2016 September - October Actionlines

CONTENTS SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016 VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 5

ACTION LINES IACT OFFICERS Greg Goodnight President Kokomo Mayor Lloyd Winnecke First Vice President Evansville Mayor Brenda Young Second Vice President Clerk-Treasurer, Nashville Matthew Greller Executive Director & CEO REGULAR STAFF CONTRIBUTORS Rhonda Cook Deputy Director and Chief Federal and State Policy Officer Brian Gould Government Affairs Director

Natalie Hurt Special Events & Conferences Director Erin JamisonKoenig Communications Coordinator Jennifer Simmons Deputy Director & COO Jodie Woods General Counsel ADVERTISING Anne Trobaugh Corporate Relations Director SPECIAL DESIGN CONTRIBUTIONS Benjamin Easley

16 DEPARTMENTS IN PLACE

IN ACTION 4 7

MUNICIPAL DEADLINES

16 DIGGING DEEPER INTO CODE ENFORCEMENT

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

20 FARMERS’ MARKET WEEK

How can cities and towns easily track constituent code enforcement complaints to ensure the municipality is responsive and properly documenting bad actors?

IN MEMBERS 23

MEMBER NEWS

IN WRITING

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CALENDAR & WEBINARS

11 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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MEMBER Q&A Mayor Joe Stahura, Whiting

Code Enforcement can be First Step in Developing a Quality of Place Mind-set

12 Regulating Garage and Yard Sales is a Safety, and Quality of Place Matter

IN BRIEF 30 INFOGRAPHIC Block Parties

Indiana Association of Cities and Towns | 125 W. Market St. Suite 240 Indianapolis, IN 46204 | Phone (317) 237-6200 | Fax (317) 237-6206 | www.citiesandtowns.org Actionlines (ISSN 1092-6259) is published by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an official opinion on the part of the officers, staff or membership of IACT. Indiana elected municipal officials receive an annual subscription to this publication through payment of their municipality’s membership dues. IACT Associate Members receive an annual subscription to this publication through payment of their annual membership dues. The annual subscription rate is $50. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Actionlines, 125 W. Market St., Suite 240, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

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IN ACTION INSIDE • •

Municipal Deadlines Question of the Month

MUNICIPAL DEADLINES OCTOBER 1

Effective date for local income tax rate changes adopted by ordinance after December 31 of the prior year and before September 1. IC 6-3.6-3-3

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Last day to post notice to taxpayers of proposed 2017 budgets and tax levies and public hearing (Budget Form 3) to Gateway. (Notice must be posted at least ten days before the public hearing, which must occur at least ten days before the adoption for most taxing units.) IC 6-1.1-17-3

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Last day for units to file excess levy appeals for school transportation fund, annexation/consolidation/extension of services, three-year growth factor, emergency, and correction of error with the Department. IC 20-46-4-10; IC 6-1.1-18.5-12; IC 6-1.1-18.5-13(1), (3), (13); IC 6-1.1-18.5-14

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Last day to report and make payment of state and county income tax withheld during September to the Department of State Revenue, Indianapolis.

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Last possible day for taxing units to hold a public hearing on their 2017 budgets. Public hearing must be held at least ten days before budget is adopted (except in Marion County and in second class cities). IC 6-1.1-17-5 This deadline is subject to the scheduling of the adoption meeting.

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Last possible day ten or more taxpayers may object to a proposed 2017 budget, tax rate, or tax levy of a political subdivision. Objection must be filed not more than seven days after the public hearing. This deadline is subject to the scheduling of the public hearing. IC 6-1.1-17-5(b) Deadline to adopt ordinance modifying local income tax rates effective in 2017. IC 6-3.6-3-3 Last day to make report and complete payment of federal tax and F.I.C.A. (Social Security Tax) tax withheld in the third quarter of the year to District Director of Internal Revenue.

Make report and file quarterly unemployment compensation report with the Indiana Employment Security Division.

