City plans public workshop on portion of Stellar project

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The City of Greencastle will be holding a meeting on its application to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority for an owner-occupied rehabilitation grant.

The program is a part of the city's Stellar Community Grant project.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8 at Greencastle City Hall, 1 N. Locust St.

Purpose of the meeting is to inform interested homeowners on how to apply for grant funds to make improvements for their home. A few examples are improvements for energy efficiency, handicap-accessible alterations, new roof, new windows, lead-based paint issues etc.

The city will assist at least nine homeowners.

Homeowners must meet the low-income HUD guidelines at a minimum. Guidelines will be distributed at the meeting. Homeowners must live in the home to qualify. Rental property is not eligible.

Homeowners must live within the targeted South Court area (defined as south of Washington Street and north of Larabee, between Bloomington and Jackson streets).

All information and forms will be available at the meeting. Homeowners should attend the meeting to receive complete information.

Star Development, the City of Greencastle's grant administrator for this program, will conduct the workshop and be available for any questions regarding the grant requirements and completion of forms.

For persons unable to attend the meeting, forms will be available at City Hall, beginning Sept. 9.

Persons who have questions may contact Joyce McCarty or Jenn Smith at Star Development at 478-6512.

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  • Sounds like most of this South Court area includes DePauw, Inn @ Depauw, some condos and the mayors house and neighbors. Wonder when they will actually get to the areas that need help?

    -- Posted by gunner on Thu, Sep 1, 2011, at 8:57 AM
  • Funny how that works, huh gunner?

    -- Posted by stranded67 on Thu, Sep 1, 2011, at 8:53 PM
  • You have got to be kidding me. Do you know how many houses within that area that could use this kind of help. I assure you the Mayor and DePauw owned condos will not qualify for this money, why spite the people that could use it because of your prejudices against DePauw. Haters keep on hating, don't see the good a deserving person could receive from this opportunity. That should be the focus, that money is going to people that can use it.

    -- Posted by LitNup on Thu, Sep 1, 2011, at 8:56 PM
  • LitNup may need to take their own advise and lighten up. I never made any DePauw HATER comments. I have nothing against DePauw, the city, etc. My comment has to do with the first area selected only. This area includes major areas of Depauw, the hotel, churches and church parking lots, Elk's, tax service business, rental properties, fire station, post office, public library, some downtown businesses, a couple of gas station properties, a major condo project,fraternity and sorority houses,the mayor's house, and a city council member and their neighbors. Of the remaining owner-occupied houses, a large percentage will not qualify for HUD low-income status. This is an area that currently has the streets repaired and paved, the sidewalks repaired, etc. I don't doubt that there are people that qualify and need the help - just that as a percentage of the area, this is probably the least affected area of the city.

    My prejudice is based upon the idea that there are areas and neighborhoods that are farther south, west, and north of the South Court area that have a greater need and affect more people that would benefit from this help. What does the city gain if we fix and clean up the campus area first? It currently appears to be one of the better neighborhoods of the city! I'm looking for better political decisions and greater news reporting. Why not ask the difficult questions and report the answers? Is there greater political preasure from DePauw and the Democrat base to start in this area? How much money will be available and how many homes and families can be improved from this process? How long will this grant process take and who decides all of these answers? There are numerous questions that arise from this article that have not been addressed. I want the politicians and the news organizations to report the empirical facts and data. Leave the opinions and views for the political campaigns and editorial pages. We are the voters and tax paying citizens that are paying for this process and should be capable of deciding for ourselves what is good for this area and where the money should be spent. With the above information, we should be better able to make political choices that will truely improve this community.

    I have no political agenda to gain here. I'm not a democrat, republican, tea party, etc. - just a true independant that believes that individual input can make the process function better. I believe that sometimes tough choices must be made for the greater good in the community. I just don't see this happening at this time.

    -- Posted by gunner on Fri, Sep 2, 2011, at 9:47 AM
  • gunner, that sounds like something I would have written. Good job and well stated!

