INDIANAPOLIS: FINALIST IN REGIONAL COMPETITION - A central Indiana coalition has made the initial cut out of 529 applicants for the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s $1 billion “Build Back Better Regional Challenge,” the federal agency announced Monday. The EDA said the winning programs will receive up to $100 million each to use toward economic pandemic recovery (IBJ). The 60 finalists—each a coalition of partnering entities—have proposed projects that will develop or scale industry sectors, develop and train workers, and build resilient economies. The Central Indiana Initiative intends to “improve the competitiveness of, and access to, the region’s food processing and manufacturing cluster,” according to its project description. If it receives a grant, the coalition plans to launch food processing and production facilities, a Learning Lab and Science Center and a coalition to improve and coordinate regional transit. As a finalist, the Central Indiana Initiative, which is led by the city of Indianapolis, will receive a $500,000 grant to further develop its proposed projects. Finalists will use the funds to refine their proposals as they seek the larger grants, but will also put coalitions in a better position to apply for other funding sources if they don’t make the final cut.
FORT WAYNE: CITY PRESSES RED RIVER — The City of Fort Wayne has asked Red River Waste Solutions for proof it can pay its performance bond by Jan. 1, but so far hasn’t received an answer, city spokesman John Perlich said Monday (WANE-TV). In the meantime, the City is making contingency plans for trash pickup should the Red River contract fail, Perlich said. “The City is quickly developing the capacity to secure emergency collection services through agreements with several national providers in the event that becomes needed,” Perlich wrote in answer to an email from WANE 15.
SOUTH BEND: COUNCIL APPROVES ZOO BONDS - The South Bend Common Council unanimously approved a bond issue for improvements to the Potawatomi Zoo Monday night (WVPE). The ordinance authorizes the issue of up to $6.5 million in bonds to pay for capital projects as part of the zoo’s 30-year master plan. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t say it’s going to lions and tigers and bears, because it actually is,” City Controller Dan Parker said. “It’s going to the lion exhibit, the tiger exhibit and to help fund a bear exhibit.” The bonds will be backed by the portion of revenue from the county hotel-motel tax earmarked for the zoo under state law. The proceeds will go to the Potawatomi Zoological Society.
BLOOMINGTON: CONTROLLED BURN LEAD LEVELS UNDER IDEM LIMITS - A third-party report by VET Environmental Engineering, the company contracted by the City of Bloomington, said lead contamination in the area of the controlled burn on High Street doesn’t exceed state or federal limits (Indiana Public Media). The report, released Friday, said VET isn’t recommending further investigation, based upon its findings. The report said 13 air samples collected by the company showed no lead detection, and blood samples collected from firefighters who worked the burn and area residents did not indicate elevated levels of lead.
TERRE HAUTE: PD, FD CONTRACTS APPROVED - Terre Haute police will receive a 12 percent wage increase over the next four years, while city firefighters will receive 8 percent wage increases over the next three years under collective bargaining agreements approved Monday by the city's Board of Public Works and Safety (Greninger, Terre Haute Tribune-Star). In the fire department agreement, firefighters will get a 1 percent wage increase in 2022, then a 4 percent wage increase in 2023 and a 3 percent increase in 2024, said City Attorney Eddie Felling. In the police agreement, which also includes a civilian workers contract, the city will pay a 1 percent wage increase in 2022, a 4 percent wage increase in 2023, a 3 percent wage increase in 2024 and a 4 percent wage increase in 2025. "These multi-year contracts, in general, are good for the city and the unions. It allows some future planning, from a budgetary standpoint and for someone who may be close to retiring," Felling said, adding contract negotiations have been ongoing throughout the year.