NOVEMBER 1

Deadline for all taxing units to adopt 2017 budgets, tax rates, and tax levies. IC 6-1.1-17-5(a) If a taxpayer objection petition is filed, the appropriate fiscal body shall adopt with its budget a finding concerning the objections in the petition and any testimony presented at the adoption meeting. IC 6-1.1-17-5(c) Deadline for second and third class cities to adopt salary ordinances for employees other than elected officials. IC 36-4-7-3 Last day for final passage of ordinance fixing salaries of appointive officers and employees of a city for ensuing year.

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Last day for units to submit their 2017 budgets, tax rates, and tax levies to the Department through Gateway as prescribed by the Department.

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Due date for second installment of 2015 pay 2016 property tax bills. IC 6-1.1-22-9

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Last day to report and make payment of state and county income tax withheld during October to the Department of State Revenue, Indianapolis.

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This feature should not be considered a complete list of deadlines. If you know of an important deadline, please submit it to Erin Jamison-Koenig at ejamisonkoenig@citiesandtowns.org.

IN ACTION

?OTM QUESTION OF THE MONTH How can cities and towns easily track constituent code enforcement complaints to ensure the municipality is responsive and properly documenting bad actors?

ANSWER: For many years cities and towns have increasingly utilized CRM (Customer Relations Management) software for receiving, tracking and resolving constituent complaints. In recent years, however, CRM systems have evolved to dramatically increase functionality for both users, the municipality and its citizens. The introduction of apps that allow citizens to report potholes, tall grass, and more, have helped cities become more efficient in responding to complaints and residents become more engaged with their government.

In Munster, Town Manager Dustin Anderson utilizes PublicStuff.com to receive, track and report on constituent complaints. “PublicStuff allows residents to directly submit a request, collaborate with staff, and track progress of those same requests from the palm of their hand. Internally, we can run detailed and sophisticated reports that help us make proactive management decisions.�

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IN WRITING FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO MATTHEW C. GRELLER

Code Enforcement can be First Step in Developing a Quality of Place Mind-set This issue of Actionlines is dedicated largely to the broad topic of code enforcement. I have observed no topic, except perhaps trash, over the course of my years with the organization that peeks the interest of our membership more than code enforcement.

In the past, code enforcement, however, has been perceived as a very clinical, core function of municipal government. Of course it’s still at the heart of what makes the trains run on time inside our cities and towns. However, in recent years, the execution of code compliance has evolved into a much broader conversation than the basic acts of drafting ordinances and enforcing them. Code compliance has become a bigger cog in the placemaking efforts that so many communities are embracing.

In Gwinnett County, Georgia, there is such a connection between the County’s dedication to placemaking and code enforcement, their code enforcement officers are housed in what the County officially calls their Quality of Life Unit. In Indiana and elsewhere many municipalities use quality of life language in how they describe the functions of their enforcement departments, highlighting the connection. Others don’t use any obvious language, but demonstrate such an obvious focus on quality of place-related code enforcement no explanation is necessary.

Cities and towns use code enforcement to present a clean image that sends a message to its citizens and visitors that theirs is a place that should be well-cared for. Enforcing sign ordinances, pushing the boundaries of holding property owners

accountable, being vigilant against weeds, overgrown grass, and junk in the front yard all send this message. These are the low hanging fruit that most communities use to varying degrees.

Others are taking more aggressive steps, beyond the basics, to send a message that their community has high expectations with a great return for those who follow the rules. One example is the implementation of building codes that allow a community to impose standards that comport to the goals of the community. Other examples include seeking out new programs, like farmers’ markets or food trucks, and setting up codes that make them safe and inviting.

Looking at code enforcement as a placemaking tool could generate rewards in exciting ways for any city or town. Increases in property values, an enhanced sense of pride and safety for residents and business owners, and preventing the physical deterioration of the community are just a few benefits.

Today, economic development is placemaking and the best placemaking happens in a city or town that performs the basics flawlessly and then finds ways to go one or two steps farther.

