City Council OKs first step toward Heartland abatement

Approving an economic revitalization area for the Heartland Automotive property, the Greencastle City Council has authorized the first step toward tax abatement on a new product line at the East Side manufacturing plant.

On a motion by President Mark Hammer, the Council unanimously endorsed Resolution 2023-1, declaring an economic revitalization area for the site at 300 S. Warren Drive.

Heartland will be creating “a whole new manufacturing line,” Greencastle/Putnam County Economic Development Center Director Kristin Clary explained.

A longtime supplier for the Subaru Automotive USA plant at Lafayette, Heartland will be changing over one of its manufacturing lines to create parts for the Subaru Crosstrek, an all-wheel-vehicle.

“They’re not adding jobs, they’re retaining and retraining,” Clary said of Heartland’s current roster of 330 employees. “You’ve heard this story before with Chiyoda.”

The Heartland project will all be done within the current factory layout. The project cost is estimated at $4,066,000.

“They’ll be taking a car line offline and putting in a new vehicle line,” Clary said, noting that “it will all be spelled out at the next meeting.”

Heartland is expected to appear before the City Council in March to formally request tax abatement on the new equipment.

Clary, who is starting her eighth year as director, also appeared before the Council at its February meeting to renew the Development Center’s contract for professional services. The city will be supplying $55,000 as its share for 2023, the same as in 2022.

Continuation of that agreement was passed unanimously following a motion by Dave Murray.

In other business, the City Council:

-- Heard Mayor Bill Dory announce that “on or about March 1,” construction work will begin on the YMCA wellness center/community center site with the moving of dirt. A ceremonial groundbreaking is not expected until April.

-- Heard the mayor remind everyone that the U.S. 231 reconstruction project is due to begin at the start of April with another public meeting expected in mid-March to help inform the public.

-- Approved outstanding warrants (checks issued but not cashed for a period of two years), deeming them canceled after Dec. 31, 2022. Among them were two checks in the Payroll Account totaling $234; six checks in the Cash Account totaling $490.54; and three checks in a second Cash Account totaling $708.18. The latter three were all written to Vectren Energy Delivery, now known as Center Point Energy. Hammer reasoned that the Vectren checks may have gotten lost in the transition to Center Point and “got doubled up the next month” and paid.

-- Adopted Resolution 2023-2, authorizing the use of credit cards by city officials for office supplies, goods and supplies necessary for operation of the department, gasoline and automotive supplies and repairs, training expenses, travel expenses and other work-related expenses. Individuals approved to use the cards include the mayor, clerk-treasurer, department heads and their assistants.

-- Approved street closings and a noise waiver for First Friday activities as requested by Main Street Greencastle for May-October. The 4-11 p.m. closings will allow for set-up to begin at 4 with the event kicking off at 7 p.m. and working toward a 10 p.m. end and 11 p.m. clean-up. As usual, Franklin Street will be closed from Jackson to Vine, while Indiana Street will be closed from north of the alley north of Franklin to Walnut Street.

-- Approved DePauw University’s annual request for commencement street closures to allow 2023 graduates to cross streets safely for practice 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on May 19 and the ceremony 8-11 a.m. on Sunday, May 21. Streets involved are Hanna from Locust to Indiana, Simpson from Locust to Spring and Spring from Seminary to Simpson.

-- Approved a noise ordinance waiver for DePauw’s June 8-11 Alumni Weekend as requested by new Alumni Engagement Director Randa Hammett. The event will have live music on East College lawn Friday night by Tad Robinson and his band from 7:30-10 p.m. and a DJ on Saturday from 8-10 p.m. Hammett said the university expects 500 alumni with potentially 700 persons attending.

-- Approved a temporary street closure request from Julie Carr for the 10th annual 5K run sponsored by A Kinetic Change on June 10 at 5 p.m. from Deer Meadow School and back as well as a street closure (Indiana from Washington to Walnut) and noise ordinance waiver that evening for a post-race party downtown.

-- Gave permission to Mark O’Leary of Elevate Endurance to use County Road 50 South from the Vandalia Trail to Fillmore Road for the annual Dust Bowl Gravel Race July 22 that begins and ends in Eminence but is 95 percent run in Putnam County. The event is set for 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Council President Hammer and Murray were joined for the 90-minute session by Councilors Darrel Thomas, Stacie Langdon, Veronica Pejril and Cody Eckert along with Deputy Clerk Melanie Welker and City Attorney Laurie Hardwick. Councilman Adam Cohen and Clerk-Treasurer Lynda Dunbar were absent.

The Council will next meet in regular session at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 9 at City Hall.