barton's plan to make crawfordsville great again

8/4/2019 Barton's Plan to Make Crawfordsville Great Again

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TODD BARTON for

MAYOR ofCRAWFORDSVILLE

ACTION PLANfor

MakingCrawfordsville Great

Again


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Introduction

Crawfordsville is at a fork in the road. We face further economic stagnation, declinein our infrastructure, downtown, and buildings, erosion of our property values, andloss of home-town pride. Or we can integrate change and move Crawfordsville in the

right direction. Its been said that theres nothing worse than failing to plan for success.And I think its the current administrations failure to plan thats caused us to struggle

in recent times.

Crawfordsville can be great again. I am running to be Mayor of Crawfordsville,because I believe my ten-point plan provides the roadmap that gets us there. This planwill be implemented on day one of my administration if Im fortunate enough to serveyou as your mayor. But this plan is based on what I believe must be done so that we

can shape what Crawfordsville will be GREAT AGAIN!

My plan focuses on ten aspects of our community and what your mayor and city

government must do to lead Crawfordsville back. The framework for my plan includes:

1. Economic Development2. Fiscal Management3. Ethical Standards4. Empowerment and Open Communication5. Effective City Services6. Revitalization of Blighted Areas7. Intergovernmental Cooperation8. Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Growth9. Annexation and Growth10. Improved Quality of Life

If you have any questions as you read through each of the sections below, please donot hesitate to contact me on Facebook at Todd Barton for Mayor of Crawfordsville.You may also reach me directly by telephone at 376-6651. I look forward to yourquestions and any input you may have. I believe in my plan, and I also know that

together, we can make Crawfordsville GREAT AGAIN.


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1.Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development and job creation are the foundation on which all other

components of my plan are built.

The time to get serious about developing our local economy and job creation hasbeen upon us for some time. Unfortunately, we have failed to take proactive steps toturn things around. This is unquestionably being demonstrated by the need tocontinuously cut services to a point that it begins to threaten the quality of life weexpect in our community. By continuing down this path we face the inevitable result, acommunity that no longer resembles that with which we have grown accustomed, butrather a community with a much lower standard of living. I believe that we mustaggressively focus our energy on growing our economic base, which will result inpersonal and community revenue creation. This is the only logical way to preserve orimprove our quality of life. I fully agree with The Papers Tim Timmonss recent

assessment of Crawfordsville that we are dying from a thousand small cuts.We have continued to lose jobs in our community and, unfortunately, the outlook is

grim unless we take significant action quickly. We face the likelihood of more job lossesand have no real prospects for significant job creation. This places us in a downwardspiral of endlessly cutting services and lowering the standard of living in our

community.

I believe current economic development efforts are falling short for several reasons :

We need a vital, active, creative economic development approach. The economicdevelopment model currently being used is substantially the same as the plan

our competitor communities are using. If we continue to do things just like thoseother communities, what sets us apart and makes us stand out to potentialinvestors? The answer is painfully obvious, nothing.

We need a new partnership and cooperation with our nongovernmentaleconomic development organization, Montgomery County EconomicDevelopment (MCED). MCED is well organized and blessed with the insightand experience of many talented, successful individuals. But it lacks a cohesivesense of direction or goals. I believe that as the county seat, Crawfordsville, andits mayor, must take point on responsibility for setting the overall economic-development agenda.

We must increase the citys support for MCED and work on a sound, team-basedapproach. MCED is not receiving adequate support from the city ofCrawfordsville. The citys current efforts can be described as a fracturedapproach at best. The city must increase MCED support in two ways. First, themayor and the mayors administrative team must be fully active and engagedwith MCED. And second, the city must increase its financial contributions toMCED. The citys current contribution of $15,000 per year sends a clear signal


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that economic development is not as important as the other things on which wespend much more. Of course, increased funding must be tied to increasedperformance expectations. This is a reasonable expectation any future citycouncil would have in considering increasing our MCED contribution.

We must operate with a formal, comprehensive economic development plan forour community. The current administrations lack of any plan is a fundamentalflaw that leaves us simply treading water and trying not to lose as much as theguy down the road. Planning is paramount to success in any endeavor.Economic development is certainly no different. Without a plan we findourselves drifting and expending our limited resources in inefficient ways. Dowe continue more of the same or do we seek a solution? A comprehensive planoffers our only real chance at avoiding more of the same and the potential for adifferent outcome. Simply wishing for that big employer to happen along defiesall current statistics and is not a plan. Should we continue to pin all our hopes onthis?

