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University Parkway Development - Smart Growth?

 August 2005
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General Membership Meeting
Thursday, August 18, 2005, 7 p.m.
University of Southern Indiana Mitchell Auditorium
 

Attending: Berning, Terry; Berning, Dot; Cleek, Linda; Cleek, Randy; Craig, Steven; Farmer, Paul; Harty, Bill; Hornbrook, Bob; James, Shirley; James, Richard; Jeffers, Bill; Jeffers, Brenda; Kolb, Bonnie; Lockard, Michael; Outlaw, DeAnna; Padget, Fred; Sensmeier, Bernice; Stagg, Carolyn; Thompson, George; Wentzel, Sam

Guests Speakers: Mark Rozewski, USI Vice-President of Business Affairs, and Sherrianne Standley, USI Vice-President for Advancement

Program: The oral/slide presentation “USI Today and Tomorrow” began with Sherrianne Standley talking about what has and has not changed at USI. Standley reported that USI continues to be a high service, high contact university. USI displays a high regard for the following: classroom excellence, cost containment, regional needs, academic development (70 majors, 9 master degree programs). Standley emphasized that USI shows high scores academically when compared to its peers. She also noted that the university earns individual program accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Mark Rozewski discussed the University’s resource development and compared resource acquisition from 1993-1994 to 2005-2006. These resources come from state appropriations, students’ fees, and other sources in that order. Rozewski stated that USI still has lower fees than other colleges in Indiana and private contributions enable the University to keep its tuition at this lower rate. In the fall of 2004, USI’s enrollment reached 10,500 students showing a diverse population with students from all 92 Indiana counties, 35 other states, and 34 nations. Rozewski reported that 80 percent of alumni reside in Indiana after graduation and of that 80 percent, 85 percent reside in Southwest Indiana. A slide of the printed draft of the master plan was presented. It showed the new Rice Library, College of Business building, general-purpose classroom building, and recreation and fitness center. The master plan also takes in the new bike path from the USI campus to Burdette Park.

President Fred Padget called the business meeting to order at 7:45 p.m.

Secretary’s Report: Minutes of the May 19, 2005, general meeting were approved on a motion and a second from Thompson and Harty.

Treasurer’s Report: Bernice Sensmeier presented the treasurer's report for July 2005.

Neighborhood Association Reports & Other Announcements:

  • Carolyn Stagg announced that B. J. Watts will speak at the Hilltop Neighborhood Association meeting, Tuesday, August 23, 6 p.m., at the Pine Haven Nursing Home.

Old Business – None

New Business

  • Hornbrook asked if Golden Towers sold to the same person who built the apartments on Schutte Road. Lockard responded that Marvin Goebel is the primary owner. Goebel plans on resurfacing the parking lot and landscaping the grounds. Leasing plans are to rent to upper classmen with parents as cosigners. Shirley James asked if Goebel plans to renovate the apartments. Padget said that the property is not in major need of renovation.

  • Lockard said that he discovered through a survey that most apartment complexes on the north and west sides rent to students. Student leases require more short-term leases.

  • Hornbrook asked if USI takes care of all of its property. The answer was if USI is the leasor of the property, then it is up to the leasee to take care of the property. Harty noted that a weed notice would go to the owner.

President & Committee Reports:

  • Padget reported the following:

    • County Commissioner Bill Nix held a District 1 public meeting on Monday, August 15.

    • County Commissioner Suzanne Crouch will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, August 30, 5:30 p.m., at the 4-H Center.

    • Mayor Weinzapfel’s Traveling City Hall will take place Wednesday, August 31, 5:30 p.m., in Room 118 at C. K. Newsome Center and, again, on Wednesday, September 14, 5:30 p.m., at St. Boniface gym.

    • County Commissioner Musgrave will be conducting a public hearing sometime in November at the Burdette Park Discovery Center.

    • Tox-Away Day will take place Saturday, September 17, 9-3 p.m., Roberts Stadium parking lot.

    • UNOE will host a unification meeting lead by Dr. Phil Fisher on Thursday, August 25, 6:30 p.m., at the Red Cross building.

