County 41: Union

My visit to Union County last week brought me to Liberty, where I had an intimate meeting with local economic development leaders.
 

The group was full of good ideas and questions about how to partner better with state government. We talked about a wide range of issues, from the services at the BMV to the city’s downtown area, where construction is underway on a number of buildings. When their work there is done, Liberty will have an outstanding hub for business and community events. The mess of construction may be a necessary evil, as they put it, but it will be a huge asset for years to come.

Liberty and Union County are already great places to visit. Home to Whitewater State Park and the beautiful lake there, it is a great destination for travelers who want to see the state and get great value close to home. It’s clear that tourism and agriculture are natural strengths in the local economy, and I’m proud to see Union County leaders building on what they do best even as they look for new ways to grow.

It’s clear there are some solid plans taking shape for the future, and I look forward to seeing the continued growth of Union County.

County 40: Franklin

I’ve traveled across Indiana many times as lieutenant governor and have seen most of what Indiana has to offer. Still, it was a surprise to me that more people visit Franklin County’s recreational areas than any other state parks except Brown County.

When I was in Brookville last week, I met with local leaders to discuss how the county can capitalize on all the visitors to Brookville Lake. Being close to the state line, Franklin County draws visitors from both Indiana and Ohio. As I discussed in regards to Brown County, this can pose challenges of services provided, such as first responders and trash clean-up.

But county officials are currently working on ways to try to get guests to not just visit Franklin County for a day, but stick around for awhile. Hotels or other attractions could do just that, and the state will work with the county as ideas develop.

As the head of the Office of Tourism Development, it’s exciting to see big plans in their earliest stages. I think Franklin County has a lot of potential for growth, and I’m pleased that leaders in the community are trying to make their corner of the state a better place.

Counties: 37,38,and 39 Ripley, Clark and Washington Counties

My visits to Ripley, Clark and Washington Counties were not planned for this week.  But after the devastating tornadoes of March 2 struck, I traveled there this week to witness the storm damage and provide any encouragement I could.

Too many times during my term as Lt. Governor, serious natural disasters have affected our state – including tornadoes in 2005 and widespread flooding in 2008 -- this fresh wave of storms and tornadoes has taken Hoosier lives and destroyed homes and businesses.  Each time I have been impressed with the outpouring of service and compassion for hurting neighbors.  It seems in our darkest hour, Hoosiers are at their best, ready to help in any way they can.

On Tuesday, I stopped first in Holton, where I visited the community center and saw the piles of donated food and volunteers cooking meals for those who have lost everything.  Plenty of people were hard at work rebuilding, a process that will take many months if not years.

Moving on, I visited a church in Mt. Moriah that had been leveled by the storm.  The congregation there had set up a tent for services and was providing water and supplies to their friends and neighbors.

By the time I made it to Henryville, I was prepared to see the worst of the damage.  What I saw was an army of volunteers working to clear away debris and find what needed fixing and who needed helping.  Everything from an emergency response station to a laundry facility had been set up to help and keep people safe.

Local leaders showed me a remarkable video that came from the eye of the storm.  Firefighters ran out into grapefruit-sized hail to help a victim who had been thrown from a car, holding a road sign over the victim until it was safe to move.  I have always applauded the work of Indiana’s first responders, but seeing that act of heroism happen under such dire conditions was a striking reminder that we have some of the bravest and best working for us, the unsung heroes who protect us when we need it most.

I also stopped in Daisy Hill and Sellersburg before returning home.  More volunteers greeted us there, including our state house Chaplain, Rev. Matt Barnes and Rep. Tim Wesco, who is also a volunteer firefighter.  In Sellersburg, state government has set up a one-stop shop for agencies to get people back on their feet.  Hoosiers affected by storm damage could go there for vouchers for children’s clothing, ID replacement, vehicle information replacement, insurance assistance, tetanus shots and much more.

Until it happens to us personally, it’s hard to imagine what this kind of loss really means to a family or individual.  As these brave Hoosiers work to get their lives back, it’s good to know they are not alone.  There is an entire state full of compassionate helpers, ready to put the shoulders to the plowshare with them to rebuild and move on.    

