball State University brief titled, “Some Economic Effects of Tax Increment Financing in Indiana“, which postulates, per the article, that the overall effect of TIF districts in a community is negligible in the creation of economic development because it is just a function of moving development from one area (outside the TIF) to another (inside the TIF) at the expense of taxpayers outside the TIF. If you’re really interested in this, I would suggest you follow the link to the full “brief” as there is a lot more information there than what has been condensed into the article.
Culver took a step forward with their Affordable Housing Task Force on Wednesday March 11th. Representatives from the Town Council, Redevelopment Commission, Plan Commission, Public Schools, Culver Academies and MCEDC met at the library to discuss the issues and goals regarding affordable housing. With the exception of two with staff positions, all were volunteers from the community stepping up to try and make things better.
I was pretty disappointed in the Culver Town Council at their last meeting where they addressed the wind turbine ordinance presented to them by the Plan Commission. It will probably cost Culver any opportunity to expand their Extended Territorial Zoning Boundary, but as so often happens, the voice of the few has outweighed the apathy of the many. So be it. But that’s not what this post is about. This post is about Water Towers!
During the above discussion, Ginny Munroe, Town Council President, expressed a comparison between wind turbines and the town water towers. She complained that she considers the town water towers necessary evils that are blights on the Culver skyline. But what is Culver doing about it? Apparently nothing, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have some thoughts. Ha! I’m not an engineer, so I’m not saying any of these would work, but here are some ideas Culver could explore:
“Our governments and our business and political elites are not mainly made up of stupid people. One of the shocking things about getting to know people in government, whether in elected office or in the bureaucracies, is that they are mostly bright, well-intentioned, and honest. Together they represent a sterling example of one of the most important and least understood of modern social paradoxes: None of us is as dumb as all of us.”
Kevin D. Williamson from his article Davos’s Destructive Elites
Culver government has taken a long break over the November/December holidays. I know the holidays are tough for scheduling meetings, we are having some changing of the guard on various boards and commissions, and we haven’t found a new Town Manager yet. <sigh!> Acknowledging all that, business is moving forward. The article to the right cites “2,153 new jobs expected state wide over the next few years.” That number doesn’t seem as big when you consider that Marshall County businesses are projecting the addition of 500 jobs THIS YEAR! Aggressive Manufacturing Innovations (AMI) is mentioned here adding 250 jobs in 2015. In Culver, Elkay is projected the need for 100 new employees during their tax abatement hearing last year.
Culver’s To-Do list includes the following:
Next week the Culver Town Council will convene with the new board members, elect leadership and begin making their appointments to the subsidiary boards and commissions. Taking the next steps to kick off the Affordable Housing Task Force and hold an Action Plan meeting can’t happen too quickly after that. Time is of the Essence…
Image Source: Scan from Pilot News 12-20-14