We must face the inevitability of change. Remaining passively attached to theeconomic development ideals of the past will most certainly guarantee failure.Change is now happening so quickly that we must become increasingly flexibleand prepared to shift our focus on an ongoing basis. Free markets, emergingeconomies, and the technology revolution make future economic developmentplanning a very fluid process.

Your mayor must work closely and in cooperation with county officials andbelieve that we should approach economic development as a communityrather than a city and a county. The current approach is disjointed, withseparate and distinct city and county involvement. This fragmented,

divided approach doesnt benefit either of us. This approach is furthercomplicated by the overlapping roles of nongovernmental agencies. Potentialinvestors often remark that their first impression is that the city and countybicker, compete, or just dont get along. Those looking to invest, plant theirbusiness and create jobs do not want to deal with these issues, and so its simplytoo easy for the investor or business person to pass on our community. Thismust change.

We must actively engage state economic development leaders and utilize stateresources. The State of Indiana has recently invested heavily in attractingbusiness to our state. Unfortunately, evidence of our involvement or benefit

from such efforts and use of our state resources is non-existent. Why are we notseeking to benefit from these expenditures and efforts made at the state level?

We must create a sales team for Crawfordsville. This will consist of a group oflocal government leaders, business leaders, and interested citizens to effectivelysell our community to those who are considering investing here. A firstimpression can be the only impression. So we must put Crawfordsvilles bestfoot forward with potential investors and business people. There are manytalented people in this community who love to show it off and make people feel


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welcome while bringing to light our proud history and positive attributes. Wemust call upon those who can help us make the sale and utilize their passion forthis community.

We must develop and harness our community pride. To attract potentialinvestors we must awaken and utilize the abundant pride that exists in this

community. Visitors and potential investors are greeted by crumbling,abandoned buildings, weed infested sidewalks, decaying welcome signs, and ageneral lack of upkeep in many highly visible areas. What message does thissend? We must rekindle our abundant community pride to clean these areas upand make a difference. Proper leadership can make it happen.

We must market our Commerce Park. Recent efforts have simply missed themark or fallen short. The ongoing failure to secure a corporate tenant in theindustrial park speaks for itself. Again, we can continue to take the sameapproach or we can make changes. Members of the redevelopment commissionhave worked very hard, largely at their own expense, to make the park

marketable and position it for success. But our failure to develop a cleardevelopment plan or to utilize marketing professionals, such as commercialbrokers, to help us obtain the desired results is a clear contributor to our failure

to secure a corporate tenant.

The following actions are necessary to effectively address each of these shortfalls.Heres my action plan for Crawfordsvilles and our communitys economic future:

Bartons Economic Development Action Plan:

1. Immediately increase the citys support of MCED efforts by pledging activeinvolvement by the mayor and administrative team. If MCED is to serve as ourLead Economic Develop Organization (LEDO) we must properly support themand provide them with the tools and motivation to succeed. I will seek additionalfunding from the city council for MCED that is comparable to what MontgomeryCounty is providing. However, the increase in support will be coupled withincreased performance expectations. The following actions are essential toimproving our success and will be related to MCED in the form of performance

objectives:

a. MCED will complete a Resource Assessment Poll that includes thedevelopment opinions of each of MCEDs Directors and specific members of

the business community. Copies of all completed polls will be shared withthe Montgomery County Commissioners, Montgomery County Council,Crawfordsvilles mayor, city council and redevelopment commission. Thismust be completed by March 1, 2012.

b. MCED will present city and county leadership with an EconomicDevelopment Market Ranking Report. This report should, at a minimum:


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Identify those resources available in our community for practical jobcreating market exploitation.

Identify legitimately available economic development markets basedupon the resources identified. (What are our niche markets?)

Create market goals based on the resources and markets identified. Goals should be ranked and practical in terms of public cost as well as

demonstrating logical and competitive advantages for our specificcommunity.

The report should be approved and signed off on by the MCED Board ofDirectors.

This must be completed by May 1, 2012.

