Meer Looks At Last Year’s Success, What’s To Come at State of the City Address

“Defining the Moments, Exceeding the Times” was the central theme of the Michigan City State of the City Address, presented by Mayor Ron Meer Thursday night at City Hall.

Meer outlined the successes of the past year while looking at what’s to come in front of about 50 city employees, department heads and residents.

The award of $10 million in tax credits for the Uptown Artists’ Lofts Project in the city’s Warren Building, completed upgrades and modernizations at Joe Hawkins Park and an approved $2.2 million construction contract between the Port Authority and JCI Bridge Group for the modernization of the Trail Creek Marina were just some of the projects that took a significant step forward over the last year.

Meer also noted he was one of four Mayors in the state of Indiana to be invited to Governor Mike Pence’s “State of the State” address, delivered early in 2014 in Indianapolis and that the Michigan City Sanitary District has completed more than 80 percent of the 99 projects the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) tasked them with in 2011 as ones to be at a 100 percent compliance level.

How Michigan City is perceived by non-residents is something that should be important to all city dwellers, and Meer shared a positive story from a survey of 31 evaluation forms filled out by students in the South Shore Leadership Youth for Community Engagement (SLYCE) when Michigan City hosted the students for a visit on October 2.

The mayor said of the 31 forms, 25 gave Michigan City an “Excellent” rating, while the other six surveys listed the city as “good.”

“Before coming here all I thought of Michigan City was that they had the Outlet Mall. However, now I see that it is a clean, safe and beautiful city” and “I remember coming here as a young child, I can appreciate it more now and how much work goes into the community.” were among two of the written reviews.

Looking forward, Meer said “many difficult decisions” as the city works through the 2015 budgetary process are to come as the city looks at ways to generate increased revenues for the city and “utilizing the financial resources that are unique to our community.”

Visible improvements in the city should also take shape by this time next year. The mayor noted that active renovations have begun to take place at the Old Lighthouse Museum and Phase II of the Michigan Boulevard Beautification Project should be completed by the fall of 2014.

As always, Meer touted the accomplishments of the city’s emergency departments - recalling the stories of “The Miracle on Mount Baldy,” a winter that “received snowfall in excess of 100 inches and faced cold outbreaks of historic proportions” and the fatal I-94 pileup that claimed three lives and a dog just east of the Highway 421 interchange.

“Had it not been for the supreme efforts of our emergency personnel along with the emergency personnel and volunteers from the county, state and state of Michigan, this situation could’ve been much worse,” Meer said.

The dedicated officers of the Michigan City Police and Fire departments “continue to provide an exceptional level of public health and safety service,” he said.

Meer closed out his address by having his daughter, Jewel Meer, read a poem written by her mother and the First Lady of Michigan City, Agnes Meer.

“They team up to work and keep it comin’ - They execute the solutions and amenities - To maintain our city and keep it runnin’,” Jewell read as the final lines of her mother’s poem that is dedicated to the city employees of Michigan City.

The mayor summed up improving the city in all facets.

“As you can see, we are making great strides on providing a higher quality of life for our citizens and visitors, while also fostering an environment that is desirable for business investment, corporate offices and manufacturing.”