State of the City – Huntingburg Measures Up

Huntingburg — Huntingburg Mayor Denny Spinner stood before a small crowd at the Old Town Hall Monday night to give the state required annual State of the City address.

The mayor, an eloquent speaker with a minister’s oratory gift, related a story in which President Lyndon B. Johnson was addressing a National League of Cities’ annual convention in Washington D.C. Johnson told the group that when the burdens of the presidency seemed unusually heavy, he would take a moment to remind himself that things could be worse, he could be a mayor.

“Well, rather than viewing this job as a burden,” Spinner commented on the anecdote, “I am reminded every day when I speak to our citizens that even though there are challenges before our city, it is a privilege to serve as mayor, and I want to take a moment tonight to thank the people of Huntingburg for their continued support.”

The mayor then outlined some significant changes in the city that have occurred in the 18 months he has been in office. Those included the following items.

-The creation two new superintendent positions to handle the increased burden of managing the electric, gas and water utilities.

-The creation of Meter and Safety Technicians positions in each department to reduce the workload of the crew chiefs and to allow for the city to complete infrastructure projects in-house. The mayor stated this is expected to save the city about $752,000 in project costs over the next five years.

-He touted the success of the Community Listening Sessions that led to the development of a new website for the city as well as the creation of a Director of Communications and Community Development position. These two steps were taken to improve communications with the residents of the city.

-The greater utilization of League Stadium through a cooperative effort between the City of Huntingburg, Dubois County Baseball LLC, and the Dubois County Tourism Commission. The mayor reported the efforts have doubled the attendance over previous seasons and a newly created gift shop has over $10,000 since opening in May.

-The city’s efforts to improve the aesthetics of the community. The city has taken action to demolish five dilapidated and abandoned homes in the city. Other efforts include better communication to the community about the city codes in regards to home maintenance through meetings with landlords and property owners as well as inserts in the monthly utility bills.

-Increased integration of the hispanic culture into the community by bridging the communication gap with language classes. Through a grant from the Dubois County Community Foundation, the Association of Latin Americans in Southern Indiana, or ALASI, will present a Hispanic Culture Festival September 13 and 14 in downtown Huntingburg.

-Mayor Spinner stated one of the most exciting developments this year has been the recent announcement of the overpass to alleviate the split in the north to south sides of the city due to the railroad. The construction of the railroad overpass is expected to solidify a connection between the two sides of the railroad tracks and reduce drive times for recreation. work and emergency situations.

The mayor then called for a greater community participation in the coming planning and listening sessions regarding the comprehensive plan for the city. Those meetings will be held as the city moves through the process of rewriting the comprehensive plan.

That same theme of participation continued into his explanation of efforts to further develop Huntingburg’s downtown area. He stated he would like to see the classic definition of Downtown Huntingburg be expanded to include several blocks of Huntingburg incorporating a business and residential district. “Think about that,” he challenged those attending, “A downtown that can serve the needs of residents and visitors alike.”

Mayor Spinner recently sat in on the “Soul of the Community” seminar offered by the Dubois County Community Foundation. The speaker, Dr. Katherine Loflin, explained the factors that attach residents to their communities and the role of community attachment in an area’s economic growth and well-being. The study focused on the emotional side of the connection between residents and their communities.

“As she went through those factors one by one, it was like I was going down the list of what Huntingburg has to offer and checking them off, one by one,” Mayor Spinner said in his address, “And as she continued, she inspired me to share this message with you and how I feel about my home town.”

“We need to be authentic to our place. Our goal and our vision is not to be like anyone else or to try create something we are not.  Our vision is to make Huntingburg the best Huntingburg we can be. We need to stop trying to be like everyone else and just be who we areSomehow there are those in our city that think we are not good enough,” the mayor continued, “I am here to tell you this.  We are. By any measurement. Social offerings, aesthetics, openness, culture, spirit, landmarks and history, Huntingburg measures up.”