State of the City of Madison
August 18, 2009
Good evening members of the City Council, City Officials and residents of this great community. It's a pleasure to come before you this evening to address the state of the city that we all love. I am pleased to begin my address tonight by reporting that the financial and organizational states for this city are sound.
My campaign to become the mayor of this city began with the rallying cry of "time for change" and this will also be the major theme of my address tonight.
We all know that change is an inevitable part of progress. But we also know that prudence and caution are qualities that safeguard the values and lifestyle that we hold dear. Thinking about those values and that lifestyle now, in 2009, it's impossible not to be reminded of the fact that our city is celebrating its bicentennial. These past 200 years have seen a civil war, two world wars, and a stifling Depression come and go-but Madison has not only weathered but yet, flourished. This is a testament to the wisdom of our predecessors, who not only had the courage to change, but also had faith in the values of family, hard work, and perseverance-qualities that we continue to hold dear in these difficult times.
As I reflect on our recent accomplishments, as well as our challenges, I can't help but be proud of what Madison has become and be inspired by a vision of what Madison can be. As elected officials we all have crucial roles and responsibilities in Madison's story. Tonight I want to highlight some key themes in this story-efficiency, challenges, public safety, quality of life, and transparency. If we can successfully address these themes, we can help guarantee that the story of Madison's next 200 years will continue to fill us with pride and inspire us.
I begin tonight's address with the theme of efficiency.The total 2009 budget for the City of Madison is $9,635,335.14 which is less than 1% over the 2008 City budget. Nearly 60% of the City budget for 2009 comes from property taxes and as many of you know, the amount cities in Indiana are receiving from these taxes will be dropping dramatically.
This will also result in a shortfall of the City budget for next year totaling $294,000.
Clerk Treasurer, Dave Adams, The City Council, Department Heads and I are working hard to make cuts to the City budget without affecting services and jobs in which the City provides. The City's annual payroll for full and part time employees totaled $4,719,381.29 in 2008; In 2009 we were able to give our full time employees a 2% pay raise. In order to save costs in next year's budget, we unfortunately will not be able to give our deserving employees a raise next year. This being said, I remain committed to doing my best to ensure that the City does not face layoffs with the budget shortfalls in the coming years. In this era of economic crisis and uncertainty, I know many of you share my frustration. So much related to the economic crisis seems like it is outside of our control. But the fact is that we can have a positive effect on the crisis by achieving greater efficiency in our city government. We have already begun this process.
Our success is apparent in the restructured street department. Now split between two separate superintendents. The sanitation and street department has achieved greater efficiency and higher quality communication with the simplicity of having these superintendents oversee fewer employees. Efficiency is also achieved by frequent collaborations between these two departments. Citizens enjoy and appreciate this efficiency as well, because it results in quicker response time when they voice concerns or complaints. I would like to thank superintendents Ken Washer and Doug Vest for helping improve our efficiency and for helping us serve the citizens of Madison better!
This drive for efficiency also extends to our use of DOC crews. For the price of one guard's salary, we get the use of a considerable labor pool. In 2008, this pool accounted for over 17,000 hours. Recently we have trained four additional city employees who can oversee additional crews as needed. These crews not only improve our streets, but also our parks. This has resulted in substantial cost savings for Madison citizens. Other moves toward efficiency are evident right here under the roof of City Hall. For example, Purchasing and Personnel have become another source of savings. By requiring each employee to submit requisitions to department heads, who in turn seek approval from the Purchasing and Personnel Director, we can more accurately track our spending.
Madison Precision has also helped us save money here at City Hall by sharing five of their employees; doing tasks that ranges from assisting in clerical work, to preparing flower beds for spring. Instead of laying off employees during this tough time, Madison Precision chose to keep them on in a capacity that helps the City.
The City is also grateful to have received a generous donation from Gaylor Electric this year that saved us in excess of $40,000 when they updated the electricity on Main Street and Vaughn Drive. This civic-minded mentality helps us understand why Madison has flourished for 200 years.
