2015 September-October Actionlines Magazine

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

ACTION LINES INDIANA

ASSOCIATION OF CITIESAND TOWNS MAGAZINE

Good of Goshen

ACTIONLINESSEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015 3

CONTENTS

Actionlines (ISSN 1092-6259) is published by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an official opinion on the part of the officers, staff or membership of IACT. Indiana elected municipal officials receive an annual subscription to this publication through payment of their munici-pality’s membership dues. IACT Associate Members receive an annual subscription to this publication through payment of their annual membership dues. The annual subscription rate is $50. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Actionlines, 125 W. Market St., Suite 240, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

ACTIONLINES

IACT OFFICERS

Duke Bennett President

Terre Haute Mayor

Greg GoodnightFirst Vice President

Kokomo Mayor

Lloyd WinneckeSecond Vice President

Evansville Mayor

Matthew GrellerExecutive Director &

Chief Executive Officer

REGULAR STAFF CONTRIBUTORS

Rhonda CookDeputy Director and

Chief Federal and State Policy Officer

Brian GouldGovernment Affairs

Director

Natalie HurtSpecial Events & Conferences Director

Erin Jamison-KoenigCommunications Coordinator

Jennifer SimmonsDeputy Director & Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Jodie WoodsGeneral Counsel

ADVERTISING

Anne TrobaughCorporate Relations Director

Indiana Association of Cities and Towns125 W. Market St. Suite 240 Indianapolis, IN 46204 Phone (317) 237-6200 Fax (317) 237-6206www.citiesandtowns.org

VOLUME 18 / ISSUE 5SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

COVER STORY: How one Indiana city is sharing their stories of pride

DEPARTMENTSIN ACTION

6 MUNICIPAL DEADLINES

7 QUESTION OF THE MONTH Is the Wheel Tax/Excise Surtax an option for your community to increase infrastructure funding?

IN WRITING

16 INDIANA DRUG CARDRelief from high prescription drug costs

17 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Matt Greller discussesinterim committees

IN VIEW

8 MEMBER NEWS

9 CALENDAR & EVENTS

12 WEBINARS

13 Q&A Pete Olson, Yorktown Town Manager

IN PLACE

24 AGING IN PLACETargeting your quality of life principles to apply to everyone

IN BRIEF

25 AGING IN PLACEInfographic

18Cover photo and photo above courtesy of Downtown Goshen, Inc. and Lynne Zehr.

ACTIONLINES SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 20156This feature should not be considered a complete list of deadlines. If you know of an important deadline, please submit it to Erin Jamison-Koenig at [email protected].

MUNICIPAL DEADLINES

SEPTEMBER

14 Last day to submit notice to taxpayers of proposed 2016 budgets and tax levies and notice to taxpayers of public hearing (Budget Form 3) to the Department of Local Government Finance through Gateway. (At least ten days before the public hearing.) IC 6-1.1-17-3

14 Last day for counties to publish notice stating the internet address at which a political subdivision’s proposed budget and property tax information is available and a telephone number through which property taxpayers may request copies of a political subdivision’s proposed budget information. IC 6-1.1-17-3

30 Last day for a county or municipal fiscal body to compile reports received from the redevelopment commission on each tax increment financing district and submit a comprehensive report to the Department of Local Government Finance. IC 36-7-14-13

30 Deadline for the State Budget Agency to certify the actual income tax distributions for 2016. IC 6-3.5-1.1-9; IC 6-3.5-6-17; IC 6-3.5-7-11

OCTOBER

1 Effective date for LOIT rate changes adopted by ordinance after December 31 of the prior year and before September 1. IC 6-3.5-1.1-1.5; IC 6-3.5-6-1.5; IC 6-3.5-7-4.9

19 Last day for units to file excess levy appeals for school transportation fund, annexation/consolidation/extension of services, three-year growth factor, emergency, and correction of error with the Department of Local Government Finance. IC 20-46-4-10; IC 6-1.1-18.5-12; IC 6-1.1-18.5-13(1), (3), (13); IC 6-1.1-18.5-14