2. MCED must create and submit a comprehensive written Plan for the EconomicDevelopment of the Crawfordsville/Montgomery County Community. Theplan must:

a. be an evolution of the polling and marketing reports aboveb. be original and specifically developed for this communityc. identify our strengths to be utilized and the markets to be

exploitedd. reference objectively logical arguments and knowledgeable

resourcese. must clearly define detailed marketing tactics, budgets and

timelines

The final plan must be ratified by a majority of the MCED Board of Directors andthen submitted to Montgomery County Commissioners/Council as well as theCrawfordsville Mayor/City Council for their consideration and approval. Thismust be completed by August 1, 2012.

3. As mayor, I would assume a leadership role by facilitating meetings to be heldno less than monthly at which all those who play a role in our economicdevelopment will build collaboration, share information, exchange ideas in a

cooperative manner. These meetings should include representation from countycommissioners, county council, city council, MCED, Montgomery CountyChamber of Commerce, Crawfordsville Redevelopment Commission and anyother groups deemed appropriate. These meetings will begin being conductedno later than January 31, 2012.

4. A substantial relationship will be established with state economic developmentleaders and every effort will be made to ensure that we are taking full advantage


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of their efforts to promote business in Indiana. We must capitalize on the statesuse of these resources. Initial meetings will be held as part of the MCED processof constructing our economic development plan and the process of incorporatingthe states resource and efforts into our own efforts must be taken intoconsideration in the development of the plan.

5. As mayor, I will assemble a database of local government leaders, businessleaders, educators and citizens who are passionate about selling our communityand are willing to assist when potential investors visit our community. This willbe a diverse group whose varied backgrounds and interests may be called uponfor specific situations. This database can be used by city or county officials aswell as MCED to build a sales team specific tailored to best make potentialinvestors feel most welcome and encouraged to invest in our community. Thisdatabase will be in place by February 29, 2012 but will require ongoing

maintenance as interest by volunteer members change over time.

6. The city will develop a volunteer based program for those who are willing togive a small amount of time in order to improve our community. This group isbased on the strong sense of pride present in our community. Although thereare many potential roles for such volunteers, their ability to impact the overalllook and presentation of our community during efforts to recruit new investorsis immeasurable. Small things such as removing weeds from downtownsidewalks and picking up trash from streets can go a long way in making usmore attractive. It sends a clear message to potential investors. This group will

be formed and volunteers will begin being recruited by April 1, 2012. Thedirector of parks & recreation will be responsible for managing the activities ofthis group.

7. Our relationship with existing employers will be nurtured and strengthened. Iwill set out on a plan to meet with the senior leadership of all our majoremployers by arranging times to call on them at their corporate headquarters. Astrong, personal relationship creates a bond that solidifies our position to retaincurrent jobs while encouraging additional growth. We must show genuineinterest in the success of these employers and their local operations byundertaking an effort to gauge how we can best help them in Crawfordsville andpromote the growth of their operations.

8. The process of locating or expanding a business in our community must besimplified. Those wishing to invest here are currently faced with an endlesschase of permits and paper between multiple city and county offices. This is


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very discouraging and stifles growth in addition to sending a clear signal that wedont have our act together. I will undertake talks with county officials andmake every attempt to develop a mutually agreeable arrangement under whichthe offices of Crawfordsville City Planning Department and the MontgomeryCounty Building Department would be located within the same space. This

would be followed by a creation of a comprehensive set of steps that thosewishing to build or invest could follow. In a sense, one-stop shopping. Ifsomeone wants to invest in our community, whether through expansion or newinvestment we should roll out the red carpet and do everything to assist them,not provide them with the sense of being given the runaround. Although this isdependent upon buy in from county officials my goal is to have such a movecomplete by June 1, 2012.

9. Every effort must be taken to ensure that tax abatements are achieving theirdesired effect. Although the planning director assembles as much information as

possible concerning such requests and requests for continuation of abatementsthere are often unanswered questions. Businesses often fail to attend meetings ofthe city council at which their requests are being considered. This leaves councilmembers with a tough choice and the decision is usually made to grant theabatement even if important information is lacking. Certainly, no one wants tovote against an abatement continuation only to see a business pack up and leavetown taking jobs with it. I will seek to institute a policy requiring site visits byadministration officials and council representatives prior to the request for a newor renewal being placed on the council agenda. These visits will ensure that allthe needed information is available for council consideration and show that the

city is truly interested in the business and its expansion. This process will beginwith any abatement requests made after February 1, 2012.

