Kokomo mayor supports LGBT civil rights, road diets during State of the City

Speaking to a packed house comprised largely of local elected officials, community leaders and LGBT rights activists, Goodnight moved quickly through his past accomplishments and ideas for the future, receiving enthusiastic applause for both.

The loudest support, though, came during the speech’s final moments, when Goodnight publicly endorsed an amendment to Kokomo’s human rights municipal code to include LGBT protections. If the issue isn’t addressed before the Indiana General Assembly ends in mid-March, Kokomo will take action, he said.

Such legislation already has been publicly supported by council member Steve Whikehart and president Bob Hayes, but with Goodnight’s support, the night felt celebratory for those in attendance.

“Some members of our city council have already been public with their support for extending civil rights protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Goodnight. “That is why I commend this council’s commitment to enacting legislation that would amend our community’s human rights municipal code. It is the smart thing to do for our economy, it is the best thing to do for our community and it’s the right thing to do for our very own neighbors, both current and future.”

During his comments, Goodnight also attacked Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and statehouse Republicans for passing last year’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which he said alienated residents, visitors and businesses.

In fact, a study by Visit Indy found more than $60 million in lost revenue for the greater Indianapolis area, according to Goodnight.

Past missteps, however, weren’t on the mind of Darell Blasius, president of Kokomo Pride, who struggled to contain his excitement about Goodnight’s announcement.

“For him to do this, this is just lifting a lot of things, because he is behind everyone in our community. It doesn’t matter who you are,” he said. “This just opened up the door to where we really feel like it really is going to happen now, it really is with him doing that. We are going to have the rights because Mayor Greg Goodnight does what he says he is going to do.”

Echoing Blasius' excitement was Whikehart, who first brought the idea of amending the human rights code before the council in late January. 

"I had goosebumps listening to him speak about his passion, because I know it matches and equals mine and a lot of the other council members," he said. "I think just knowing how much local support we have sends the message that we are unified. We see where we can make up for the state's failure to support Hoosiers."

Prior to his comments about LGBT legislation, Goodnight started with a laugh and a few numbers.

After cracking a joke about his new reading glasses, Goodnight began by citing two figures his administration has previously promoted - the underspending of the 2015 budget by 8 percent, or $5.1 million, and the average unemployment rate of 4.7 percent. The latter figure, he said, is the lowest it’s since 1999.

A fresh statistic, though, came when Goodnight referenced the recent implementation of the city’s curbside recycling program, which created concern for city officials after numerous delays.

“We recycled more than 360 tons of waste in December and January, and are on track to keep up that pace in February. That is a great start,” he said. “But to maintain this program, we need to keep using it, and grow it.”

After discussing those past and current accomplishments, Goodnight moved into his plans for the future, framing them as part of a movement toward sustainability.

With unfunded mandates and property tax caps coming to local governments from state lawmakers, and the inevitability of a national recession, it’s imperative that Kokomo build a sustainable community, he said.

And one way Goodnight expects to do that is through infrastructure improvements, specifically road diets.

“Kokomo’s share of asphalt dollars is not going up much, but the cost of installing and maintaining asphalt roads will continue to rise,” he said, focusing largely on older industrial corridors. “Redesigned streets result in less road to maintain, less road to plow in the winter, less land miles to stripe and fewer potholes to fill.”

According to Goodnight, the city is working to take lanes down from 14 to 10 feet, while in some instances adding medians, bike lanes and pedestrian crosswalks. Goodnight said the tactic will result in lower driving speeds, a reduction in accidents and more pedestrian and bike-friendly roadways.

While some in the community have eschewed the idea of road diets due to navigation issues, Common Council member Bob Cameron, who dealt with complaints about Conradt Avenue in his district, said parking regulations will help Goodnight’s plan.

If parking is limited to one side of the street, unlike Conradt Avenue, Goodnight’s plan will work well, he said.

In relation to road diets, Goodnight said the city saves taxpayers over 28 percent each time a road is narrowed from 14 feet to 10 feet. In addition, he said the continued removal of unnecessary stoplights have already saved the city $216,000 annually.

“Any way that we can make our community more pedestrian friendly, that we can curtail automobile accidents and slow traffic down is going to be great,” said Whikehart after the speech. “Each one of us are members to represent and ensure the safety of pedestrians. I think it will be a great idea.”

As part of Kokomo’s infrastructure, Goodnight also trumpeted recent successes related to flood mitigation and “curb appeal.”

“We will also continue to work on flood mitigation, dredging portions of the Wildcat Creek to increase its ability to handle heavy rainfall,” he said. “So far, the Municipal Stadium project is the most visible component of our comprehensive and sustainable flood mitigation strategy, but it is only one part of the overall plan.”

Goodnight said the city has increased capacity at Washington Street and Park Avenue, and the old Delo Park to hopefully improve the floodplain for Kokomo.

As for curb appeal, Goodnight focused on three private businesses – Kokomo Auto World, NIPSCO Utilities and the Markland Mall – and their recent improvements as prime examples.

“But to attract new residents, we must have streets, curbs, sidewalks and paths that look modern and well maintained,” he said. “It shows that we invest in our community and it shows that we take pride in our community.”

Such success, he noted, brings increased population growth, which Kokomo experienced for its fourth consecutive year in 2015. With that growth, come housing projects and economic development.

In 2015, according to Goodnight, the city planning commission issued 73 building permits for single-family homes, which was the most in a decade. He also referenced the new 88-unit duplex community replacing a mobile home park; the 69-unit Apperson Way apartment complex; and the $20 million residential care facility investment in downtown Kokomo.

Most importantly, though, is the Flaherty & Collins Properties project, which is the largest investment in downtown Kokomo history, he said. The $32 million mixed development project will be built on the site of the former NISCO building and provide a 197-unit, luxury apartment complex, Goodnight noted.

“Every single project is redeveloping a blighted or underserved area, replacing empty buildings and vacant lots with new retail and residential growth,” he said, noting the aforementioned projects add up to over $76 million in residential investment. “This contributes to our economic, residential environmental sustainability.”