23 Last possible day for the taxing units to hold a public hearing on their 2016 budgets. Public hearing must be held at least ten days before budget is adopted (except in Marion County and in second class cities). IC 6-1.1-17-5 This deadline is subject to the scheduling of the adoption meeting. In Marion County and second class cities, the public hearing may be held any time after introduction of 2016 budget. IC 6-1.1-17-5(a)

30 Last possible day ten or more taxpayers may object to a proposed 2016 budget, tax rate, or tax levy of a political subdivision. Objection must be filed not more than seven days after public hearing. This deadline is subject to the scheduling of the public hearing. IC 6-1.1-17-5(b)

31 Last day to make report and complete payment of federal tax and F.I.C.A. (Social Security Tax) tax withheld in the third quarter of the year to District Director of Internal Revenue.

Make report and file quarterly unemployment compensation report with the Indiana Employment Security Division.

NOVEMBER

1 Last day for units, including certain libraries under IC 6-1.1-17-20.3, to submit proposed 2016 budgets, tax rates and tax levies (as applicable) to county fiscal body or other appropriate fiscal body for review and recommendation or binding adoption. IC 6-1.1-17-3.5; IC 6-1.1-17-20; IC 6-1.1-17-20.3

14 Last day to submit notice to taxpayers of proposed 2016 budgets and tax levies and notice to taxpayers of public hearing (Budget Form 3) to the DLGF through Gateway. IC 6-1.1-17-3



30 Last day for a county or municipal fiscal body to compile reports received from the redevelopment commission on each tax increment financing district and submit a comprehensive report to the DLGF. IC 36-7-14-13

30 Deadline for the State Budget Agency to certify the actual income tax distributions for 2016. IC 6-3.5-1.1-9; IC 6-3.5-6-17; IC 6-3.5-7-11


QUESTION OF THE MONTH

Is the Wheel Tax/Excise Surtax an option for your community to increase infrastructure funding?

ANSWER: Following the long term closure of I-65, one of Indiana’s largest thoroughfares, infrastructure funding is back in the forefront of the upcoming legislative session as well as political conversations. One of the first items to examine is what funding sources are available to municipalities that are not currently being implemented. One funding option available in every County is the Wheel Tax/Excise Surtax. The issue at hand is just over half of Indiana’s Counties have employed this method for raising additional funds to pay for infrastructure needs.

The question many readers may have is how does a city or town implement these funding mecha-nisms?

During the 2013 legislative session a change was made in regards to adoption of the Wheel Tax/Excise Surtax. Prior to HEA 1001-2013 the County Council was the only body with the power to impose the Wheel Tax/Excise Surtax, leaving most cities and towns out of the de-cision making process. HEA 1001-2013 allows the County Income Tax (COIT) Council to implement this funding mechanism. This provides every municipality in the County to have a vote when exploring additional funding options to pay for local roads and streets.

If the COIT Council votes to implement this tax the council would then establish the rate for all registered vehicles in the County. These rates may vary between five and forty dollars per vehicle, depending on the type of vehicle. There is no easy answer on how we fund our aging and dilapidated transportation system, however, constituents demand we charge the least amount necessary to provide them with the best roads, streets, bridges, possible. The Wheel Tax/Excise Surtax may be one of the best options available to you that is not currently being implemented.

? OTMIn 2013, IACT conducted a webinar to explain the COIT Council/Wheel Tax adoption process. Please call Pam Phillips at 317-237-6200 if you would like a copy of these materials.

ACTIONLINES SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 20158

INVIEW

INSIDE• Member Q&A• Calendar• Webinars• Events

MEMBER NEWS

North Liberty and Crawfordsville earned the designation of Stellar Communities. The other finalists for the 2015 Stellar Communities Designation Program are Decatur, Marion, and Dunkirk. Mayors will gather in Indianapolis next year for the United States Conference of Mayors. The annual conference brings together mayors from across America to discuss policies and best practices for running a city.

The Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department has launched an interactive website that tracks police calls, traffic crashes and traffic tickets. Whitestown police say the site takes community policing one step further, making their work even more transparent.