    • Evansville Police Department Accreditation will take place Monday, August 22, 7 p.m., in Room 307 at the Civic Center. This event gives the public the opportunity to express openly about the police department. The public may also call 568-9421 and make comments.

    • Evansville Police Department Citizens Academy will take place every Tuesday from September 13 through October 25, 6-9 p.m., except the first Tuesday in October due to Fall Festival. The Academy will cover a variety of topics, such as canine utilization and criminal investigation. In addition, participants are invited to ride along with a police officer. The Academy will be offered again in the spring of 2006.

    • Farm Bureau is hosting a drainage seminar in Indianapolis on Wednesday, August 31. Padget has been asked to attend. Shirley James moved that WIA pay for Padget’s travel to this seminar. Padget replied that Farm Bureau is funding the trip.

  • Web Site – Padget reported  the Web site has been archived with many of the older reports and information.

  • Fall Festival – Kolb reported

    • Committee has no prices from LinGas at present.

    • Coca Cola products have increased to $7.55 per case.

    • Farmboy Meats is not putting out a book of prices this year.

    • The booth must be electrically up to code. All receptacles must have a ground fault and be in boxes. The Building Commission will inspect the booth. An electrician will be looking at the booth on Friday, August 19. Padget does not know how much the code requirements will cost.

    • Kolb said that most people she has asked to work the booth agreed to do so. She also noted that she has day captains for every day but Friday. Padget said that he wants to have a meeting with day captains. The meeting is set for Monday, August 29, 1 p.m. at Padget’s house.

    • Harty suggested rounding off prices to the nearest dollar in order to avoid dealing with change.

  • Call – no report

  • Membership – no report

  • National Night Out – Jeffers reported a PowerPoint presentation contains the pictures from National Night Out. The presentation includes children’s activities and the outstanding tumbling team.

  • Scholarship – Thompson said that he needs to get with Sensmeier in order to get the checks written. Then send checks along with a letter to the recipients’ colleges.

  • Transportation – Padget reported the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for 2006-2008 is now available. Padget said a more detailed report will appear in the newsletter.

  • Parks – Shirley James reported

    • The Greenway will get back to regular meetings on Thursday, August 25, at the field office.

    • James said that Glenn Boberg would like a WIA representative at the next Parks Department meeting.

    • Greenway is getting the early mitigation money for the Orr Building, which amounts to around five hundred thousand dollars. Part of the money will be used to fund an educational brochure and an underground investigation of possible artifacts.

  • Land Use & Planning – Lockard and Padget reported

    • The 8530 Middle Mt. Vernon Road project is planned to be discussed at the next Area Planning Commission (APC) meeting on Thursday, September 8. Many of the adjoining neighbors have sent letters denouncing the project to the Commissioners and APC board members.

    • Lockard is trying to get a regulation for Vanderburgh County that a convenience store cannot be built within 1,000 feet of a residential neighborhood.

    • Lockard was called about a rumor concerning a strip club opening on the 2100 block of Franklin. Tony Wolf of Wolf Auto Auction is opening an upscale jazz club, not a strip club.

    • After Harry Lawson’s Westside sewer upgrade presentation to WIA in July, Lawson went back to the Water Department office and talked with engineers about the pocket of houses on Broadway that are still on septic systems. Lockard, B. J. Watts, and others got word to the Mayor about this residential problem. The Sewer Department is now looking at putting some of the houses on Broadway on the sewer system.

Other Business

  • Craig brought up an issue about the USI bike path and the Greenway possibly being in competition for funds. Shirley James said that more and more cities are vying for Traffic Enhancement state funds. The state is now giving only $100,000; and during the last go around, no money was given to Southwest Indiana. Padget noted that the new transportation bill probably would provide enough money for both the USI bike path and the Greenway projects. Linda Cleek moved that WIA support the development and construction of the bikeway between USI and Burdette. Thompson offered a second. The motion carried. Thompson noted that Craig, Shirley James, and their staffs should discuss this issue. He believes that a WIA meeting is not the forum for this discussion.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,


Brenda Jeffers
Secretary
 

 

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