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The Terre Haute City Council on Thursday reviewed spending proposals tabled at its previous meeting and voted to approve $14.35 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for various projects.
At last week’s meeting, a majority voted in favor of a downtown renovation plan that would include two new hotels, an adjacent parking garage and a pair of skybridges. ARPA funds he contributed $3 million to the $69 million project, of which $55 million will come from private investment.
City Councilman Todd Nation decried the fact that the ground floor of the parking lot is not fully dedicated to commercial business, and on Thursday night moved to approve the bill, which was held up at a previous meeting. moved to It passed by a vote of 9-0. The garage plan calls for two retail spots on the ground floor.
Other items included in the $14.35 spending include $3 million for the construction of a railroad overpass at 13th Street and Eighth Avenue, $4.5 million for renovations to Rhea Park and Hart’s Rose Park, $2 million for City Hall renovations, and Brown. Includes $2 million for stormwater improvements on the Avenue. project.
In other business, the City Council approved significant spending for the Terre Haute Police Department. The first version, which included $59,948 for drug training, prevention and education for the drug task force, passed on an 8-0 vote. Councilwoman Amanda Thompson, a public defender who recently handled a case involving the drug task force, abstained from voting to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
The other three expenditures were intertwined, with proceeds from decommissioned police vehicles sold at auction being used to purchase new vehicles. Both bills passed unanimously on a 9-0 vote.
The public alley from 1311 to 1317 Eagle St. was cleared at the request of new owner Mark Sellers, who represents God First Properties LLC. The alley was covered in untended, overgrown grass until Sellers removed the grass to beautify the neighborhood.
The City Council also approved moving $2,000 from the city staff budget to pay for office supplies.
The appointment of new members of the Terre Haute Human Relations Commission, which had been postponed at the previous meeting, was also on the agenda. The commission has seven members, four of whom are appointed by the mayor and three by the council.
Commission Director Ann Therese Ryan said that due to city regulations, only four members of a political party can serve on the commission at the same time, meaning there are currently four Democrats on the commission. He pointed out that the vacant seat would need to be filled by a Republican or an independent, given the affiliation of the two candidates.
To date, the city council has received seven applications for the seat, none of which met the necessary requirements. Thompson and Council members Curtis DeBaun IV and Anthony Dinkel all questioned why political affiliation is a requirement for the Human Relations Commission when other city commissions do not have similar restrictions. I wondered.
They noted that all seven previous applicants appeared to be more qualified than the current applicant, and that current rules may not allow the best candidates to serve on the committee. He lamented that it was suggesting that They referred the matter to the committee in hopes of changing its rules and naming subsequent appointments.
Ryan also told the council that the Human Relations Commission will work with the Terre Haute 10 to host two community engagement meetings to discuss a variety of education and employment issues impacted by discrimination and intolerance. I told you. Meetings will be held at the Booker T. Washington Community Center next Thursday and April 16th from 6 to 8 p.m.
Mayor Brandon Sakubun will soon ask the City Council for ARPA funding to benefit the West Central Indiana Excel Center, a tuition-free school opening in August for adult students to earn high school diplomas and industry certifications. Then he said. The Excel Center is overseen by Wabash Valley Goodwill and Goodwill Workforce Enterprises.
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