Hobart officials stress city progress

Still, mayor says in address, tax caps affecting finances

Hobart Mayor Brian Snedecor called 2019 a year of celebrations and challenges for the city in an interactive state of the city address Wednesday that featured reports by various department heads.

“It was a year of some very good things. But it was also a year of some very challenging things,” Snedecor said.

“Tax caps are affecting us by more than $1 million,” he added.

Clerk-Treasurer Deborah Longer said while the assessed valuation increased, so did the circuit beaker tax credits that went back to taxpayers. She said the city lost more than $1 million in revenue in 2019; $936,000 of which went back to taxpayers via the credits and the remainder in collection shortfalls.

She said that was in addition to a $4 million cut to the proposed budget by the Department of Local Government Finance in the beginning of the year.

On the positive side, department heads talked about various projects underway, grants received to help offset the budget cuts and improved crime statistics.

Police Chief Rick Zormier said there were no homicides in 2018 and crimes to property were down about 400% since 1997. There were a total of 85 crimes against property in 2018 compared to 340 in 1997.

“The city is as safe as it was in 1997,” Zormier said.

Fire Chief Randy Smith touted the fact that the firefighters were able to get their first contract ever, the department received $1 million in grants and reduced its fuel consumption by 20%, amounting to a $5,000 savings.

City Planner Sergio Mendoza said the plan commission re

viewed 48 agenda items, including the Eagle Creek single family subdivision currently underway at 61st and Arizona and the Cressmoor Estates mixed use development at Wisconsin and U.S. 6.

He said the zoning commission had 52 agenda items, mostly petitioners looking for variances, which he said is twice the normal amount.

“Something is going on in the zoning ordinance that people aren’t willing to meet. We will look into that,” Mendoza said.

Director of Development Denarie Kane pointed out that the city has created the U.S. 30 and 69th Avenue economic development area as an incentive tool to attract more light industrial on the north side of U.S. 30 and possibly a convention center and is making improvements to 69th Avenue from Mississippi to Colorado to attract light industrial.

Looking to the future, she said the city wants to upgrade some public parking lots in the downtown area, will be proactive regarding business retention and expansion and will look to increase the city’s inventory for light industrial.

City engineer Phil Gralik said the 3rd Street Bridge project has already proved beneficial.

“It functioned great in the last 3-inch rain. Also, Wisconsin Street Bridge did not go under water in that 3-inch rain. That’s amazing,” Gralik said.

Parks director Kelly Goodpaster said the Hobart pool building will be getting a facelift this fall, as well as a destination playground, and Special Events coordinator Nikki Lopez said she will continue to look for partnerships to host large events such as the Country Jam concert and America’s Crossroads Bowl, a college bowl game held last year. She said both events will be back this year.

City Judge William Longer said the Hobart Court is getting some of the filings that were being done in the Hammond City Court before that court was closed. He also said the court has increased the hours it’s in session.