City of Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter
PLYMOUTH — City of Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter gave his 15th and final State of the City address during the Plymouth Common Council meeting on Monday evening.
“Who are we? Who is Plymouth, Indiana?
Plymouth is a wonderful city at the Crossroads of Northern Indiana that has so much going for it right now. We are a Stellar Community, not only in name but also in stature – that has added several positive additions to our community through state grants by the way of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs also known as OCRA and their many partners.
The Second Phase of River Park Square is nearly completed. The Third Phase of the Greenway Trail within River Park Square is still under engineering review and probably won’t be laid out until 2025.
The 105 year-old Laporte Street Footbridge renovation will be completed with new lighting this spring. This is an INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportion) transportation enhancement project which always takes a lot of time. Ironically, we found out that we won that designation during the 100 year flood of 2018.
We have taken advantage also of Regional Cities grants that has brought the Bardwell Aquatics Center as well as a new office for the United Way and the Marshall County Community Foundation and Early Childhood Learning Center.
Last September we realized the Regional Economic Acceleration Development Initiative – which is a tough one – also known as READI – is bringing us the Harrison Street Trail from the Conservation Clubhouse to Packard Woods and in the future the Water Street Townhouses, as well as an Entrepreneurial Center to downtown Plymouth.
What are we?
A city with a very active and conscientious Common Council that looks at and studies the many aspects of what is going on at each and every council meeting.
I would venture to say that the current council is probably my favorite out of all my four terms because of the sub-committees that we have developed to study the many facets of the City…especially public safety, insurance and human resources.
We have council members that are not afraid to get into the weeds, if you will, and are always working with Department Heads to make things right for the betterment of our community.
We have council members that have been on the front lines of law as well as law and order; Council Members that have banking degrees and banking backgrounds and human resource experts that bring their knowledge to not only council meetings, but the sub-committees as well. We have council members that have ownership in businesses right here in our city.
We have a Board of Public Work & Safety that is diligent in keeping our City going and growing.
I have prided my administration on not micromanaging. Granted, there are times when I probably should have been more alert, but for the most part, our Department Heads have gone above and beyond in leading their departments in many ways: being financially diligent; working with fellow Department Heads when needed; leading their employees in the right direction; and always being safety conscious.
Plymouth has voluntary board members that attend monthly meetings of the Board of Aviation Commissioners (BOAC), Plan Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, Trees & Flowers Committee, Redevelopment Commission and Parks & Recreation. This is not for pay. I am going to repeat that – this is not for pay – but it’s so refreshing that people want to be involved in something special to make our city go and grow. These folks are truly appreciated by all of us!
We have a City Attorney, Sean Surrisi, that leaves it all on the line and works non-stop keeping the council up to speed – whether its new ordinances, resolutions, law suits….and probably most important part of it – the minutia of subject matters that many of us don’t even realize. Thank you, Sean.
Our Clerk-Treasurer, Lynn Gorski, is diligent in keeping the financials and record keeping like no one before her. Hopefully, she will be around a long time making things better for the City of Plymouth. Her staff is beyond reproach as well – doing their assigned duties and greeting the citizens with a smile!
Human Resources is as solid as it has ever been. With a motive to learn and succeed, Jen Klingerman takes her job seriously and the employees of the City of Plymouth appreciate her leadership. Thank you.
Promoting our City has been in the hands of Laura Mann for several years now – the best organizer that I have ever met in my life and this year is returning the Mayor’s Months of Music with eight concerts in July, August and one in September on Labor Day Weekend.
Where are we?
In the next few months this City will be on a precipice of major change.
This Friday we are losing one of the charter members of my administration. Keith Hammonds has been talking about retirement and moving to the Philippines for years and it looks like it will come to fruition. Keith has been steadfast in his work as Building Commissioner dealing with the Plan Commission and BZA; inspections; contractors; and at times code enforcement. His replacement is here tonight – Dennis Manuwal Jr. – thanks for being here, Dennis. Thank you, Keith, for all you’ve done. Please stop by here in this room right here on Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to congratulate and say goodbye to Keith for his dedicated service.
As of the most recent Baker-Tilly report, which the Councilmen received tonight, Clerk-Treasurer Gorski tells me that in 2022 the City only spent 88% of it’s budget. Ladies and gentleman, that is a balanced budget – something we have witnessed in the past, but not always. I totally appreciate that – thank you so much.
The Plymouth Fire Department is finally fully staffed and I witnessed that at it’s best Thursday afternoon at a major fire at a West Lincolnway business. I saw a true team effort of both full-time, volunteers and even assistance from Culver and Argos. Thanks, Chief.
The Plymouth Police Department is doing the best they can after losing eight officers in six months. We swore in another new officer this morning, Kenton Lovely. We are still three down and Chief Bacon is diligently still out there recruiting more. I spoke last year about the take-home police car policy and that is genuinely something that has finally happened. Thank you, Sir.
Still with no city engineer, things are going well working with VS Engineering on a contract basis. We met with them this morning at 10 a.m. to begin work on the 2023 street projects. Ten streets or partial streets will be milled and repaved this year.
The Michiana Area Council of Governments, also known as MACOG, is currently working with a large committee of community leaders for the implementation of a new Comprehensive Plan. It is coming along smoothly and a meeting last week provided some very thoughtful improvements for the future of our city.
Our newest cornerstone for downtown is the revitalized Rees Theatre. What a great addition to downtown and our City of Plymouth! There’s not a week that goes by without two or three happenings there. The Rees staff is working well with Wild Rose Moon and the Heartland Artists to make our city a destination from all over Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan. Thank you, Mr. Danielson. Between concerts, movies, lunch meetings and private parties it has filled the parking spots and parking lots exactly the way the committee had hoped and imagined six years ago! For all of those involved, thank you for this dream and dedication!
We are now a “Sesquicentennial City” this year and hope to plan a celebration of that later on in the year. I usually would probably try and put a committee together for that, but you don’t need a committee when you have Laura Mann – she already said no, she’ll do it herself.
In nine months, we will have new leadership at the top here in Plymouth for the first time in 16 years. No doubt, new council members as well leading this beautiful city that we all live, work and play.
For my 15th and last State of The City I just have a thousand “thank you’s” that I don’t plan on listing here tonight.
Overall, I am very proud of what we have accomplished the last several years. People always ask what’s the favorite part of my job is and I always say, “It’s the people!” It’s not always positive, but they definitely keeps us on our toes.
Our citizens are what helps all of us in this room make this city go and grow!
I just want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart! Thank you!”