Lafayette is second on an annual list of the Best Small Cities for Business and Careers. The ranking, created by Forbes, highlights the Tippecanoe County community’s “much improved employment and economic outlook.” – IBB

Greenhouse Fellowship, an organization of young people in East Chicago, is working to use the city’s strengths and assets through projects and research. The goals are to invigorate the community and establish spaces for young people to explore their creativity while also gaining access to potential careers.

Haier America has officially opened its doors in Evansville. The city says the Technology and Design Center of Excellence will create 50 jobs and have a $10 million annual economic impact. – IBB

TripAdvisor has named the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo as the seventh best zoo in the country. The zoo is celebrating its 50th year this year.

Brownsburg is offering a new Resident Academy for those interested in learning more about their local government. The six-session programs is a mix of instruction and hands-on interaction designed to help residents better understand municipal operations.

Munster residents are now able to use a free smart phone app to ensure their comments, complaints, or questions will get to the correct employee and be acted upon. Residents can log a request that can instantly alert town employees to everything from vandalism in a park to a non-functioning traffic signal.

Zionsville and the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce have launched a mobile app. Developers say the platform will help residents and visitors connect with businesses, restaurants and attractions. - IBB

Richard A. Carlucci

After 27 years of service, Richard (Rich) A. Carlucci retired recently from his post as Plainfield Town Manager. In honor of his significant contributions to the commu-nity, particularly in the areas of recreation and quality of life, the Town Council renamed the town’s recreation center the Richard A. Carlucci Recreation Aquatic Cen-ter. Carlucci was an active participant in IACT and his passion and expertise will be missed.


IN VIEW

CALENDARIACT CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER

29 IACT Board of Directors Meeting, French Lick

29- Oct. 1

IACT Annual Conference & Exhibition, French Lick

OCTOBER

13 Webinar – Ten Civil Liberty Issues to Understand

NOVEMBER

17 Webinar – Aging in Place: Creating Senior-Friendly Communities

19 Webinar – New Affordable Care Act Taxes and Reporting Requirements - Are You Prepared?

SEPTEMBER

18 Southern Mayors Roundtable, Sullivan

OCTOBER

4-7 International Municipal Lawyers Association 80th Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV

14-15 ILMCT District Meeting, Middlebury

16 Southern Mayors Roundtable, Petersburg

23 Northern Mayors Rountable, Angola

27-28 ILMCT District Meeting, Columbus

NOVEMBER

4-7 NLC Congress of Cities & Exposition, Nashville, TN

13 Southern Mayors Roundtable, Vernon

20 Northern Mayors Roundtable, Warsaw

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ACTIONLINES JULY / AUGUST 201510


IN VIEW

Ten Civil Liberty Issues to UnderstandOctober 13

Around the country the American Civil Liberties Union and its state affiliates, like the ACLU of Indiana, monitor government actions and or have potential plaintiffs come to them for legal representation. So what are the most reported constitutional violations allegedly made by Indiana local governments? What ordinances are mostly likely to be the subject of a suit in Indi-ana? Join this webinar and learn more about the due diligence you can perform to help your community stay out of court!

Presented by: Ken Falk, Legal Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana

Aging in Place: Creating Senior-Friendly CommunitiesNovember 17

Improving and nurturing the quality of life in your community takes a comprehensive approach that makes your city or town appealing not only to the new residents you hope to attract, but also the people who live there today and well into the future. Join Dr. Phil Stafford of the Indiana University Bloomington Center on Aging and Community and John Marron of the Indiana University Public Policy Institute for an IACT webinar on the economics of developing strong aging in place strategies. Participants will also learn about many approaches and resources for fostering age- and ability-friendly communities.

Presented by:John Marron, AICP, Senior Policy Analyst, IU Public Policy Institute Phil Stafford, Ph.D., Director, IU Bloomington Center on Aging and Community

New Affordable Care Act Taxes and Reporting Require-ments - Are You Prepared? November 19

The new IRS filings related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) shared responsibility penalties will be due early next year. The administrative burden associated with completing these forms will be significant for many municipalities. Participants will receive a refresher on the Sledgehammer and Mallet penalties, and then a detailed discussion on the new IRS forms that will need to be distributed and filed next year. In addition, this webinar also address the upcoming Cadillac Tax and how municipalities can best prepare for the bumpy road ahead. NOTES: This webinar will be most helpful for municipalities with at least 50 full-time equivalent employees. Smaller towns with fully insured medical plans are not responsible for the IRS filings related to the shared responsibility penalties. This content will be nearly identical to the Annual Conference workshop of the same title.

