Bluffton Mayor Ted Ellis stressed the importance of looking ahead during his annual “State of the City” address Friday afternoon.
The event served as the highlight of the Wells County Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly membership meeting, and was held at the Timber Ridge Golf Course and Event Center.
Ellis stressed that things are good in Bluffton and Wells County — an unemployment rate of 2.7 percent, compared to the nation’s at 3.9 percent and the state’s at 3.1 percent, and a city tax rate of 54 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Despite the low tax rate, he said, the city has cash on hand for its immediate needs.
“We do believe it is prudent — just as you manage your household finances — to save money over the years for the big expenses coming up,” Ellis said.
The upgrades that have been done include:
• Improvement of the city’s electric substations, at a cost of a quarter of a million dollars.
• Completed and planned improvements to the city’s water system. The Cherry Street and Indiana Street tanks have been rehabilitated, and similar work is set for the Dustman Road tank. The city hired a firm this week to advise it on improving the water system as a whole; the current filtration plant was built 50 years ago and is reaching the end of its useful life.
However, he noted, the wastewater system is “nearly full” on the north side of town. “The long-term fix is to go back and install some bigger pipe from the plant,” he said. “The most recent cost estimate for this deep dig is somewhere in the $2 million to $3 million range. We continue to look for grants and other funding options and, when we find them, we’ll be ready to dig.”
He also celebrated the completion of upgrades at Roush Park and said Washington Park is the next target for upgrades.
City streets are in line for $725,426 in resurfacing this summer and 84 ADA-accessible curb ramps will be installed. An improved sidewalk plan is in the works.
He also touched on the recent housing study to address the potential housing needs for Wells County — an effort that he said quickly evolved into “growth study” that will target growth in certain areas.
“I commend the study to you,” he said. “It challenges us to think differently as we look to the future.”
Ellis stressed that the economy cycles; it will eventually grow softer, he said, “and we will be competing for businesses again.”
“One day, those communities who will be able to offer a strong system of streets and sidewalks and trails and electric power and sewers and a plentiful supply of clean water will come out on top,” he said. “Most assuredly, we must continue building an infrastructure that will serve not only our future, but our present needs as well.”
Yet, he said, “the things we build are not as important as the people we serve.” He illustrated that point by reporting that officers of the Bluffton Police Department took training in administering naloxone, which bring the victim of an opioid overdose “back to life.” In 10 months, he said, BPD officers used that training five times.
“Bringing five people back to life, even if done quietly, is a big deal,” he said to a room that grew silent. “There are cynics who feel that the drug user should reap the fatal fruits of an overdose and doesn’t deserve to be revived.
“To them we say that if we are a community that celebrates life, we have no choice to let our actions say that everyone deserves a second, and third, and perhaps even 70 times seven chances with the hope that the 489th time is the one that motivates them to finally seek help.”