10.We must take sudden and drastic steps to improve our presence on the world-wide-web. When most us seek to learn something about a community today ourfirst stop is usually the internet. Unfortunately, our presence on the web isdismal at best. The citys website is shockingly sparse and plain, lacking themost basic information or even the ability to send the mayor an e-mail. Whatkind of impression does this make on someone who makes an attempt to learnmore about us? I would propose that it leaves a much less than favorableimpression. I will change our web presence to make it not only more beneficialto local residents but attractive and inviting to those who seek to learn moreabout us. A new, appropriate web presence will be in place by April 1, 2012 andwill be maintained in the proper manner. This includes not only the cityswebsite but improved web marketing strategies through search engines, etc.


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11.Every effort will be made to cultivate the development of local, small businesses.Approximately 80% of job creation in the U.S. is by companies employing lessthan 10 people. We can no longer ignore this statistic and must create anenvironment of entrepreneurialism. Locally grown companies the ones thatcreate local jobs and grow local wealth offer a much higher economic return

than exclusively biggame hunting in industrial development, a practice that isbecoming increasingly expensive and far less rewarding than in the past. TheBarton administration will implement policies that encourage and promote localsmall-business development:

Streamlined permitting process through the one-stop shopping processoutlined earlier

A complete review of all city ordinances and policies will be conducted tomake sure they encourage small business development and changes will beproposed where needed

A program will be developed to assist small businesses in accessing venturecapital as financing is an essential ingredient to their development. While thecity cannot finance these businesses we can certainly have already laid theground work through an established program which links small businesseswith potential lenders and investors.

It seems evident that entrepreneurial development will be a part of MCEDs neweconomic development plan; and the city will create an entrepreneurialdevelopment program to compliment this. The Barton administration willimmediately set out to encourage small business development and a formal

program will be in place by October 1, 2012.


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2.Fiscal ManagementTwo challenges must be effectively addressed to work toward soundly managing the

Citys finances: 1) the budget generally, and 2) employee health insurance. As your

mayor I will take the following actions regarding each challenge:

Budget Challenge: The lack of economic development, the continued loss of jobs and

a housing slump have all combined with property tax caps to produce very challengingfiscal times for the City of Crawfordsville. This challenge has only been made worse bythe lack of fiscal oversight on the mayors part. Each department head is currentlypreparing their proposed budget on an individual basis with little mayoral oversightand no apparent coordination among departments. This has resulted in proposedbudgets being submitted to the city council which exceed the anticipated revenue. Inshort, the recent proposed budgets have not been balanced and the city council hasbeen forced to make significant cuts due to the lack of mayoral leadership. Budgethearings have frequently become a battle, pitting city departments against one another.

This is indicative of the lack of a cohesive plan on the part of the current administration.

Action Plan: As mayor I will work with department heads to develop a proposed

budget that reflects our collective priorities for the following year and is WITHIN

anticipated revenues. This will be done in the following fashion:

1. Work closely with the clerk treasurer to determine the anticipated revenue forthe following year.

2. Assemble department heads and develop goals for the following year, whichallow departments to effectively deliver services and position the city to achieve

our long-term goals.3. Prepare departmental budgets in close consultation with each department head,clerk treasurer and the chairman of the Crawfordsville City Council FiscalAffairs. The proposed budget shall reflect our goals for the following year andthe sum of all proposed departmental budgets shall not exceed the anticipatedrevenue.

4. The proposed balanced budget will then be submitted to the city council fortheir consideration.

5. It should be noted that priorities will need to be shifted from one year to the nextin order to achieve long-term goals. For example, extra resources might need tobe focused on one department for a year to make capital purchases and thenshifted to another department the following year.

Employee Health Insurance Challenge: The acquisition of health insurance for city

employees has become an increasingly expensive and challenging procedure. The citysportion of premiums represents a significant expenditure within our annual budget andthe employees portion has continuously increased, frequently offsetting the minimal


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raises that have been given. I recognize the importance of quality benefits in attractingand retaining the quality employees which allow us to most effectively and efficiently

deliver city services.