Presented by:Jim Hamilton, Partner, Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, IACT Medical Trust Legal Counsel

The IACT Municipal Management Institute (MMI) was created to provide innovative, quality education programs to municipal officials across Indiana.

Institute participants are given the opportunity to sharpen their management and leadership skills, learn new techniques for tackling common local issues and improving services for citizens, all while working toward certification as an IACT “Certified Mu-

nicipal Official” (CMO). As officials complete each MMI level they are recognized by the Association, and, more importantly, will benefit their community with the knowledge and experience that they gain.

Thank you to our MMI sponsor, Wessler Engineering.

MMI CREDIT

WEBINARS

Earn Municipal Management Institute Credits While Sharpening Your Skills


IN VIEW

PETE OLSON YORKTOWN TOWN MANAGERMEMBER Q&A

Yorktown Town Manager Pete Olson was kind enough to join us for this issue’s Member Q&A. Pete Olson started as Town Manager in 2008 after serving as Director of Field Operations since 2006. Prior to serving in Yorktown, Pete was the City Manager of Union City, IN. Pete is an active member of the Indiana Municipal Mangers association, where he had been elected President for the 2010 - 2011 year. Additionally he is a member of the International City Managers Association, and has obtained the designation of Credentialed Manager from the ICMA.

Several communities in Indiana are discussing the ad-dition of a town manager to their staff. Can you provide us a few examples of how the council-manager form of government has greatly benefited Yorktown?

The role of the manager is to be a professional staff mem-ber, enforcing the legislation passed by council. Having a manager allows the council to focus on the “big picture” while leaving the day-to-day to the staff. I’ve followed a number of great managers in Yorktown and I believe the growth of our community can be attributed to the leadership establishing a vision and then giving the manager and staff the tools and resources to implement that vision. You are actively engaged with the Indiana Municipal Management Association (IMMA) as well as the Inter-national City/County Management Association (ICMA). How have these organizations assisted you with pro-fessional development?

As a credentialed manager I must get 40 plus hours a year of professional development. Both the IMMA and ICMA along with IACT put on great events to provide those opportunities. I learn from the presenters and other participants. In addition to professional development those organizations provide access to other professionals who become friends, mentors, sounding boards and people who want to commiserate about bad situations. I couldn’t do my job without these folks.

Yorktown has placed an emphasis on cultivating your downtown area. Can you tell us what initiated this strategy and how the town plans to move forward?

A few years ago we participated in Indiana Downtown (an IACT Program) and they set up meetings in our community

and then gave us some action steps to move forward. We have been continually implementing many of those action steps and have even expanded on some of the large scale ideas. Our biggest project will be a redevelopment area along Buck Creek adjacent to downtown, connecting to Morrow’s Meadow that will enhance business and residen-tial activity in downtown. Similar to many communities across the state, York-town has focused on quality of place to attract more residents and provide additional services to current residents. Can you tell us a little bit about the impor-tance of these projects you have undertaken?

Anybody that’s been in the “chasing smokestacks” game understands how difficult it is to land large companies in their community. But, when you get the opportunity to talk with companies you need every advantage you can get. We are truly lucky in Yorktown to have a top 20 school, and our councils have focused on great parks, trails, low crime, good roads, etc., because all of those are attractive to employees and employers need talent.

Continued on page 15 >>


IN VIEW

What do you feel has been one of the biggest accom-plishments for the town during your tenure as Town Manager?

Moving forward. As I mentioned earlier we have had and continue to have great leadership that looks into the future and sets a great direction for our community. I’m lucky that they then provide the tools and resources for myself and the staff to enact those visions. We’ve consolidated with our township, extended infrastructure for residential and business development, built more trails and parks and made sure that we’ve continued to reward the employees who make our community great. Moving forward allows us to make Yorktown great.

