State of the city, county heard by chamber (01/31/07)

The past, present and future of Portland and Jay County were discussed Tuesday afternoon at a meeting of local business representatives.

Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier and Jay County Commissioner Faron Parr gave State of the City and State of the County addresses during a Portland Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The event was held at Jay County Hospital.

Hosier told the crowd that several developments in the city have come about since he took office in January 2004 because local residents have embraced change.

"Without this open-mindedness to progress, some things might not have happened," he said. "Local factories continue to grow and prosper." Hosier said 600 new jobs have been created in Portland since he took office. "We believe these facts show that the city of Portland is open for business."

Parr also touched on how the county is progressing in remarks to the crowd which nearly filled the two conference rooms at the hospital.

"There's a lot of things on our plate," said Parr, who discussed construction of the Premier Ethanol LLC plant and the recent establishment of the Jay County Redevelopment Commission.

Parr said the bylaws of the commission - which is expected to oversee the creation of a tax increment financing (TIF) district on the land where the ethanol plant is being constructed - are set to be approved on Monday.

Parr also thanked local residents for serving on boards and committees such as the Jay County Regional Sewer District board. The board, which is in the process of being established, will be responsible for finding solutions to sewage issues in unincorporated areas of the county.

A volunteer spirit is "what helps a community grow. It's what helps a community stay together," he said.

He also talked about issues which have drawn both positive and negative responses from county residents.

Commissioners have been pressured recently to regulate the number of confined animal feeding operations (CFO) and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) in the county. Some rural residents have attended several commissioners meetings on the subjects.

"I'm glad to see there's some guys out there with some guns because I might need some protection," Parr said of some of the flaring tempers displayed at meetings. This statement drew chuckles from the crowd. "It's on our plate and will stay in front of us for the next few months."

On a positive note, county residents have favored the commissioners' decision to add a dust control chemical to some county roads during the past two years.

"It really worked out pretty well," Parr said.

Hosier also discussed several road projects.

He mentioned the Industrial Park Drive project, which includes the relocation of a lift station. The Portland Redevelopment Commission project is designed to widen the street, adding a center turn lane. Hosier also touched on the Boundary Pike/Wayne Street project which is expected to move forward this year after several years of delay. The project will improve safety and includes sewer, storm drain and sidewalk work.

Hosier also said that the quality of life for many city residents has been enhanced by improving city parks. Two parks have received new playground equipment and a new park, Hudson Family Park, is in the works.

"These success stories do not happen by accident or by one person," Hosier said. A variety of city, county, state and federal government officials have worked together for such changes, he said.

With the victories there have also been defeats.

Hosier mentioned that some jobs have been lost and downtown businesses have closed during the past year. But there is always hope, he said.

"There is much room for improvement," Hosier said. "Community development will always be a work in progress. Let us never forget that we have a role to play ... success will have no boundaries in the city of Portland."[[In-content Ad]]