I get some pushback from time to time on IACT’s advocacy of the quality of place message. With the financial strain Indiana’s cities and towns are under some believe the message is incongruous with their situation. I argue that cities and towns can’t afford not to care about placemaking. Start with code enforcement and execute it aggressively. The pride it can generate in the community will help make it your first step in a long line of quality of place initiatives!

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IN WRITING

Regulating Garage and Yard Sales is a Safety, and Quality of Place Matter KRISTINA KANTAR, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY OF HAMMOND The term “romage,” now rummage, entered the English language in the 16th Century referencing the diverse cargo stashed away in the cargo hold of a ship. The meaning of the word evolved and by the 19th Century the term rummage sale was used to describe the sale of this miscellaneous cargo at the docks. The next evolution came when people, generally for charitable purposes, joined together to sell their unwanted goods at a common location and called these events yard sales. As home ownership boomed in the 60’s and suburban housing developments were built with attached garages and wider driveways, yard sales blossomed into garage sales and became less communal and more residential – thus more common.

Whatever you call them, the history of these sales of personal goods represents a time-honored tradition that can generate a great deal of emotion among the citizens in our municipalities. These emotions can make regulating garage sales extremely difficult. However, regulations are critical to ensuring the harmless undertaking of garage sales don’t explode into defacto resale stores, clogging residential communities and creating traffic, safety and nuisance concerns in our neighborhoods. There are also additional code enforcement issues, like the signage that gets commonly affixed to city property (light poles, street signs, etc.) or in public right of way causing damage, sight clearance issues and is often unsightly especially when not removed following the sale.

Building quality communities that have a solid sense of place means balancing citizen rights and expectations to live in safe, nuisance-free environments with their timehonored traditions of selling their own rummage whenever they want to.

In Hammond, an older urban City, we have taken the approach that two sales per year in the same parcel is acceptable and that policy has been fairly free of controversy. In many parts of the City, the streets are narrow, off parking is very limited or non-existent, and many residents rely exclusively on street parking to enter and exit their residences. In these communities, continual garage sales create a safety and quality of life concern for the residents. In order to allow garage sales to still exist, while maintaining the rights of the residents who require street parking, the City of Hammond issues cost free Garage Sale Permits. Applications for these permits are made to the Hammond Board of Public Works and

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Safety, who grants or denies these requests at a weekly meeting. If a sale date is rained out, an alternate date is granted by the Board. The restriction has actually lead to long running “neighborhood yard sales” which occur annually at a specific weekend and take on a sort of carnival atmosphere which is enjoyed by those who attend.

No reasonable community leader wants to over-regulate their citizens and unnecessarily intrude on their rights. Regulations impacting traditions like garage and yard sales can be done by preserving the ability of our residents to sell their own goods on their own property while maintaining the safety and quality of life for the entire community.

The Municipal Code Enforcement Toolbox

The evening news is full of celebrities kissing and telling, fugitives at large, and the latest e-mail scandal. This is exciting stuff, but the day-to-day life of most Hoosiers is more mundane. They may never appear on stage with Donald or Hillary, but they may well live next to an abandoned house with a yard full of tall grass and weeds, a swimming pool that moonlights as a mosquito maternity ward, or a trio of barking dogs. Resolving these common nuisances through effective code enforcement is vital to a community’s well-being. Fortunately, local municipal officials have many statutory tools available to them in their code enforcement toolbox. Absent constitutional or specific statutory restrictions, municipalities can regulate many common nuisances simply by adopting an ordinance proscribing the unwanted conduct and prescribing the manner in which they will exercise their enforcement powers to address that conduct. The most common statutory tools available to Indiana municipalities include the following:

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Regulation of Dangerous Conduct or Property (I.C. 36-8-2-4)

I.C. 36-8-2-4 is perhaps the most widely used statutory section for addressing public nuisances. It authorizes municipalities to regulate these nuisances on both public and private property as necessary to protect public health, safety, and welfare. On private property, this statute can be used to regulate accumulations of trash, piles of cut vegetation, old refrigerators, stagnant water, unlicensed or inoperable cars, home alarm systems, and anything else that creates an unsanitary condition or a safety hazard.