Social Media serves an incredible purpose for munici-pal government to identify and engage a new genera-tion of residents. In today’s world residents expect this type of communication as a tool for receiving informa-tion and providing transparency. How has Yorktown implemented these resources and how do you foresee the use of these programs in the future?

Social Media is extremely important. If you look at our de-mographics you’ll see that we have more and more families with young kids moving into town, and that means they are busy with athletics and academic projects and can’t always make a meeting or forum. So social media is one more outlet where we can disseminate information or even take comments. One of our intern’s summer projects was to work on our social media platforms and he did a wonder-ful job, the key for our staff now will be to find the time to continue those efforts.

There are many events organized by the town through-out the year to promote community and local busi-nesses. Is there one specific event that has captivated the town with its popularity?

Our 4th of July celebration is my favorite. We continue to add to the excitement and activities. The “4 for the 4th” run had another record setting year in number of participants, and this year we added a canoe race and a “cardboard and duct tape” race which brought out very inventive minds. I think our foundation continues to get better and people enjoy the family friendly activities.

Olson continued from page 13


INWRITING

COLUMNS• Guest Column• From the Executive Director

As more and more baby boomers are hitting the retire-ment age of 65, many things need to be evaluated and one of the major decisions a person should make when entering their senior years is their medical coverage options. For those approaching age 65, taking the time to review the types of coverage you have available to you and weighing the over-all financial impact of those options will help you and your spouse plan as you move into the next stage of your life. Many unexpected costs that arise during retirement are due to unex-pected medical procedures and high price prescriptions.

Many people that are approaching their Medicare years are often under the misconception that Medicare is going to cover all medical expenses but unfortunately that is not true. Medicare does not cover all medical costs and the out-of-pocket expenses for medical care can still have sticker shock effect. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s October 2014 Executive Summary, “In 2011 Medicare covered 62% of the cost of health care services for Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older, while out-of-pocket spending accounted for 13%, and private insurance covered 15%. Medicare was never designed to cover expenses in full.”

One part of Medicare that is often responsible for large out-of-pocket costs is prescriptions, especially when people fall in the donut hole. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) enrollees includes provisions to minimize the size of this donut hole but it did not eliminate it all together. According to this EBRI’s report, by 2020 those enrolled in Medicare will pay 25% of both name brand and generic prescription drugs when they are in the donut hole. In the future you could end up paying a greater percentage due to the financial restraints of Medicare and penny pinching efforts to employment-based retire health programs.

When planning for retirement, out-of –pocket medical expenses should be put into the budget. Costs for prescription costs alone can set some people back quite a bit. According to EBRI’s findings based on median drug prices if a man retired at age 65 in 2014 he “would need $64,000 in savings and a woman would need $83,000 if each had a goal of having a 50% chance of having enough money saved to cover health expenses in retirement.” The savings total for women is higher due to their longer life expectancy.

One free solution that the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns would like to remind their members about is the Indiana Drug Card. The Indiana Drug Card is a free prescrip-tion assistance program available to all Hoosiers with no age or income requirements. Although many routine medications may be covered by Medicare, it is always worth shopping around to see if there is a better rate through a program like this. When an individual falls in their donut hole they can use this program to help offset the costs of high price prescrip-tions. To print a free card or check the price of your medi-cation using the Indiana Drug Card, go to www.IndianaD-rugCard.com. For questions call 1-888-4-INY-RX or email [email protected].

Medicare and the Indiana Drug Card

Natalie Meyer Program Director, Indiana Drug Card


IN WRITING

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO MATTHEW C. GRELLER

Important Legislative Work Happens in Interim committees

When weighty, complicated issues come before the General Assembly, it’s very common that they elect to ad-dress these matters in interim study committees. Once called summer study committees, the name evolved as the various committee meetings began to span every month between each legislative session.

Organizations like IACT rely a lot on interim committees as opportunities to provide extensive testimony or bring in more representatives to testify than are normally allowed during legislative session committees. We typically follow nearly every interim committee to ensure a discussion on municipal policy doesn’t occur without the IACT legislative team being present.

For this cycle of interim committees, there are several that have peaked our interest.