MUNCIE: TYLER TARGET OF FORFEITURE ORDER. — Former Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler is now the target of a $5,000 forfeiture order issued by a federal court judge (Walker, Muncie Star Press). U.S. District Court Judge Judge James Sweeney II — who on Nov. 10 sentenced Tyler to a year in federal prison after the ex-mayor pleaded guilty to theft of government funds — in recent days signed the forfeiture order at the request of federal prosecutors. During the sentencing hearing, Tyler agreed to return the $5,000 he accepted, in December 2015, from a contractor who, with the mayor's assistance, had won city contracts. Tracy Barton, at the time a Muncie Sanitary District official, delivered the cash to Tyler. In a later phone conversation with Barton, recorded by FBI agents, Tyler suggested he likely paid some of his own bills with the money, and also paid utility bills, and purchased turkeys, for some Muncie residents.
COLUMBUS: LIENHOOP ANNOUNCES HIGH SPEED INTERNET - A plan to bring high-speed internet to about 80-percent of Columbus and Bartholomew County residents is in the works (Indiana Public Media). The city recently approved a letter of intent with infrastructure developer Meridiam to build and operate a broadband network. Meridiam is also working with the city of Bloomington, Martinsville, Shelbyville, and others. Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop says the offer came from Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton. “The Meridiam people had approached Bloomington and indicated that they were interested in building a network there," Lienhoop said. "But Bloomington wasn't big enough for that, they wanted to make a substantial investment $100 million.”
CLARK COUNTY: COYLE ELECTED DEM CHAIRMAN - Chris Coyle was elected the new chairman of the Clark County Democratic Party during a caucus Dec. 9. Former Chairman Joe Weber stepped down from the position in November (News & Tribune). "It is an honor to be selected by my fellow Democrats to lead our local party," Coyle said. "We're going to do some great work in 2022. The Clark County Democratic Party is open to all who have an interest in improving our community. Currently in American politics, there's too much extremism and too little common sense. We're going to do our part to change that." Coyle says his priorities as chair will be modernizing the party's campaign capabilities and expanding the party by emphasizing transparency, inclusiveness and empowering voters.
TIPPECANOE COUNTY: TEISING SHOWS UP TO TRIAL WEARING FLA JACKET - Day One in what is expected to be a three-day felony theft trial for Wabash Township Trustee Jennifer Teising found prosecutors and witnesses painting a picture of Teising making plans to bail out on the elected office, find a replacement and head off for a new life in Florida (Bangert, Based in Lafayette). In question: If prosecutors are right and a judge finds that a pile of receipts, text message conversations and months of extensive phone records presented in court Monday are enough to show Teising moved out of Wabash Township – and kept collecting her $35,729 trustee salary – after selling her West Lafayette house in June 2020, she’ll not only face criminal penalties on 21 felony charges, but she’ll also be out as township trustee. If Teising was nervous, she wasn’t showing it as she arrived for court. Or, at least, she wasn’t subtle about it – walking into Tippecanoe Superior Court 5 wearing a jacket touting Panama City Beach, a Florida locale where she’d been staying in her RV when media found her hundreds of miles from Wabash Township in December 2020.
CASS COUNTY: SOLAR FARM GETS TAX ABATEMENT - The proposed Appleseed Solar solar field has received an economic development agreement with Cass County (Logansport Pharos-Tribune). On Friday, the Cass County Council approved a tax abatement plan for the field after a public hearing on the matter. The abatement plan calls for 10 years of a 100% abatement for real and personal property. Resident Lora Redweik asked if that included any depreciation of equipment. Jason Semsler of accounting and consulting firm Baker Tilly of Indianapolis said that was taken into account and is figured in to start after five years. In November, Greg Balsano of Baker Tilly told council members that Appleseed would save $17 million with the abatement. However, Appleseed will pay more than $27 million in taxes over the same time period, he said.
BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY: HAZARD PAY BONUSES FOR EMPLOYEES - Final approval was given to a proposal giving a one-time bonus to nearly 55% of all Bartholomew County employees at the end of this week (Columbus Republic). Initial approval was unanimously given Dec. 6 by the Bartholomew County commissioners to allocate $357,750 for what the county describes as “employee premium pay.” Final approval of the bonuses was given Monday. There will be 227 full-time employees receiving a one-time payment of $1,500, while 23-part time workers will get a single-payment of $750.