The Culver Town Council got a review of the community’s accomplishments over the past year. During last week’s meeting, Town Manager Jonathan Leist presented an annual report for 2016.
He said the town spent a lot of time and money on utility work in 2016. “$1.2 million on the storm water improvements on Lakeshore Drive. We have the new parking lot on Main Street,” he said. “We were able to pave and do curbs and gutters on Main Street and Obispo Street, and we completed the planning and engineering section for the Safe Routes to School sidewalk that will go in next year on Academy.”
Other accomplishments include $1.1 million in improvements to the town’s water treatment plant, thanks in part to $500,000 in grant funding, as well as new streetlight banners and brick-stamp crosswalks. “Largely through a lot of employee efforts, too, we were able to put the new storage garage up at the wastewater treatment plant and the new water tower on Lakeshore Drive,” Leist added.
He said Culver’s building department also had some success in 2016, “We annexed the 12 acres on West Jefferson Street for the future housing development. Our building permits went online September 1, and I think we issued 130-some permits. Twenty-one of them were for new homes, which allowed about $8 million in assessed value.”
Several projects taking place at the Beach Lodge and renovations to the pavilion were among the highlights for Culver’s park department last year. Leist also said that Clerk-Treasurer Karen Heim has made a few changes in her office, as well. “We can process golf carts fully online now,” Leist said. “We’re working on our new personnel policy handbook, and the internal controls training – Karen’s been all over that”
On top of all that, Leist said a big focus last year was the town’s push for a Stellar Communities designation. Culver was a finalist for the state program but ultimately lost out to Corydon. Town officials are currently in the process of reviewing their application in order to try again this year.
Leist also thanked all the residents who volunteered to serve on one of the town’s committees in 2016, and Town Council President Ginny Bess Munroe acknowledged the town employees for the smooth day-to-day operations of the town departments.
