Mayor calls for funding for new fire station
Funding for a second fire station and improvements to People Pathways are among the items included in a four-year expense plan currently being considered by the Greencastle City Council.
Greencastle Mayor Nancy Michael announced this week that she would like to set aside $130,000 next year to pay for the design phase of a second fire station in town. The new station has been proposed next to Ivy Tech's new campus at the corner of Veteran's Memorial Highway and First Street, across from Greencastle Middle School. Officials say the station is needed to better serve residents on that side of town.
Michael also said she hopes to earmark $260,000 for the Albin Pond leg of People Pathways. That leg is supposed to begin near Tzouanakis Intermediate School, proceed east along Albin Pond Road to Toddson Drive, then cut south to Deer Meadow School.
On Tuesday, the mayor presented the city council with a draft copy of her idea for the city's next EDIT plan (Economic Development Income Tax), which the city is required to update every four years.
Michael said the city has committed itself, in the past, to using the money in the EDIT fund toward capital improvements, not general fund expenses.
"This is really the type of money we like to lean on (for these projects)," Michael said.
The following items, along with proposed funding, were suggested in the mayor's plan:
* Bond payment for city hall -- $50,000 per year (2008-11)
* Albin Pond Pathway -- $260,000 (2008)
* Safe Routes to School (a portion of Albin Pond Phase II) -- $45,000 (2008)
* Away Home Shelter -- $7,000 per year (2008-11)
* Albin Pond dam maintenance -- $150,000
* Neighborhood sidewalk renovation -- $75,000 per year (2008-11)
* Forest Hill Cemetery, new memorial garden -- $80,000 (2008)
* South Street Extension (engineering design) -- $200,000
* Greencastle Fire sub-station -- $130,000 (2009)
* Maple Berry Park Phase II (environmental clean-up) -- $125,000 (2010)
* Jackson Street Blvd. engineering -- $100,000
* People Pathways Phase IV engineering -- $85,000 (2009)
* Jackson Street Blvd. construction -- $150,000 (2011).
Mayor Michael noted, in the draft plan, that the above items require more than 75 percent of all funds to be distributed (in the EDIT fund) during a four-year period, beginning with the spring tax installation of 2008.
Council members did not vote on the plan Tuesday night but consented to discuss, and vote, at next month's meeting.