Jasper Council concerned with Parklands ownership and management

Concerns about the responsible part for managing The Parkland, Jasper’s newest park, surfaced at the regular council meeting held Wednesday night.

Councilman  Randy Buchta brought up the sale of ten acres to the school and how he was under the understanding that once the sale was complete, The Parklands would be turned over from the Jasper Redevelopment Commission to the Jasper Parks and Recreation Department. The city and school corporation are scheduled to close on the property next Monday.

However, according to City Attorney Renee Kabrick, that was not the case, the ownership of the property remains with the redevelopment commission. The commission did vote to turn the management of The Parklands over to the Jasper Park Board soon after the purchase of the former country club property was completed.

Since then, contracted consultants and planners CityVisions and Gamble and Associates have been working on a plan for the future development of the property. A finalized version is expected to be unveiled at the September Jasper Park Board meeting and the Jasper Redevelopment Commission meeting.

Currently, the property is being utilized as a mile long walking/running trail through a managed meadows setting. The parks department is allowing Indiana native grasses and flowers to grow with little to no control to create the managed meadows area.

Buchta was joined by Councilman Kevin Manley in voicing concerns that now that the purchase of the property was complete, it should be relinquished to the parks department for further development.

Kabrick stated attorney Rich Starkey and consultant Ed Curtin — both who are advising the redevelopment commission on the implementation of tax incremental financing (TIF) districts — have advised them that the process being undertaken by the redevelopment commission is still within its duties.

“This is exactly what kinds of projects redevelopment commissions undertake, they are tasked with holding, purchasing and selling property for purposes of redeveloping those areas,” Kabrick said at the meeting.

The city had planned on listing the Parklands as a project in the redevelopment plan of the area as they explore the implementation of a TIF district encompassing the park and adjacent areas. If TIF dollars can be used in the park towards the infrastructure, the redevelopment commission is the body that is generally the owner of the property, according to Kabrick.

Councilman Manley pointed out that although the city had explored creating a TIF district that would encompass the areas around the property as far south as 13th Street including the St. Thomas Medical Center, “but we determined that most of that area was residential and wasn’t appropriate for a TIF district,” he said.

Kabrick stated utilizing a TIF district for the development of The Parklands is appropriate. “That is commonly done because we are looking at quality of place and quality of life and how that will economically impact the city in general,” Kabrick said. “Based on that I would fully submit that a park project is a kind of project for the redevelopment commission.”

But Manley disagreed stating that since the sale was complete and The Parklands would be a park for many years to come, they redevelopment commission’s responsibility was complete and they should turn it over to the parks department.

Kabrick stated the redevelopment commission will consider turning the property over to the parks department after the final plan for the is presented by CityVisions in September. “They have already indicated that the want the park board to be the manager of the property and I don’t have any doubt that they will want the park board to be the body that moves forward with the master plan with that project,” she said and pointed out that the council had already budgeted dollars to the park board for use on The Parklands.

Mayor Terry Seitz told the council he felt the redevelopment commission is the city’s most unused economic development tool. “It is a tool that can be utilized for the development of income for revenue from various sources like TIF,” he said. “I think we need to use them more instead of finding them as adversaries.”

Councilman Gregg Schnarr asked for a pros and cons list be completed to compare the redevelopment commission holding ownership of the property to the park board owning it. “I would like to see something like that so I am better informed as to who has what authority or control,” he said.

“Maybe we need a better clarification of what the redevelopment commission’s role is,” Councilman Dave Prechtel said.

Buchta reiterated that he felt the redevelopment commission’s responsibility in The Parklands project was completed, but Schnarr pointed out that he would still like to see if the city would be missing any opportunities if the property changes ownership.

“I have nothing against the redevelopment commission,” Councilman Manley stated, “All the other parks in the city are managed by the parks department, not the redevelopment commission. The future development should be driven by our parks board and our parks organization because they are the experts on moving this forward.”

The Jasper Redevelopment Commission is made up of three members appointed by the mayor and two appointed by the common council. The redevelopment commission members are John Bell, President; John Schroeder, Vice-President; John Kahle, Secretary; Ray Howard; Andrew Seger; and Bernard J. Vogler, who serves as a non-voting advisory member for the school board.

Jim O’neal, News Director WITZ AM/FM contributed to this story.