Recent, somewhat edgier uses of this statute have been to regulate the sale of synthetic cannabinoids and ultimate fighting competitions. On public property, this statute can be used to regulate littering, the obstruction of sidewalks by vegetation or building materials, and the removal of signs, tree limbs, and wires overhanging a public way. It can also be used to require vehicles that transport dirt, leaves, or garbage to have their loads covered, to remove street hockey goals, skateboard ramps, and portable basketball goals, and to prohibit the deposit of mud on public streets at construction sites. It can even be used to require the removal of snow and ice from public sidewalks located in front of businesses, to regulate the use of skateboards on public property, and to prevent people from wading in public fountains. In fact, the power to regulate nuisances under this statute is really only limited by the imagination of a municipality, so long as their regulations can be reasonably tied to public health, safety, or welfare.

However, when buildings fall into disrepair, municipalities often turn to Indiana’s unsafe building law (I.C. 36-7-9 et seq.) for relief. Once a municipality adopts this law by ordinance,it can issue orders pursuant to it that require the repair, rehabilitation, vacation, or removal of an unsafe building, the sealing of an unsafe building against intrusion, and both the extermination of vermin and the removal of trash and debris, in and around the premises. Public nuisance lawsuits can be brought and injunctions obtained against recalcitrant property owners.

Regulation of Animals (I.C. 36-8-2-4, 36-8-2-6)

Animal abuse and pets running at large are problems faced by every Indiana community. These nuisances can be addressed through both I.C. 368-2-4, the statute discussed above, and through I.C. 36-8-2-6, which authorizes municipalities to capture, shelter, and euthanize animals. Pursuant to these laws, municipalities can enact and enforce ordinances requiring pet owners to house their animals in a clean, sanitary, and healthy manner, to provide them with adequate food, water, and shelter, not to enter them in animal fighting contests, and to prevent them from running at large. Another problem municipalities must regulate is vicious animals. Municipalities can limit this public health and safety threat through the enactment of a vicious animal ordinance that requires persons who insist upon owning vicious animals to keep them from hurting others. This ordinance can require a vicious animal to be microchipped, or to be confined to a fenced enclosure, and to be transported on a secure leash or in an otherwise appropriate restraint.

Unsafe Buildings

(I.C. 22-13-2-1; I.C. 36-7-9 et seq.)

A building that is structurally unsound, not weather-tight, or in a state of disuse can be a fire hazard, a home for vermin, or a magnet for illicit activity. I.C. 22-13-2-1 authorizes municipalities to regulate buildings, property, and other structures, and code enforcement officers regularly enforce local building codes during the construction, alteration, or repair of buildings located within their jurisdiction.

Regulation of Noise (I.C. 36-8-2-8)

Noise pollution is a serious problem in most communities, and it can certainly compromise the comfort and repose that citizens expect when they retire for the evening. I.C. 36-8-2-8, which authorizes a municipality to regulate the generation of sound, can be used to combat this nuisance. In this regard, an effective sound ordinance will limit sound by distance,

decibel level, location, and time, yet contain exceptions for emergency alarms, authorized festivals and other public events, and normal business sounds. A good sound ordinance will also regulate the sounds caused by truck engine braking systems, automobile sound systems, and barking dogs.

Regulation of Emissions into the Air

(I.C. 36-8-2-8)

In addition to regulating noise, I.C. 36-8-2-8 authorizes a municipality to regulate the introduction of substances into the air. Under this law, a municipality can prohibit open burning on streets and sidewalks, the burning of leaves, and any other type of residential burning that is not confined to a fire pit. Exceptions can be made for pep rallies, religious celebrations, scouting events, and similar activities. (However, keep in mind that I.C. 13-17-91 allows some farm and maintenance burning that cannot be restricted by local ordinance). In addition to open burning, this law can also be used to prohibit smoking in public buildings, public vehicles, and in the public areas of certain commercial buildings and vehicles.

