Comprehensive Plan

MCEDC Culver Update

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Jennifer Laurent, Executive Director of Marshall County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), gave an update to the Culver Town Council last night.  Aside from giving a report on some of the activities MCEDC is involved in throughout the County, she discussed some of the specifics for Culver.  One these was her interactions with Elkay Wood Products, formerly Medallion Cabinetry.   Jennifer facilitated a radio interview June 15th on WTCA with Rick Coffman, Operations Manager, to discuss what they do and what their plans for the future are.  I think a key point here is that no one else in Culver is making these kind of contacts and making sure our largest industrial client is helped.

Jennifer also commended the Plan Commission and Redevelopment Commission for making the first steps towards a new Comprehensive Plan.  (20/20 Vision for Culver!)  She stressed some of the visioning needs that the plan should address along with the nuts & bolts infrastructure and land planning functions.

This is much like what I’ve been trying to promote with the various groups…  We need to use the development of the new Comprehensive Plan as the catalyst for new ideas about Culver’s future.  Communities are either growing or dying.  Maintaining the Status Quo is impossible.

Jennifer is also working with Culver’s new Town Manager, Jeff Schoeff, to coordinate some training sessions for the Redevelopment Commission, Plan Commission and Town Council.  One important topic will be TIF Districts.  Others topics relating to finances and the various powers of these boards will be considered as well.

I hope the council members and those in the audience recognize the value Culver gets from leveraging their funds in with Marshall County and the other Marshall County communities.  Budgets will no doubt be tight again this year, but without MCEDC, who would be doing these things for Culver?  We have so many individuals with good intentions, but they can’t make up for someone with dedicated time and tenure based on performance.

Culver Redevelopment Commission

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Last night the Culver Redevelopment Commission met for their regular monthly meeting.  Kathy Clark spoke to the group in support of some projects that had come before them.  (Kathy was the chair of the Redevelopment Commission when it was first formed.)

She was there to help my cause of getting the Redevelopment Commission to fund the new Comprehensive Plan.  She stated that the Comprehensive plan is an integral part of retaining and bringing new business to Culver by setting goals and planning on where development should occur.  She cited examples of how the original Redevelopment Commission used the Comprehensive Plan to determine how to layout the TIF districts and where to spend the money that was provided by the TIF districts.  She also gave her reasoning on where TIF money should be spent.  The Commission was moved by her insights and has chosen to fund the Comprehensive Plan.  They did put some caveats on the cost and they did ask for involvement in selecting the consultant, but overall it was a big step forward.  Culver just may get 20/20 vision before 2020 arrives!

Bob Porter, Culver Utilities Superintendent, was there to request funding for a clock to be added to the Downtown Revitalization Project.  The Commission agreed to fund this too, probably due to Kathy’s pep talk.  Bob didn’t give a lot of details other than that it would be a four faced post clock which would be set in the Right-of-Way somewhere around the intersection of Main Street and Jefferson Street.

Tom Kearns and Mike Stallings were there from the Culver Tree Commission requesting funding for a tree project to improve School Street starting at the intersection with S.R. 10 and running south to Academy Road.  (See sketch)  Tom indicated that they had the support of all the property owners involved.  He also stated that the tree selections were made with the power lines in mind as well as a goal of having color throughout the year.  It was a good night to visit the Redevelopment Commission as they chose to fund this project as well!

Culver 20/20 Vision Update

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At last night’s meeting of the Culver Town Council, I again broached the subject of funding a new Comprehensive Plan.  (See previous entries on this subject here.) Apparently the idea of pursuing a new income survey has been shelved, so it now becomes a budget item that will need to be funded internally.  At the behest of Kathy Clark, I have approached the Culver Redevelopment Commission (CRC) about funding all or part of a new Comp Plan.  I also discussed this with Jennifer Laurent at MCEDC and she concurred that this is a viable use of the TIF funds that the CRC controls.  The CRC is interested in pursuing this, but they would like participation from the Town, thus my request last night.

I brought this issue up again before the Plan Commission last week and offered to make the request to the Council on their behalf.  I think the Council understands the importance.  I reminded them of the recent article in the Pilot News last week that discussed Plymouth’s effort to update their Comp Plan since their current outdated plan was limiting their ability to obtain grants.

The Comp Plan is such an intrinsic piece of the puzzle for everything from infrastructure maintenance and expansion, land development, zoning issues, grant pursuits and economic development that it is critical that we have an up to date plan.  There once was a chart on the wall in the Council Chamber showing how everything flowed down from the Comprehensive Plan.  That is still an important point of understanding that I think is often missed.

The Town Council made the decision to schedule a work session on this issue around the middle of next month once the new Town Manager is in place.  His start date is scheduled for June 4th and I’m sure he’ll have a lot on his plate.  I hope we can keep this issue near the top of the agenda.  With the Town coming up on the budget season, I’m hoping that we can get some money set aside to provide a Comp Plan that will provide the necessary guidance for the community.

20/20 Vision for Culver

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20/20 Vision is what I’m dubbing my attempts to get Culver on track for a new Comprehensive Plan.  Judging from the last one which has taken a little over 10 years to revise, shooting for a plan that would lay out goals for completion by the year 2020 seems like the place to start.

I’ve been pushing for this for a while.  (See here as well as a couple of other times.)  At the September Culver Plan Commission meeting I was rewarded punished for my diligent nagging by being appointed to a committee of one to look into it.  Hopefully this will be expanded to a larger group in the future, but I was asked to get things moving.

At the October Plan Commission meeting I reported on some of the issues I thought should be addressed by a revised comp plan, the steps required, the State Statute regarding Comprehensive Plans and options for a planning grant.

A few of my concerns with the existing Comprehensive Plan include:

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South Side Update

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Tuesday night was the regular meeting of the Culver Plan Commission.   The only agenda item was a replatting of the Rhodes property, combining several lots into one.  This passed with little question. 

Under “Public Input”, John Zehner presented his plans to change the use of the Ten Spot to a restaurant and motel.  The presentation wasn’t required, but was more of a courtesy, keeping the Plan Commission apprised of the change in use.  The Plan Commission also supported this proposal.

I took the opportunity to plant some seeds regarding the development on the south side of Culver, basically outlining the thoughts I had previously presented here.  I was pleased that the Plan Commission was fairly receptive.  They agreed to consider most of what I suggested.  I truly think this is an opportunity for the Town to get out in front of some issues and encourage the type of development they would like to see.  They are considering forming a subcommittee to look into this with the idea that the subcommittee would try and form community partnerships and foster buy-in.  All in all a very positive evening!