Action Plan: A truly competitive process must be put into place that will allow the

city and its employees to obtain the best value for the price paid. Under the currentadministration, a competitive process is not in place. The process is only open to oneinsurance agency who usually offers the city a few plans through different providers.The lack of an open, competitive process, in which any insurance provider may bid onproviding health insurance stifles competition and leaves the taxpayer unsure if they

are getting the best value for their money.

I will institute a competitive bidding process to acquire health insurance when thecitys current policy is set to expire. The services of an independent, insuranceprofessional who shall be excluded from taking part in the process or providinginsurance to the city may be used to help evaluate the cost and coverage of proposed

plans and to assist the city in developing a long-term strategy for controlling healthinsurance costs through actions such as wellness programs and possible consolidation

with other large group purchasers.

The competitive bidding process will be in place upon the first health insurancerenewal process under the Barton administration.

3.Ethical StandardsAs your mayor I will change the current practice of accepting substantial gifts fromthose who do business with the city. Accepting such gifts, although not illegal, is not

consistent with my own view of how elected and appointed officials should conductthemselves. I dont believe it leaves officials free to make decisions based solely on thebest interest of the city and its taxpayers. It is currently common practice to accept giftsof tickets to professional sporting events such as Indianapolis Colts games and theBrickyard 400 as well as collegiate events such as Purdue University sporting events.These tickets often include parking, a suite pass, free food and beverages, which are

usually provided by those receiving business worth thousands of our tax dollars.

Action Plan: I will sign and adhere to an ethics policy which prohibits me from

accepting substantial gifts from those who do business with the city. I will also requireall department heads and mayoral appointments to sign this agreement as well.Discussing business with the city over a meal is considered a normal business practice.A business providing me with sports tickets, sponsorships for my children, or othersubstantial gifts, however, is a problem. I will not take part in this or allow it. If I wantto attend a Colts game, I will pay my own way. In short, there should not be a For

Sale sign on the Crawfordsville Mayors Office.


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4.Empowerment and Open CommunicationChallenge: Many residents feel uninformed and out of touch with the activities and

decisions of our city government. While traditional barriers such as busy familyschedules and physical limitations are largely to blame there are many options available

today to overcome these obstacles, informing and involving those who might have beenunable to participate before. The Barton administration will implement a plan of open,two-way communication with the citizens of this community that will allow them tobecome better informed about the activities of city government thus making them morelikely to actively participate in the decision making process that will shape our future.

The Barton administration will operate under a policy of open communication:

Crawfordsvilles website will undergo a complete renovation to provide aninteractive forum for two-way communication between the city and citizens.This will include a complete view of all city services, facilitate communication

between the public and the service providers. As we move into the future it isimperative that citizens be able to learn more about city services and conductbusiness with the city via the internet.

Citizens will be able to easily e-mail the mayor, city council members,Department heads, and other city officials from one webpage.

All department heads and members of the administrative team will be expectedto take calls from the public when available and promptly return calls when not.

Citizens shall be able to make an appointment to speak with the mayor,any department head or member of the administration within a reasonableamount of time.

The mayors office will provide constant, ongoing press releases and informationto the news media and will be readily accessible to the media

As mayor, I will provide a quarterly written assessment of the city and progressbeing made. This assessment will be released to the news media and will bemade available on the city website. Copies will also be mailed to any citizenrequesting one.

Each department head will provide a written assessment of the activities of theirdepartment semi-annually. These assessments will be made available andreleased in the same manner as the mayors. The schedule for these will beadjusted so that they are not all being completed and released at the same time.

Information released by the administration or city departments will be providedto all news media outlets in an equal and simultaneous manner.

As mayor, I will have a published time every month during which I will beavailable in an accessible, public location within the city. This location will rotateand change from month to month. (example: local restaurants, etc.) During thistime anyone can stop and speak with the mayor regarding their concerns orideas.


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The Barton administrations policy will be that all public meetings will be held inlocations that are easily accessible to the public, conducive to public attendance,equipped with adequate sound systems that allow the public to follow thediscussion and are held at times that encourage public participation.

All of these policies will be implemented on January 1, 2012.

5. Effective City ServicesEffective and efficient city services are critical to our quality of life and to future

growth and we are very fortunate to be served by many highly capable, dedicatedemployees. The city tasks different departments with carrying out these services andin some cases too many resources are being committed and in others not enoughresources are being committed. The Barton administration will undertake an evaluation

of all departments and services to ensure services are being delivered in the mostefficient manner.