Weeds/Rank Vegetation and Trees

(I.C. 36-7-10.1 et seq.)

Despite the apparent desire of some homeowners to return their property to a state of nature, a municipality can nevertheless use I.C. 36-7-10.1 to restrict the growth of weeds and other rank vegetation within its borders. A property owner who fails to remove noxious weeds or keep his grass properly mowed can, after proper notice, have it done for him and be billed for the privilege. If he thereafter fails to pay his weed or tall grass abatement bill, that amount, plus any additional administrative costs incurred, can be collected by the municipality as a delinquent tax payment. Municipalities can also use this law to regulate the planting of trees and shrubbery that obstructs the vision of motorists or pedestrians, threatens utility lines, or damages public streets, curbs, or sidewalks.

Before utilizing any of these nuisance abatement laws, a prudent municipality will check with its legal counsel to ensure that its enabling ordinances are in the proper legal form, that its enforcement actions have followed the correct procedures, and that it has otherwise complied with all applicable laws. However, once given the green light, a municipality is free to use all of these statutory tools in order to make its community a safer and more pleasant place to live, work and play.

The Municipal Code Enforcement Toolbox ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑

mo n t c om 6 mo s o r y t o o l s t s t at u le t o b av a i l a a I n di a n a l i t ie s ip mu n i c

Regulation of Dangerous Conduct or Property Unsafe Buildings Regulation of Animals Regulation of Noise Regulation of Emissions into the Air Weeds/Rank Vegetation and Trees

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IN PLACE

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IN PLACE

Yorktown Farmers’ Market Promotes Wellness, Sustainability TODD BLEVINS, ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER, TOWN OF YORKTOWN It’s farmers’ market season! Fruits and vegetables are at peak season, so there is no better time to go out and support your local farmers. Here in Yorktown, our farmers’ market has grown from a few vendors to over 20 vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods and more.

We are proud to have recently entered into a partnership with one of our vendors to help manage the market. This partnership is beneficial because it allows both sides to carry out the duties at which they excel. We as a municipality ensure that the market is properly certified and has enough space to operate and promote the market in both social and traditional media.

Our partner utilizes existing connections with fellow farmers and seeks to attract new farmers to help build the market. This delegation of responsibilities helps ensure that the market is run in an efficient and effective manner.

There are several ways that our farmers’ market contrib-

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utes to an outstanding quality of life in Yorktown. First, it allows residents to purchase fresh food at affordable prices, thereby sustaining a local food economy. The market also builds positive relationships between the Town and farmers as well as farmers and the community. Residents are able to put a face to their food, and farmers know that they are providing fellow community members with healthy choices. Our market also seeks to assist the less-fortunate members of our community by accepting a variety of assistance vouchers. Finally, our market has also spurred other activities such as Yoga in the Park, which is held concurrently with the farmers’ market. Residents can buy local food and get their yoga on all in one evening!

We look forward to seeing our farmers’ market continue to grow as residents realize the benefits it brings to our community.

It is our hope that the farmers’ market becomes one of the most valued community assets in Yorktown.

IN

INSIDE • • • •

Member News Calendar & Webinars Upcoming Workshops Member Q&A

MEMBERS MEMBER NEWS The 2016 Stellar Communities winners have been announced. Congratulations to the City of Rushville and the Town of Corydon!

Tokyo-based Nippon Steel & Sumitomo, the largest steel producer in Japan, will invest $50 million to build a 150,000 square-foot facility in Shelbyville. The facility is expected to create up to 70 jobs by 2021.

Munster has broken ground on an $8 million project that will be part of Centennial Village. The four-story, 62,000 square-foot SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel is scheduled to open in the summer of 2017.

SafeWise.com has named their 20 safest cities in Indiana.

