Mayor, Group Talk Of Future
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Information reprinted with permission of the Courier Times, local newspaper New Castle, Indiana 1/10/2014 5:30:00 PM |
| By SARA GEER Staff writer Organization is the key theme for the city in 2014, Mayor Greg York told Hope Initiative members on Thursday. York gave a preview of his state of the city address. "We need to get our ducks in a row," he said. York said a financial plan for the city has been created through 2026 along with a strategic plan to boost interest in the downtown. Many suggestions collected at the Stellar Grant public forums factor into his plans. "I know many businesses along Ind. 3 have asked me why I spend so much effort on the downtown," York said. "I believe we need to have a successful downtown before focusing on other areas." Carol Goodwin suggested the city possibly should research outdoor malls. "I'm not saying I want a mall downtown but they somehow entice people to come shop," Goodwin said. "We need to create more positive thoughts about change in New Castle." Sam Helm agreed. Adding diversity downtown with a mixture of businesses and entertainment would be beneficial to citizens, he said. Beverly Hankenhoff said outside businesses sometimes come to town without knowing the area's needs. "I see it all the time when businesses come here and not know what residents need here. They then close after the first week," Hankenhoff said. "It would be nice for those businesses to get to know the area before building." Another suggestion given by Hope Initiative members for York and city officials to look into is encouraging schools to add more extra curricular programs connecting elementary and high school students. York said he would be interested to see the vocational students show and tell their projects. "No one will promote us if we don't promote ourselves since it's very competitive out there," York said. "I hope 2014 is the year we can check off some projects and show progress." The mayor also said he plans to seek a second term as mayor in the 2015 election. Sara Geer is a staff writer for The Courier-Times. Follow her on Twitter@s_kovach. |