Overarching Strategies:

a. Interdepartmental Cooperation: Monthly department head meetings will be held to facilitate open

communication between departments, foster cooperation and ensure that weare all focused on the same goals.

Departments will face strong encouragement to assist one another indelivering services.

Some capital items such as vehicles and equipment will be shared betweendepartments. For example: several departments maintain vehicles for thepurpose of being used by city employees when they travel out of town on citybusiness. These vehicles are notoriously not fuel efficient and in poorcondition. It would make more sense to have fewer, more efficient pool carsthat would be shared among departments than to continue the currentmethod.

Departments will assemble a list of commonly used goods and services andwe will begin the process of negotiating in bulk, as a group, for better prices.This isnt always possible but in many cases we could realize substantial

savings by approaching this together. Beginning in 2013 the city willadvertise for bids annually for commonly used products. This annual bidsheet can then be used by departments for the next year. Examples include:bulk petroleum products, office products, etc.

Fleet maintenance services will be consolidated no later than January 1, 2013.


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b. Communication and Innovation:

Todays workforce has changed and employees are driven by differentneeds.

Employees will be encouraged to openly communicate with departmentleaders and be allowed to share innovative ideas for improving thedelivery of services.

Mayor Barton will have an open-door policy. While employees areencouraged to communicate with their supervisors any employeewishing to speak with the mayor directly regarding any matter willbe free to do so.

Mayor Barton will restore the practice of delivering a State of The Cityaddress annually to the citizens. This will be delivered in February of eachyear and will begin in February of 2012.

Department Specific Objectives:

a.Streets & Sanitation: A master plan for ongoing maintenance/replacement of streets will be

utilized

A master plan for the ongoing maintenance/replacement of capitalequipment will be utilized

The status of trash collection will be evaluated annually and a reportconcerning the expense of such, along with suggested adjustments, will beforwarded to the city council for their consideration

Snow removal plans will be evaluated on an ongoing basis to ensure we areable to complete it in the most timely, cost efficient manner Discussions will be held with county officials to explore ways in which the

city street department and county highway can come together underagreements to share large equipment that isnt used often, cooperate inpurchase of supplies for better pricing (for example: salt, sand, asphalt) andincrease the efficiency of each others operations

b.Police Department:

The Crawfordsville Police Department is essential in maintaining the qualityof life we expect, a life free of crime and violence.

A master plan for the ongoing maintenance/replacement of capitalequipment will be developed and utilized.

Policies that develop and foster open, two-way communication between thepublic and department administrators will be developed and implemented.

Policies that encourage constructive feedback from officers regarding theeffectiveness of operations will be developed and implemented.


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As mayor, I will meet quarterly with representatives of Baldwin MemorialLodge #90, Fraternal Order of Police to facilitate open two-waycommunication and gauge to the effectiveness and efficiency of operations.

c.Fire Department & Emergency Medical Services: A master plan for the ongoing maintenance/replacement of capital

equipment will be developed and utilized

The departments current rank structure will be evaluated with input fromdepartment members, ranking officers, IAFF Local 4143 representatives andthe departments administrative team. The current structure seems to beinefficient and in need of modernization. Recommendations for changes, ifany, will be due back to the Mayor by March 1, 2012.

A Metropolitan Board of Fire Commissioners will be established andgoverning control of the Fire Department will be transferred to them from the

Board of Works. This will allow for independent, bi-partisan decisionmaking on personnel and operational policy matters. The Board of FireCommissioners shall be in place by July 1, 2012.

Talks will begin immediately with Union Township Officials and newagreements for fire and emergency medical protection will be negotiated.

The city currently provides Emergency Medical Services to Ripley Townshipunder a contract that is decades old. Talks with Ripley Township Officialswill begin immediately and a new agreement will be negotiated.

Policies that encourage constructive feedback from fire fighters andparamedics regarding the effectiveness of operations will be developed and

implemented. As mayor, I will meet quarterly with representatives of International

Association of Fire Fighters, Local 4143, to facilitate open two-waycommunication and gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of operations.

d.Wastewater Department:

A master plan for the ongoing maintenance/replacement of capitalequipment will be utilized.