Annexation Following the passage of SEA 330-2015, which included

dramatic changes to Indiana’s election law, a committee was appointed to review the bill’s effects on economic develop-ment projects. The IACT lobbyists will be working with legislators to understand our concerns about the bill’s impact on the ability of a city or town to grow, as well as several technical corrections that must be addressed in the coming legislative session.

Fiscal Policy The fiscal policy interim committee is studying several is-

sues of importance to cities and towns. They have tax incen-tives, EDGE credits, school capital project and utility fund-ing and creating a uniform local option food and beverage tax. Clearly, IACT will be actively engaged in this committee and will be advocating for changes allowing as much local decision making as possible in the coming legislative session.

Road Funding There isn’t an interim committee specifically appointed

to look at the growing disparity in how we fund highways, roads and bridges in Indiana. However, recent events sur-

rounding the closure of a large swath of I-65 and growing data on the toll years of underfunding has taken on the con-dition of our infrastructure led both the Governor and many lawmakers to acknowledge more needs to be done to ensure Indiana is able to meet citizen expectations for safe and well maintained bridges and roads. This summer, IACT is work-ing with multiple stakeholders and legislators to determine how best to proceed on this growing public safety concern.

Body Cameras The movement to outfit police officers with body cameras

is gaining more and more favor among police departments and policy makers. The questions surrounding how the open records law applies to the video files, how and for how long the footage is maintained and who has access to the footage is where clarification is critically needed by municipal of-ficials.

Other issues that will be covered in the off-season are the ability to restrict confined feeding operations, needle exchange policy, state police funding, access to affordable broadband, solid waste management districts, water distri-bution systems and strategies to combat Indiana’s growing heroin problem.

As I mentioned, IACT will be on the go over the next few months, making sure to cover any interim committee where a municipal issue could conceivably be discussed. If you have an interest in one of the committees noted here or elsewhere, don’t hesitate to check in with me or any member of the IACT legislative team.

For a complete list of interim study committees and topics that will likely be considered, please visit the IACT website, www.citiesandtowns.org.

The Good of Goshen Campaign

IN PLACE


The Power of Stories

The Good of Goshen Campaign

COVER STORY

Goshen is located in the heart of Elkhart County and is home to over 30,000 resi-dents. The City is the home of Goshen

College, a small Mennonite liberal arts college, and home to the Elkhart County 4-H Fair, one of the largest county fairs in the United States.

In 2010, a PBS documentary titled, “Our Town: Goshen” aired. The project enabled residents to tell stories about Goshen’s unique attributes and chronicled the distinctive busi-ness, cultural and historical qualities. A message emerged from the documentary: the people of Goshen are working to make the City an enviable place to live.

The Challenge

A branding study conducted by NorthStar revealed that when one steps outside of Goshen, or even some places within the city, there are people completely unfamiliar with the resources available in the community. Furthermore, a lack of compelling, consistent, or effective communi-cation contributed to incorrect perceptions about city, community, or school options. It seemed Goshenites were not always the best at sharing their stories with others.

Gina Leivhty, Partner at Eyedark Creative Studio said, “We all have reasons to be proud of our hometown. Sometimes, we just need a reminder why. Once we started talking about the GOOD of Goshen - the sense of pride people felt about living here grew exponentially. Not only did the community (as well as people outside Goshen) respond positively to the stories and

By Erin Jamison-KoenigCommunications Coordinator, IACT


IN PLACE

engage with comments and feedback but they also started shar-ing their own stories.”

The Collaboration

In 2014, city leaders decided to work collaboratively to address the problem. The City of Goshen, the Goshen Chamber of Commerce, Goshen Community Schools and Goshen College agreed to partner in an effort to rebrand the city.

The four partner organizations became sponsors of the campaign and hired a Goshen-based marking and communications firm, Eyedart Creative Studio. Eyedart specializes in community promotion and they were able to build upon the marketing research from the NorthStar study. “The Good of Goshen” program was implemented and at the heart of it was a series of stories featuring city residents who have transformed the community into an “uncommonly great” place to live, work, and visit.

Eyedart identified and organized a team of Goshen-based creatives to implement the production of campaign materials. The creative team is comprised of Eyedart staff as well as other production specialists to create resources such as videos, photos, stories, and web and graphic design. The team committed to source all materials (banners, t-shirts, buttons, etc.) from Goshen-based vendors.