One final change that you may notice in both City Hall and at the Brown gym is the presence of credit card machines which allow the citizens to pay both water bills and park fees. Soon we will add on-line bill-paying options.
With projected shortfalls from property tax revenue in 2010 and 2011, we are working to continue to provide quality services for less money by reducing our budget. All of the above efficiency measures reflect tighter budgets and greater scrutiny of spending; in essence giving our citizens more for less money.
Under the rallying cry of "time for change" we have brought greater efficiency and savings to the citizens of Madison. But even with these positive changes, we still face challenges.
Many of these challenges are repercussions of the larger economic crisis. We see this in the projected closing of Armor Metal and layoffs at Rotary Lift, Grote, King's Daughters' Hospital, Madison Precision, and Arvin Sango, as well as many others. These are losses that we all feel; and our hearts go out to everyone affected. How do we respond to a challenge like this?
In an effort to address the needs of our current businesses-not only to assist in retaining the jobs we have, but also exploring avenues for expansion-we, along with our economic development partners, have instituted the BREV program (Business retention expansion and visitation). A recent example of economic expansion that has grown out of this program occurred at RKO Enterprises. A new large, national contract had left RKO with insufficient space. They came to us requesting assistance. If RKO couldn't find room for expansion, they would be forced to relocate to Michigan. Instead, we were able to assist them by offering them incentives through the City of Madison Redevelopment Commission and Jefferson County, as well as the State of Indiana, to keep them here. Not only will they stay in Jefferson County, but they will expand by 20 new jobs within three years.
The Bridge continues to present challenges for us. The imposed weight limit has already had a noticed affect to our local economy. As I stand before you this evening, I can honestly say to you that the biggest test this community faces in the coming years will relate directly to the success or failure of the bridge project. We have reached a critical point in the project's progress, and I am fully committed to seeing this through to completion. Timing is of the essence for this project, and I am very confident that we will see a replacement bridge in Madison with construction beginning in 2011. I am in constant communication with local, state, and federal officials, and this project will remain focused and on track.
This is clearly not just a Madison/Milton issue, but an Indiana/Kentucky issue. Both states have agreed that the only option for a bridge exists with a superstructure replacement. This is an option that will not come without some pain to our community, but the pain will be much more severe if we chose to do nothing at all. The future of this city is directly tied to this project, and we must be willing to make some sacrifices now to benefit Madison's long term future, which is the future of our children.
Like the challenges related to the Bridge, our ongoing challenges with the wastewater treatment plant have their deep historical roots. We have made adjustments at the WWTP, such as personnel and operational procedures of the plant. We have hired a new engineering firm to assist us in the upgrades and corrective measures necessary to bring the WWTP into compliance with IDEM and EPA standards. These projects carry a total price tag of $9 million.
$2.1 million of which will need to be made immediately to get us into compliance, which we have not been in for several years. We are now aggressively seeking sources of funding. We are applying for state revolving loan funds, along with disaster mitigation funds through the State of Indiana. And we have asked for stimulus funds to help make this project a reality.
Some items that we considered "challenges" at the beginning of this administration have become proud accomplishments.
For example, both the riverfront walkway and Michigan Road sidewalk projects have moved from idle plans to implementation.
The riverfront walkway has a completion date of this Fall, and the Michigan Road sidewalk project is the State's first local agency project to be submitted for stimulus funding. And as a result was fully funded with stimulus dollars.
Finally, the wind storm from Hurricane Ike did tremendous damage to both our historic district and the hilltop, playing havoc with older trees and sidewalks.
Next we were bombarded by the ice storm and the resulting power outages. Through the determination of our city crews we were able to get the City back into order in a timely manner. Even today we hear about lingering storm damage in Louisville, but this is not the case in Madison. Even though there are still improvements that need to be made, such as sidewalk repairs from uprooted trees, the City is working continuously to make those improvements. In fact, these efforts have not been limited to immediate storm damage but also allowed us to address longer-term problems such as fixing older sidewalk and tree-related problems. At a time of crisis, we proved that we could pull together and restore our citizens swiftly to a condition of normalcy. It is inspiring to see the community pull together for a common cause-for a cause that makes all of us live happier and safer lives.