A plan to upgrade our aging sewer infrastructure over time will be created.e.Planning Department:

The Planning Department will coordinate and work with the MontgomeryCounty Building Department, provided that an agreement can be reachedwith county officials.

The permitting process will be streamlined.


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The director will be actively involved in the citys economic developmentefforts and will maintain a close working relationship with MCED.

f.Storm Water Department: The Storm Water Department was created by the current administration and

its duties were previously handled by the Waste Water Department.

Under the Barton Administration the duties of managing our Storm WaterProgram will be transferred back to the Waste Water Department with stormwater sewer operational support from the Street Department. This is a muchmore efficient use of our resources and will allow more of the fees collected tobe put to use to address storm water issues that exist in many areas of ourcity.

The Storm Water Board will be asked to consider current rates and feesfollowing the consolidation of these services to ensure that they are not

excessive at that point.

g.Parks & Recreation: The Parks and Recreation Department is an important part of the overall

quality of life for many people and it is an important component in attractingnew businesses to our community. Unfortunately, our Parks & RecreationDepartment has suffered immensely in recent years, adversely affecting thosewho rely on its services. Although, restoration of services is largelydependent upon the success of economic development efforts and future

growth in revenue some steps will be taken immediately. The Parks & Recreation Director will be charged with facilitating a written

assessment of needs and a Park Improvement Plan by January 1, 2013.

Efforts will be made to improve our parks. This can be enhanced bycooperation between city departments and the use of volunteer groups andthrough the solicitation of individual and corporate support. It is much easierto seek and gain support when an improvement plan is in place.

The ongoing, expensive problem of vandalism in our parks will be evaluatedand appropriate steps taken to address the problem

The Parks belong to the citizens, not the Mayor, and the current practice ofposting the mayors name on signs at all parks will be immediatelydiscontinued.

A plan for enhancing the Sugar Creek Trail shall be developed and in placeby January 1, 2014. This plan must include connecting it to the heart of ourcity. The trail is a wonderful asset but unfortunately, most of our residents

cannot access it without taking a ride in the car.


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h. CELP

Our electric utility has long been one of our fundamental strengths CELP has struggled in recent years with an operating deficit. This

appears to have been worsened by overhead at the power plant that

was not being used as well as by declining revenue resulting fromthe decreased consumption brought on by the economic downturn.

CELP is under the operational control of the Utility Services Board CELP is managed by a mayoral appointment The Barton Administration will have an expectation that CELP be solvent

and no longer operating at a loss by 2014.

6. Revitalization of Blighted Areas

Challenge: Our community is being plagued by vacated, run-down properties thathang over our future like a dark cloud. These properties are not only an eyesore butpresent a significant risk to public safety and diminish our ability to attract newbusinesses and residents. Some of the worst examples of such blighted areas includethe old hospital property and Ben-Hur Building. Other properties, however, such asthe former Target building, are at risk of quickly becoming as bad if action is not taken.

Action Plan: I will create a Revitalization Task Force comprised of relevant

department heads, legal counsel, a city council representative, business leaders, andeconomic revitalization experts by January 31, 2012. This task force will be chargedwith studying the situation surrounding both the old hospital and the Ben Hurproperties. They will be tasked with assembling the background information and a listof potential actions, along with costs associated with each, and reporting back to theMayor by July 1, 2012. These options will then be presented to the city council and thepublic so that a collective, informed decision can be made on how to proceed based onprojected cost vs. benefit of each option or a decision may be made to do nothing. Thistimeline will allow the council to study the options at the same time that projectedrevenue and budgets are being considered for the following year. If it is determinedthat action can be taken it could then be incorporated into the 2013 or later budgets.

Timeline Summary:

January 1, 2012- Barton administration takes office January 31, 2012- Revitalization Task Force has been formed July 1, 2012- Task Force reports back to Mayor July 2012- Options are presented to city council and public for discussion and

consideration


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7. Intergovernmental Cooperation:

All local governments and taxing bodies face similar challenges in todays world. Itis imperative that they begin to work together to provide services in a far more costeffective manner. Unfortunately, the lack of cooperation between local governments inour community is often cited by potential investors and visitors as one of their moststriking impressions. The Barton administration will be firmly committed to seekingout new and innovative ways to build trust and cooperation between localgovernments. It is absolutely essential to our future success.

As mayor, I will take the lead by facilitating and hosting a bi -monthly forumthat encourages open discussion and exploration of potential ways in which localgovernments can work together more effectively.

