TERRE HAUTE Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – Officials.move to finalize Vigo County’s finances for the upcoming year.
Tonight the annual county council budget meeting was held.
Several items were funded that will help development and boost potential economic growth for the community.
A new passive park to draw in crowds to West Terre Haute, additional help for clean up on the highways, more space for Vigo County Drug Court staff, all items were funded tonight at the Vigo County council meeting.
“We have the land it’s ours, we have the blueprints,” Sister Dorothy Rasche with the Sisters of Providence said.
Over 29 thousand dollars was given to the SOP for their latest project in West Terre Haute, a new clinic.
The money was sitting dormant since the early 2000s from the Providence Housing fund. That means it was money not used for the original project.
Also now sitting dormant, over 150 thousand dollars.
County Commissioner Brendan Kearns asked the council if old FEMA funds from the flood of 2008 could be turned dormant.
That’s so they can be transferred to a land acquisition. The hope is to create what he calls a passive park. it would be in West Terre Haute’s Dresser community.
“My understanding is that there are plenty of willing land owners right now,” Kearns said.
The park would include a Monarch butterfly habitat.
“Butterflies bring in money… as a former employee of the DNR who did this, put these habitats in place, we did see the direct impact from it.”
Now up to speed the funds from the local income tax for public safety. The Honey Creek Fire Department district will receive an additional 89 thousand dollars per year until 2021. They’ll get double that over 170 thousand dollars for the 2020 year to make up for an error in not receiving those funds in 2019.
An official with the department says, it’s much needed. Over 150 thousand will go toward a new training center.
“This training site will allow us to do all of the training that is required in district, it will cut down our overtime and improve our fire ratings,” Joe Schackelford said.
