2015 September-October Actionlines Magazine

ACTION LINES

INDIANA ASSOCIATION OF CITIES AND TOWNS MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

Good of

Goshen

CONTENTS SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015 VOLUME 18 / ISSUE 5

ACTION LINES IACT OFFICERS Duke Bennett President Terre Haute Mayor Greg Goodnight First Vice President Kokomo Mayor

Natalie Hurt Special Events & Conferences Director Erin JamisonKoenig Communications Coordinator

Lloyd Winnecke Second Vice President Evansville Mayor

Jennifer Simmons Deputy Director & Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Matthew Greller Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer

Jodie Woods General Counsel

REGULAR STAFF CONTRIBUTORS Rhonda Cook Deputy Director and Chief Federal and State Policy Officer Brian Gould Government Affairs Director

COVER STORY: How one Indiana city is sharing their stories of pride Cover photo and photo above courtesy of Downtown Goshen, Inc. and Lynne Zehr.

DEPARTMENTS IN ACTION

IN WRITING

MUNICIPAL DEADLINES

16 INDIANA DRUG CARD

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

17 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Matt Greller discusses interim committees

ADVERTISING

IN VIEW

Anne Trobaugh Corporate Relations Director

MEMBER NEWS

CALENDAR & EVENTS

Indiana Association of Cities and Towns 125 W. Market St. Suite 240 Indianapolis, IN 46204 Phone (317) 237-6200 Fax (317) 237-6206 www.citiesandtowns.org

Relief from high prescription drug costs

IN PLACE 24 AGING IN PLACE Targeting your quality of life principles to apply to everyone

12 WEBINARS 13 Q&A Pete Olson, Yorktown Town Manager

IN BRIEF 25 AGING IN PLACE Infographic

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 municipalityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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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

Last day for counties to publish notice stating the internet address at which a political subdivisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposed budget and property tax information is available and a telephone number through which property taxpayers may request copies of a political subdivisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposed budget information. IC 6-1.1-17-3

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

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

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

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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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This 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 ejamisonkoenig@citiesandtowns.org.

?OTM

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 Indianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 Indianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 mechanisms? 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 decision 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.

In 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.

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IN VIEW

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.

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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 community, 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 Center. Carlucci was an active participant in IACT and his passion and expertise will be missed.

IN VIEW

CALENDAR IACT CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER A B

IACT Board of Directors Meeting, French Lick

29Oct. 1

IACT Annual Conference & Exhibition, French Lick

F I

OCTOBER Webinar – Ten Civil Liberty Issues to Understand

NOVEMBER 17

Webinar – Aging in Place: Creating Senior-Friendly Communities

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

G H C

AFFILIATE CALENDAR SEPTEMBER C

A-B E

Southern Mayors Roundtable, Sullivan

OCTOBER 4-7

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

14-15

ILMCT District Meeting, Middlebury

Southern Mayors Roundtable, Petersburg

Northern Mayors Rountable, Angola

27-28

ILMCT District Meeting, Columbus

D E

NOVEMBER 4-7

NLC Congress of Cities & Exposition, Nashville, TN

Southern Mayors Roundtable, Vernon

Northern Mayors Roundtable, Warsaw

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JULY / AUGUST 2015

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IN VIEW WEBINARS Ten Civil Liberty Issues to Understand October 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 Indiana? 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

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

Aging in Place: Creating Senior-Friendly Communities November 17

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.

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 ageand 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

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

MMI CREDIT

Earn Municipal Management Institute Credits While Sharpening Your Skills 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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Certified Mu-

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nicipal Officialâ&#x20AC;? (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.

IN VIEW

MEMBER Q&A

PETE OLSON YORKTOWN TOWN MANAGER

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 addition 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 member, 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 International City/County Management Association (ICMA). How have these organizations assisted you with professional 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 residential activity in downtown. Similar to many communities across the state, Yorktown 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 importance 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 >>

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IN VIEW

Olson

continued from page 13

What do you feel has been one of the biggest accomplishments 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 municipal government to identify and engage a new generation of residents. In today’s world residents expect this type of communication as a tool for receiving information 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 demographics 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 wonderful 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 throughout the year to promote community and local businesses. 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.

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IN WRITING COLUMNS • •

Guest Column From the Executive Director

Natalie Meyer Program Director, Indiana Drug Card

Medicare and the Indiana Drug Card As more and more baby boomers are hitting the retirement 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 overall 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 unexpected 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-ofpocket 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.

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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 prescription 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 prescriptions. To print a free card or check the price of your medication using the Indiana Drug Card, go to www.IndianaDrugCard.com. For questions call 1-888-4-INY-RX or email natalie@indianadrugcard.com.

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 address 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 development 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 issues of importance to cities and towns. They have tax incentives, EDGE credits, school capital project and utility funding 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.

rounding the closure of a large swath of I-65 and growing data on the toll years of underfunding has taken on the condition 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 working 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 officials. 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 distribution 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.

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-

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The Good of Goshen

COVER STORY

By Erin Jamison-Koenig Communications Coordinator, IACT

The Power of Stories

oshen is located in the heart of Elkhart County and is home to over 30,000 residents. 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 business, 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

Campaign

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 communication 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

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IN PLACE engage with comments and feedback but they also started sharing 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!” campaign promoting a school referendum demonstrated how little investment and collective action transformed the conversation about the community. The Campaign

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

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“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

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 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 Advertising 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.

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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.

IN PLACE

#GoodofGoshen

@GoshenCollege

@HungryMarshall @FollowTheFlavor

@FollowTheFlavor

@GoFridays

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The Good of Goshen Stories

It’s Personal

GOOD OF GOSHEN STORY BY JUDY MILLER

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.

A True Act of Kindness GOOD OF GOSHEN STORY BY KIM KURTZ

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.

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IN PLACE

John Marron, AICP Senior Policy Analyst, IU Public Policy Institute

Aging In Place: an Indiana Perspective As 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 threshold. Clearly, the demographics of Indiana communities are changing with respect to the age of our residents. All communities 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 retirement—what individuals want and need from their neighborhood 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 connected to their community, and engage in healthy activities.

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

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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 interested in making their communities more age- and abilityfriendly. 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 agencies 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 considered 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.

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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015