The list was determined using FBI crime report statistics from 2014, the most recent data available. The top five communities are Ligonier, Zionsville, St. John, New Whiteland, and Berne.

The Century Center in South Bend has completed a $5 million energy-efficiency makeover. The rooftop solar installation includes 90 panels and is part of efforts to reduce operational expenses at the downtown convention center.

The City of Elkhart hosted the Amateur Softball Association’s Fast Pitch Men’s Open East National Championships. The event marks the first time Elkhart has hosted a national championship.

AT&T Inc. has launched its ultra-fast internet service to residential and business customers in parts of Indianapolis, Brownsburg, Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Plainfield, and surrounding areas. The company says its GigaPower and Business Fiber services will provide customers with up to one gigabit-per-second speeds.

Purdue University in West Lafayette held the 2016 Indy International Wine Competition in August. The competition, in its 25th year, is considered the largest independent event of its kind in the country and received more than 2,000 submissions. inTech Trailers Inc. is planning to expand its Nappanee operations and add 60 jobs. The aluminum trailer manufacturer will invest $1.7 million into a new facility to handle a motorsports production line.

The City of Columbus is the backdrop for an independent film featuring Hollywood actors. The plot of the movie involves a Korean-born main character, whose father is hospitalized and in a coma following an accident in the City.

Indy International Wine Competition Prep Room

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IN MEMBERS

CALENDAR & WEBINARS IACT CALENDAR

AFFILIATE CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER

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Webinar – Code Enforcement 101: Tools for Enforcing the Rules

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IACT Board of Directors Meeting, French Lick

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IACT Annual Conference & Exhibition, French Lick

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Northern Mayors Roundtable, Angola

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ICMA 102nd Annual Conference, Greater Kansas City Region

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Southern Mayors Roundtable, Newburgh

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International Municipal Lawyers Association 81st Annual Conference, San Diego, CA

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Ball State – ICI/IACT Mayors Institute, Indianapolis

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ILMCT District Meeting, Middlebury

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ILMCT District Meeting, Rising Sun

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NLC City Summit, Pittsburgh, PA

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Northern Mayors Roundtable, New Haven

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Southern Mayors Roundtable, Columbus

UPCOMING WEBINARS Code Enforcement 101: Tools for Enforcing the Rules September 13, 2016 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

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Code Enforcement is a difficult and time consuming task for most municipalities. This webinar will provide insight on tried and true methods for addressing issues within your community. Are warrants necessary to perform code enforcement inspections? Have there been changes to the statute that affect how you should address weed and rank vegetation abatement? These and many other questions will be addressed. Learn how partnering with your local health department can benefit your efforts, how to make sure that your ordinances are kept up-to-date and how to decide whether enforcement is warranted in difficult situations.

IACT webinars qualify for one credit through the IACT Municipal Management Institute, sponsored by Wessler Engineering.

IN MEMBERS UPCOMING EVENTS IACT Roundtables October/November 2016 2016 Fall IACT Roundtables are coming to your region in late October and early November! Whether you attend one of our eight meetings for the networking, technical assistance or camaraderie, you’ll get all three. The IU Public Policy Institute recently unveiled extensive data on Indiana’s population trends and what they mean for Indiana’s cities, towns and counties. IU’s Public Policy Institute, on the heels of Senior Researcher Drew Klacik’s keynote remarks at the IACT Annual Conference & Exhibition, will hit the road with IACT highlighting some key facts and figures, explaining how the Institute’s research is meaningful for all Indiana cities and towns now and into the future. Come prepared to share your successes, concerns and questions. Return home energized, ready to face your challenges and full of ideas. Join us as we return to some of Indiana’s most famous hometown eateries! Check the IACT Roundtables webpage at www.citiesandtowns.org/ roundtables for updates. The complete schedule will be available soon.