    -- Posted by OldWhiteRepublican on Fri, Sep 2, 2011, at 3:06 PM
  • So why so upset about anybody getting help regardless of where they live. You seemed really focused on DePauw, and the mayor as if to suggest it was special treatment somehow. Even stranded67 took your remarks to mean that. If you want to argue there are neighborhoods that are in more need I would agree. However, throwing DePauw and the Mayor's house being in the area tainted the sincerity of what you now state is the basis of your dissatisfaction, If you had simply said what you said in your reply to my post I think you would have had a legitimate point. But you worded your comments in such away that focused on DePauw as if you felt special treatment is involved. What you are protesting, if I read your response correctly, really has nothing to do with the mayor or DePauw. It was easy to equate your comments with the crowd that sees DePauw in a conspiracy to take over Putnam County. Which you must admit seems paranoid. There was just a smidge of distain for local government and DePauw in your first post. I know oldwhiterepublican supports you on that.

    -- Posted by LitNup on Fri, Sep 2, 2011, at 4:25 PM
  • Because the specified area its in makes it look shady, like the typical good old boy network shenanigans around here. Duh.

    -- Posted by stranded67 on Sun, Sep 4, 2011, at 5:55 PM
  • How eloquently stated fellow citizen. You seem the type of fellow that probably begins most of his sentences with Duh. You must be one of those that believe most everyone conspires against you especial government and (shhhh whispered tone) DePauw. Let's look at the bottom line of what you are against; roughly 9 low income homeowners getting some help to make there home more livable. That is the bottom line. But then you would say but it is my tax money I can complain. And I would say, this is a benefit of the grant that may represent some small part of the taxes you pay. then I suggest we forfeit the grant and let some other community use it to help their citizens instead of ours. Is this what you are arguing? It is suspicious? DePauw isn't getting any money nor is it benefiting their facilities. Nor is the mayor having her house repainted or insulated. I am really trying to understand what the point you people have against people in our community getting help that need it. The money is going to be spent... let it help some of those that need help. What the Elks, the mayors house, or DePauw has to do with it is a moot point. Me thinks thou protests too much about that which is imaginary or made up to feed your mistrust of the world around you.

    -- Posted by LitNup on Mon, Sep 5, 2011, at 3:28 PM
  • Oh, you starry eyed idealists. Ready and willing to accept any line fed you by your government. After all, they'd NEVER misuse, misdirect, or outright lie about a project.

    There are other areas of this community that could use this money just as much as those that were picked, and would better feel as if an effort was being made to TRULY benefit the WHOLE community, not just the campus area. THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT you keep attempting to sidestep with your rhetoric. Your idea that we don't want people to get help is moronic at best.

    Instead, yet again the choice looks to favor the Depauw campus area. Deny it all you want. We all see it.

    We have no problem with people getting help, apparently you missed the SEVERAL times it was pointed out the locale selected feels shady is the ONLY issue. But no, that doesn't further your spin job on the issue. Instead, you just attack anyone questioning the choice as someone who "doesn't want people to get help." Get real.

    Just because you think your government is out to get you once in a awhile doesn't mean you're WRONG. Quesioning politicians is an important part of the political process. For us non-sheep, anyhow.

    "It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority." Ben Franklin

    -- Posted by stranded67 on Mon, Sep 5, 2011, at 6:01 PM
  • You made my point, thanks.

    A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one.

    Benjamin Franklin

    -- Posted by LitNup on Mon, Sep 5, 2011, at 6:48 PM
  • Not surprising, more fluff and personal attacks.

    -- Posted by stranded67 on Thu, Sep 8, 2011, at 8:28 AM
  • You confuse attacks with holding a person personally responsible for what they are saying. I have asked repeatedly for you to explain to me how there is something shady simply because you think so. Give me some historic proof or examples of shady exchanges between DePauw and City government. They are one of our cities larger employers. We financially benefit from them being here. All local governments consider large employers like Wal-Mart distribution, Crown etc. How is DePauw different? I challenge you to back up your words. I am not attacking you but what you are saying as fact without presenting factual support.

    Local government is not the enemy look higher up beyond the state where professional politicians are destroying our government and living large. Local politicians are basically people like you and me running because we think we can make a positive change. We all know, for the most part, a majority of Putnam county democrats would be a moderate republican almost any place else in the US. There is not that much difference.

    -- Posted by LitNup on Fri, Sep 9, 2011, at 7:05 AM
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