The City, Eyedart, and key partners understood the power of a successful branding program and communications strategies. Goshen’s First Fridays program and the “Say Yes, Goshen!” cam-paign promoting a school referendum demonstrated how little investment and collective action transformed the conversation about the community.

The Campaign

The Good of Goshen Campaign is a community-led storytelling project. The goal is to evoke emotional attachment with the City by inviting Goshenites to share their own stories or stories about people who are working to make the city a better place.

The campaign seeks to build pride, positively influence perceptions and elicit endorsement of Goshen’s assets. The four partners seek to elevate supportive conversation and engagement about the schools, quality of life initiatives, diverse business opportunities and immigrant successes.

The Design and Outcomes

The campaign was designed to be implemented in phases. The first year targeted an engagement audience primarily in the local community and regions within twenty-five miles of Goshen. The area will expand outside the primary geographic region in future phases.

The first phase of the program included strategic planning, a co-branding and marking alliance with key partners, and content production and distribution through social media, paid advertising, and media outreach. This outreached produced over fifty feature stories, over one-thousand photos, and twenty-one videos. Most importantly, it inspired a new conversation and fresh look at Goshen.

The first six months spurred thousands of interactions in the social media conversation. In particular, one article about ways to convince someone to move to Goshen was mentioned over 50,000 times. Local news regularly featured the campaign and

the people highlighted in the campaign. In addition, four cities requested visits and tours to learn more about Goshen.

The local community continued to positively respond to the Good of Goshen Campaign. Businesses, schools, the City and individuals regularly leverage the campaign as a recruitment tool. Anecdotal evidence continues to be shared with key partners and community members.

The video series received bronze awards from American Ad-vertising Awards and a Telly Award. The American Advertising Awards recognizes and rewards the creative spirit of excellence in advertising. The Telly Awards honor the very best film and video productions, groundbreaking online video content and outstanding local, regional, cable TV commercials and programs.

The Future

In a short amount of time, the collaborative effort has created a new conversation about Goshen. The first phase of the campaign has indicated success but there is more work ahead to continue to influence the positive endorsement of Goshen’s academic, economic and quality of life strengths. A strong foundation has been put into place to build upon and continue toward the campaign’s goal.

The collaborators – the City of Goshen, Goshen Chamber of Commerce, Goshen College and Goshen Community Schools – demonstrated the ability to work together in the first phase and look to build upon the base built to expand the message to a wider audience. In phase two, the key partners will continue to expand the circle of engagement within Goshen and grow engagement with visitors beyond the City.

Through collaborative efforts between the public and private sector, Goshen is progressively emerging from the economic recession. There are challenges ahead but the creative, community spirit makes the City of Goshen unique and gives hope for brighter days.

Read the stories and watch the movies on Good of Goshen’s website: www.goodofgoshen.com.

“There is tremendous power in optimism. By highlighting the day to day places and people we sometimes take for granted (but that really make our community remarkable) the Good of Goshen storytelling initiative powerfully connects people to a sense of place.”

—Gina Leichty, Partner at Eyedart Creative Studio


IN PLACE

#GoodofGoshen

@FollowTheFlavor @GoFridays

@HungryMarshall@GoshenCollege

@FollowTheFlavor


Lon Miller is the owner of the downtown building formerly known as Kline’s Department Store. This is where his store ‘Home Again’ is located, a store that sells (used) consignment furniture and home decor.

Lon has always cared more about people than ‘things’. He cares about the people that he rents space to in his building … to him it’s personal, not just business.

Lon’s history of caring for the Goshen community extends back many years. Lon bought the old church on the corner of 6th Street and Washington years ago and converted it into a large home and lived there with his wife Judy for 7 years while

hosting many activities, groups and events that benefited from his hospitality.

He was the founder and Director (for 5 years) of ‘The Post’ youth center, located in the former/ repurposed post office. Teens looked to him as a father figure then and still many (now adults) drop in to chat with him at his store, where he can be found with his two Labradoodles, Tedd & Olive.