Another important area of change that we can celebrate tonight relates to public safety. Just last week, Fire Chief Steve Horton accepted on behalf of Madison's Volunteer Fire Departments, an award from Gov. Mitch Daniels for their bravery and valor in response to the Jefferson County Court House Fire in June of this year. Thank you to our brave volunteers for your service and dedication to the safety of our citizens.
Police Chief john Wallace has also been working hard to implement changes that will increase public safety in the MPD. As of January 1, 2009, the City of Madison Police Department now works under a 4-member merit board instead of a 3-member police commission. The difference is that the commission is an advisory board that still falls under the direction of the mayor and the board of works; whereas the merit board is governed under state statute as a bi-partisan group-two Republicans and two Democrats-with authority over hiring, firing, disciplinary actions, and promotions.
Other causes for celebration in the Police Department include a new evidence room. Another advancement is that officers are now equipped with digital cameras. This allows officers to document a scene upon arrival. With the aid of new computers at the police station, officers can download pictures with the case reports. In the past photos were kept in a separate location. Now when you access a report, you access the photos as well. This is a cost effective measure, as it eliminates the need for expensive Polaroid film. Jump drives have been provided to the officers which allow them to complete reports in the patrol cars and then download them into the system when they return to the station. This cuts down on overtime and allows them to stay more visible to the public.
The Police Department bike patrol was expanded to include 13 officers. This reaps obvious benefits-savings in fuel, greater ability to discreetly patrol, and improved physical fitness and health benefits for officers. Another positive change at the Police Department is the addition of our new K-9 unit, Lycos, as of January, 2009. He and his partner Lt. Rick Mundt will be utilized county-wide.
We have instated a block watch program. The first group was the centered around the Walnut Street area. Since then, two additional groups have formed, one on North East Street / Spring Street / Aulenbach Avenue area and another around the Bel-Air Drive/Crestwood Drive/Bank Street neighborhood. The block watch program enables neighbors to watch out for each other; to safeguard against criminal acts, and to take back their neighborhoods. The idea is to not only protect each other, but also to create social bonds-for neighbors to get to know each other better and work together for a common goal.
One of our accomplishments that I am most pleased with is the fact that the Madison Police Department is now part of the Jefferson County Drug Task Force, which combines efforts with other area agencies allowing a more aggressive approach to drug interdiction. A visible symbol of our commitment to this issue is the fact that two officers Lt. Dan Thurston and Ptl. Season Jackson have been trained to teach the D.A.R.E. program to our youth. As most of you know, this program highlights the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, and teaches life skills. Along with the program are two donated D.A.R.E. vehicles provided by Craig Toyota, Chandler Chevrolet, RVFB and Main Source Bank. The presence of these vehicles serve as a visible reminder that our children are a priority to this community. As one of the first officers in Madison to receive training for the D.A.R.E. program I am very gratified to have it restored to our community. This is progress we can all be proud of. The net result of this progress in the police department is a safer community for us all, which improves our quality of life.
But our quality of life progress is not limited to public safety.
As you drive around town you are likely to see activity everywhere you look. You might even be tempted to become annoyed by roads under repair.
But these works-in-progress are compelling reminders of the progress and improvements that are all around us, even at a time of economic challenge.
These works in progress include Bicentennial Park. Ten short months ago the area where Bicentennial Park is located still had a concrete slab from the old tobacco warehouse. It was an open field. Late last fall we brought in 9,000 cubic yards of dirt, and we terraced it for an eventual amphitheater. But, our commitment to fiscal responsibility will dictate that this project will be a work-in-progress for some time, as we work to raise funds. These funds will include pillars and a fencing in the style of the riverfront walkway, trees, landscaping, lighting, and will end with the construction of the amphitheater. Fountains and interpretive panels chronicling Madison's history may eventually greet visitors and community members as well.