County 36: Rush

I started the March leg of the Hoosier Crossroads Tour with a visit to Rush County.  After a meeting with local elected officials, I sat down with the Rushville Republican for an interview.  I hope you’ll enjoy reading the article as much as I enjoyed my afternoon in Rush County.

Hoosier Crossroads Tour Makes Local Stop
Frank Denzler
Rushville Republican
March 12, 2012

RUSHVILLE — With a little less that nine months left in office, Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman is visiting each county in the state as a part of the Hoosier Crossroads Tour.

She recently visited Rushville to speak with city and county leaders on the various community projects funded by agencies she directs.

The most recent visit marked the seventh time she has officially visited Rush County.

"Over the past seven years, I have been dedicated to visiting every county and being a voice for all of Indiana. I have seen the needs and helped with initiatives to meet challenges. This 92-county tour will help formulate the best way to make an even greater economic impact on our communities," Skillman said.

Read the entire article at the Rushville Republican website.

County 35: Shelby

The Indiana Main Street program has been helping communities revitalize their downtowns for nearly 30 years. This program has brought billions of dollars of investment, thousands of new jobs and countless rehabilitation, construction and housing projects to communities across the state.

Shelbyville has one of our strongest Main Street programs, and I saw their success firsthand when I visited the Sugar Coated Cakery last week. Shelbyville has received the National Main Street Center’s National Accreditation, the highest designation a Main Street organization can receive. Motivated local leaders have pursued every opportunity to make the greatest, positive impact on Shelbyville. Their work has won competitive grants to fund critical downtown revitalization, including façade improvements and marketing promotions.

Last year, their work to renovate and rebuild their downtown area brought 9 new businesses and 61 new jobs. Other businesses have relocated and expanded downtown; reinvigorating the area to be the hub for business and community it was meant to be. They are benefiting from the wide variety of events Main Street Shelbyville helps put on every year, including an outstanding farmer’s market.

Shelbyville is leading by example, and I hope we will see many more communities follow in their footsteps. Whether that means reinvigorating a stagnant Main Street program or organizing to qualify for the program for the first time, communities have nothing to loose and a vibrant downtown to gain.

County 34: Boone

The Hoosier Crossroads Tour came to Boone County last week, after nearly eight months of traveling the state, but I have been talking about the good things happening there since the very beginning of my Tour.

A month ago, I released my preliminary findings from the meetings I’ve had with local elected officials. Those meetings always include a frank discussion of how we can move forward on local government efficienies, and it’s impossible to have that conversation without turning to Boone County and specifically to Zionsville.

The Town of Zionsville and two townships were the state’s first local government consolidation, and it was completely voluntary. Local leaders succeeded in consolidating services, eliminating a layer of government and preserving the best possible services for urban and rural areas alike. Although some issues remain, Zionsville’s action is proof that any Hoosier community can take action to make government more efficient and effective. It makes sense that local elected officials statewide are always eager to hear more about Zionsville’s leadership.

I enjoyed witnessing the proactive movement of officials from Advance, Jamestown, Whitestown, Lebanon, Zionsville, and Boone County government.

County 33: Hendricks

Visiting the elected officials in Hendricks County reminded me of the importance of a seemingly simple, yet often overlooked aspect of governing: long-term planning.

Each time I’ve met with local officials in their counties, I close our meetings by asking about best practices that they use that could be replicated across the state. The Hendricks County folks insisted that their focus on long-term project planning and fiscal planning have set them on a course of success not just now, but for years to come.
 

This type of forward thinking is something that I’ve supported for years. It was one of the driving forces behind the Stellar Communities program I launched last year. Stellar Communities is a collaboration between several state agencies to fund a comprehensive plan for a given city or town. Two communities – North Vernon and Greencastle – won the funding last year and we have a list of applicants for this year’s round as well.
 

What Stellar has done is force interested communities to think big and make a plan for long-term needs in roads, housing, and quality of life. Even those communities that applied but missed out on the funding in 2011 told us the exercise of planning ahead has been a positive experience for them.
 

It appears as though the towns in Hendricks County agree. And as the county continues to grow in population, I hope their vision serves them well.