Lon enjoys recycling furniture, home decor and old buildings in Goshen, but it’s more than that.

It’s personal.

It’s Personal

There are many kind souls in our community who embrace and look out for others. But in my mind, as a mother of a child with diverse needs and abilities, and as a special education teacher, Carter not only displayed compassion toward a friend, he displayed an act of heroism. In our society, where there is much disrespect and disregard for individuals who may think, look, learn, or act differently than us, this is a small but enormous act of kindness that gives me hope for the future.

Thank you, Carter! You were a hero today … not only to Kia, but also to Yabi. As a mother, I will hold this day in my heart forever.

A True Act of KindnessGOOD OF GOSHEN STORY BY KIM KURTZ

GOOD OF GOSHEN STORY BY JUDY MILLER

IN PLACE

The Good of Goshen Stories

John Marron, AICPSenior Policy Analyst, IU Public Policy Institute

Aging In Place: an Indiana PerspectiveAs of the 2010 census, 13 percent of Hoosiers were age 65

or older, and no Indiana county had more than 20 percent of its population in that age bracket. Looking ahead to 2030, however, the state’s population is expected to be 20.1 percent 65 and older with 78 counties meeting that thresh-old. Clearly, the demographics of Indiana communities are changing with respect to the age of our residents. All com-munities are expected to experience this growth in the aging populations; however, it will be particularly acute throughout rural Indiana.

As individuals progress through their life phases—from children to young adulthood, through parenting and into re-tirement—what individuals want and need from their neigh-borhood and community changes. Communities where older adults are able to age well embody many of the same quality of life principles that communities are already considering. Essentially, a community where one is able to effectively age in place is one where a person can stay in their homes and neighborhoods, participate in the economy, be socially con-nected to their community, and engage in healthy activities.

A 2003 study of the economic impact of older adults in

Florida, found that Florida’s senior population have more than $135 billion in spending power and contribute $2.8 billion in net tax benefit after services are rendered. Further, these same seniors contribute more than $3.5 billion to charities. In Arizona, using 2012 data, the Maricopa Associa-tion of Governments anticipates the spending power of its 60 and older population to grow to $19 billion by 2050. While the retirement destinations of Arizona and Florida may not be directly applicable to Indiana communities (although in some cases they represent dollars lost by Indiana as residents move to those states), these figures do underscore the eco-

nomic power of the older population. Closer to Indiana, the Kansas City region recently released a report suggesting that doing a better job of retaining its seniors (600 seniors per year for 10 years) would result in 2,600 additional jobs and an increase of $466.3 million in real personal income for the Kansas City region by 2023 (relative to 2013). Clearly, this demographic is going to be an important economic driver for many communities and regions throughout our nation.

The Lifelong Indiana Coalition—a coalition of Indiana nonprofits, trade associations, public agencies, and interested citizens—is currently working to promote successful aging in place practices and assist Indiana communities who are in-terested in making their communities more age- and ability-friendly. The coalition will release three resource guides to help communities think about how to facilitate an age- and ability-friendly environment through a LIVE WELL and BE CONNECTED framework:

• The LIVE pillar of the framework considers a community’s housing, economic vitality, and safety.

• The WELL pillar examines physical and mental health, opportunity for physical activity, and outdoor spaces.

• The BE CONNECTED pillar examines issues relating to transportation, access to services and information, and

civic and social engagement.

The guides will serve as a resource to communities examining what they can do to improve their age- and ability friendliness.

For some age- and ability-friendly efforts, state agen-cies may be able to assist in supporting local efforts. As an example, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (the state’s housing finance authority) has adopted Aging in Place as one of its strategic priority areas. In other cases, many age- and ability-friendly community concepts can be adopted into projects that are currently being con-sidered with modest adjustments. Resources to advance age- and ability-friendly communities work will vary from community to community and project to project.

To learn more about Aging in Place strategies and the available resources, register for the November 17 webinar at www.citiesandtowns.org.

IN PLACE


“Communities where older adults are able to age well embody many of the same quality of life principles that communities are already considering.”


IN BRIEFIN BRIEF

2015 September-October Actionlines Magazine

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Transcript of 2015 September-October Actionlines Magazine