In summary, we are providing a platform for future development. This will be a space for the community to enjoy and be proud of for years to come.
The riverfront sidewalks, now under construction, will eventually stretch from Vernon Street on the west end to east of the Madison-Milton bridge. This project will be completed by the Fall of this year and will include added overlooks and lighting. The extension to the west will connect with Heritage Trail which leads to the Madison Hilltop. I would like to offer a special thanks to community volunteer Bob Green and the Heritage Trail Committee for their continued commitment to this worthy project.
Michigan Road sidewalks are in the early stages of construction. Utility lines are being relocated, and construction should start very soon. The sidewalks will extend from Clifty Drive in the north to Green Road in the south and eventually on to State Street. This is not only a safety feature for pedestrians on Michigan Road, but it is also a connector for neighborhoods and schools. The project will also improve drainage issues along Michigan Road.
Sidewalk construction is also apparent in downtown Madison. The pace of these improvements is moving effectively enough for us to be productive, yet fiscally responsible. As we walk down our new sidewalks we see another sign of progress-hanging baskets on Main Street, the banners on the light poles and the planting of trees and flowers. Decorative street lighting that once went from Walnut Street to Mill Street has been extended to Cragmont Street. With a little more work, these new lights will be working. These projects are a testament to the power of voluntarism in our community. The Madison Beautification Committee raises funds for these projects, implements them, and then we all reap the benefits. We've seen some excellent specific examples of how, by working together, the quality of life for every Madisonian can be improved.
As Mayor, I believe that the way I can best achieve a high quality of life for our citizens is to make the work of my administration as transparent as possible. As I stated early in my campaign to become mayor, I believe that the Mayor's Night Out is an excellent tool for making city government more transparent. Rather than waiting for citizens to come to us with problems and issues, we are reaching out by coming into your neighborhoods with city officials and department heads to seek your input and determine your concerns about city services and issues. Instead of forcing citizens to come before the Council in a formal setting, these more intimate gatherings, in friendly, familiar environments provide citizens with the opportunity to access the Mayor and members of my administration. We hope that citizens will continue to take advantage of these opportunities.
On a more fundamental level, I believe that “transparency” is about common courtesy. It's not some fancy concept or philosophy. Rather it's about having enough respect for people to return their phone calls, e-mails, make space on my daily calendar to meet with individuals, or simply walking the streets of Madison and visiting with shop owners or just folks that are having lunch at one of our excellent eateries. Another way that I have been able to reach out to citizens is through regular appearances on WIKI and WORX.
We are actively using whichever media we can to connect with citizens. This includes the World Wide Web. The Citizens Support Center on the City website has been updated to be more user-friendly, with more and better information about everything from trash pickup, to accessing city ordinances on-line, and answering other frequently-asked questions about city government without having to come to City Hall. And of course this information is available 24 hours a day, every day. Another advantage to the website is having the ability to post news releases and public service announcements in a more timely fashion to ensure that citizens of Madison have access to the most current information.
Efficiency, Challenges, Public Safety, Quality of Life, and Transparency; These concepts resonate for us just as they might have for people in Madison 200 years ago. We've come a long way; but we owe much of our longevity to the core concepts of respect, cooperation, and sacrifice for the greater good. These ideas all came together recently in one of the happiest and most successful celebrations-The Madison Bicentennial Celebration. This celebration highlighted the voluntarism that has become synonymous with Madison hospitality-that quality about our community that makes us America's hometown. From the opening ceremonies and parade, to Lanier Days, to the Street Party, to the Laser Light Show and fireworks, there was much to be proud of. We have succeeded in preserving our history, and we must NOW look to the future.
With the help of the many committed groups of volunteers in this community, along with our elected officials, the future of Madison will continue to prosper for generations to come. I'd like to thank the citizens of Madison for their dedication to this community, and I look forward to working with both you and the Council to move Madison forward.
Thank you and have a good evening.