Ball State – ICI/IACT Mayors Institute November 30 - December 1, 2016

This high-level learning experience, designed exclusively for mayors, has been an incredible success. By participating in the Institute, mayors will gain practical tools that can be applied to the real-life challenges public officials face on a daily basis. During this day and a half program Ball State faculty, guest speakers and IACT staff will present an agenda of highly substantive sessions that will lead mayors through unique leadership and problem solving exercises with their colleagues from across the state. Featuring many opportunities for the sharing of innovative, effective strategies to run city government, Mayors Institute sessions are timely, relevant and essential.

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IN MEMBERS

MEMBER Q&A

JOE STAHURA WHITING MANAGER

The Whiting Pierogi Fest draws over a quarter million visitors each year to the suburban community just outside downtown Chicago on Lake Michigan. The Festival is an opportunity for the residents to celebrate their heritage while poking a little fun at themselves at the same time. With the success of another Pierogi Fest in July, we met up with Mayor Joe Stahura.

Congratulations on another successful Pierogi Fest!

What were the highlights of this year’s event?

It’s hard to single out the highlights, but hosting the Northern Indiana Mayors Roundtable on the first day of the Festival was really cool. Being able to give my fellow mayors and associate members a glimpse at one of the wackiest festivals in the country was a blast. Riding in the lead float with a dozen professional and college mascots was another memorable part of the fest. They were all in town as part of Whiting’s promotion of our future National Mascot Hall of Fame project which we will be breaking ground on later this year.

The attendance is incredible! How does the City prepare for the large number of people? What preparations need to occur?

After hosting the festival for 22 years now, things are relatively routine now. The festival committee works closely with the City to improve all aspects of the fest each year. We have an incredible amount of volunteers and cooperation from across the entire county helping us stage the event. The WhitingRobertsdale Chamber of Commerce deserves most of the credit and the City simply focuses on supporting their needs.

In the end, it takes 11 months after the end of the festival to plan for the next one.

What does the festival mean for the citizens of Whiting and the greater community?

Like many local festivals, the locals are not always the happiest campers because of the many inconveniences that the fest creates. In the end, they still wholeheartedly support the event because of the national attention it brings to our community.

After each festival, our inquiries regarding available homes and retail store vacancies explode. It’s not uncommon for us to land a couple of new businesses in town each year after people visit us for the event. During the two and a half day festival, the economic impact to our region is over $5 million.

That’s a lot of beer and pierogis!

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More photos can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitingpierogifest

IN BRIEF

Let’s Dance in the Street!

The sweltering heat of summer has cooled off to beautiful autumn weather and it’s the perfect time to get your citizens outside.

Communities often think about how nice it would be for them to get together and host a block party, but it isn’t always easy to do.

Encouraging these events is a great, placemaking activity. Participation in neighborhood organizations, neighborhood clean ups, block parties and other local initiatives engages community members and make them feel more connected to the place they live.

It’s easy for citizens to throw a block party and it’s just as easy for you to assist them in the process through specific codes and permits. Here are some simple steps for neighbors to take and times when you can help along the way.

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Recruit a couple neighbors to help organize the party. It’s not that much work, but it’s always more fun when you have some friends helping with the project.

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PARTY! Once the planning is done and the permits have been filed, sit back, relax, and enjoy the party!

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Poll neighbors and decide on the date and time of the party. Choose a date that works well for most of the neighbors.

ENTERTAINMENT Consider whether or not there will be special entertainment at the event. If music will be played and amplified, offer a noise permit to be filed ahead of time.

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FOOD AND SUPPLIES

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Make a list of food and items needed for the party. Go door-to-door or hand out fliers and have all participating neighbors volunteer to bring something to the party. Remind them to bring folding chairs and sports equipment if they want.

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Decide where the party will be held – a neighbor’s yard, a closed down street, or the park. Have park permits and street event applications available to make the reservations quick and easy. Your municipality will need to decide how they will decide on closing streets and how much they will charge for barricade rentals if necessary. Many municipalities ask for a petition signed by neighbors stating that they are okay with the closing.