Representatives from each branch of local government will be encouraged toparticipate. This would foster open communications and include potential

involvement by the city, county, towns, townships, and school corporations. The first such forum will be held in February 2012.

8. Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Growth:

Our city is faced with the challenge of aging infrastructure, especially in the olderareas. The Barton administration will set out to create and implement long-term plansfor infrastructure maintenance and replacement. In addition, the potential for newgrowth must always be factored in. A long term plan will allow for the planned,

controlled replacement over a greater span of time than the frequent need to makeemergency repairs and replacement.

Sanitary Sewer Plan must be in place by 2013 Street Plan must be in place by 2013 Storm Sewer Plan must be in place by 2014 City Facilities Plan must be in place by 2014


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9. Annexation and Growth

Controlled growth is an important part of the future of our city and being able toproperly annex areas as city services are extended to them is critical.Unfortunately, we have failed miserably and at great expense.

Any effort to annex areas that have already been developed must show acost/benefit analysis that is clear and concise and must be facilitated by an openprocess that actively engages the property owner(s).

The most logical areas for annexed growth are those areas to yet be developed. Itshall be the policy of the Barton Administration that city utilities and serviceswill not be extended to unincorporated areas until they have been annexed.

Legislation will be proposed and sought before the city council that prohibitsextension of city utilities and services to areas until they have been annexed.


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10. Quality of Life

Our small town quality of life is one of the most appealing aspects of living inCrawfordville. We must, however, take steps to ensure that we maintain the quality oflife we desire and that we seek to improve it. As noted earlier, our ability tosuccessfully complete economic development is paramount to maintaining andimproving our quality of life. But additional steps must be taken as well.

Economic development efforts must result in a statistical shift that makes ourcommunity more attractive to additional shopping, dining and entertainmentoptions.

There are many organizations working hard to improve our community. TheBarton administration will actively engage these organizations in an effort toencourage and assist them in any way possible.

The city must seek to harness the great sense of community pride and utilize itfor the greater good by forming alliances to aid in keeping public areas and ourparks in the best shape possible.

Blighted areas will be addressed. Some property owners have neglected theirproperty resulting in a decreased quality of life for their neighbors. The Bartonadministration will work closely with the city council to assess the need forchanges in ordinances.

The Barton administration will recognize the important role our militaryveterans and active military plays in preserving our way of life. As mayor, I willpropose legislation to the city council by June 1, 2012. To provide specificbenefits such as free parking in the downtown business district, reduced rates for

services such as parks and recreation activities, for active military and veterans. The Barton administration will complete a community health-care needs

assessment to begin looking at short-term and long-term issues regarding ourcommunitys health-care services, our local hospital and emergency medicalservices, and issues regarding the uninsured.

The Barton administration will form a task force and volunteer corps to evaluate,revitalize, and renew Crawfordsvilles gateways. This is essential to economicdevelopment, but more importantly, its a point of our small-town pride.

In addition, we are faced with the ongoing challenge of trains blocking our streets.

While this might be addressed in other sections of this plan it seems, above all else, tobe a detriment to our quality of life, either by threatening our public safety or bycausing considerable inconvenience and threatening commerce. The BartonAdministration will take a two-pronged approach to addressing this issue.

1. Short Term Plan: Because a long-term solution is likely to take some time tocomplete a short-term plan will be developed and implemented in consultation


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with department heads & INDOT officials that will allow us to best manage thesituation and keep things moving when crossings are blocked. This will includeat a minimum:

Police Department plan for managing traffic flow Fire Department plan for providing timely service despite blocked crossings Street Department plan for the impact of increased traffic on city streets Suggestions and requirements from INDOT Procedure for detecting a blocked crossing and implementing the plan. This

could include relocating some of the citys surveillance cameras allowing the911 dispatchers to have a live view of major crossings.

The short term plan shall be in place by February 1, 2012.2. Long Term Plan:

The long term plan shall be focused on eliminating the problem It should be developed in consultation with INDOT, traffic engineers, and

railroad officials.

A list of options shall be prepared and presented for consideration by the citycouncil and the public by February 1, 2013.

The city council with input from the public will have a list of the options,along with the associated costs of each to consider or reject.

barton's plan to make crawfordsville great again

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