2021 State of the City
Citizens of Southport, members of the City Council, Clerk-Treasurer Newhouse, and Chief Vaughn. Thank you for your service to our city. The partnership we have developed has continued to create progress for Southport over the last year. I would like to take a few minutes to provide a yearend review of the activities in the city of Southport for 2021.
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The highlight of 2021 has been the purchase of new LED Christmas lights for Southport Rd. The lights now extend from Madison Ave to Pine St. Lights have been purchased to reach all the way to McFarland Rd. The remaining lights will be installed over the next 2 years. The Southport Police Department continued to remain safe from COVID the entire year. The Southport PD collaborated with Perry Seniors to create a food bank which is now administrated by Perry Seniors. The police department also assisted with the food deliveries to those in need. The police department applied for and received a Ballistic vest grant to help offset the cost of outfitting new recruits with a new vest. The Police department was able to have a training academy last year. The graduating class of 15 completed their training in August and then began field training. Southport added another full-time paid officer to its police force in 2021. The police department now has 3 full-time paid police officers, including Chief Tom Vaughn. 2 new police cars were purchased locally from Ray Skillman Ford.
The Board of Public Works and Safety continued improving infrastructure within Southport. The city applied for and received a Community Crossings Grant from the state of Indiana to pave numerous streets within Southport as well as repair several stormwater drains in Crossgate. One street, East St, has not been repaved in many years. Residents were happy at the newly paved streets, though due to the supply chain issues, there were delays. We again hired a vendor from Beechgrove in November to sweep all the streets in Southport. INDOT and Louisville and Indianapolis RR teamed up to install a railroad crossing is much safer for residents. There were several improvements undertaken to improve the Community center including a new roof and gutters, new floor and lighting in Perry Sr's office, painted the doors in Perry Sr's office, and repaired/replaced the main door to the community room. Southport changed to a new trash removal vendor resulting in significant savings for the city. Lastly, the city moved its tech platform from Google to Microsoft Teams for a more secure environment.
The Clerk-Treasurer, Alissa Newhouse, and Jane Vaughn, Deputy Clerk-Treasurer and continued watch over the budget and the city's finances in 2021. A new budget was prepared and approved in the fall by the city council providing opportunities for growth in 2022. The city received approximately $199,000 of ARP funds for use in repaving streets and stormwater infrastructure repairs. Approximately the same amount will be received in 2022.
The Redevelopment Commission's efforts to develop the old Davidson lumber property at 2110 E Southport Rd have moved the city closer to signing a development agreement with Rebar Development to build a four-story, 94-unit apartment building. The old Southport post office at the corner of Main St and Southport Rd was purchased by Your Realty Link in November 202. Renovation/rehabilitation of the building was completed in 2021. It is a beautiful addition to the business community along Southport Rd.
The Parks board was able to have the 4th of July Parade and Christmas in the Park with Santa. Both events were fun and had great attendance. We all look forward to having more events in 2022. The 5-year parks master plan was reviewed, and a draft was sent to the consultant for review. The master plan should be completed in early 2022. The 3rd annual car show occurred at the Perry Township Schools Academic Center in September. The event was well attended by individuals showing their cars and folks coming to see the variety of cars and trucks on display. It was a great opportunity for the city of Southport to shine and show off its amenities.
I want to thank our city employees, the City Council, Clerk-Treasurer, Deputy Clerk-Treasurer, Police Chief, and all the volunteers who give of their time and expertise by serving on the city Boards and Commissions as well as volunteering at city events. The City of Southport is a better place in which to live due to the city staff and volunteer efforts of its residents.
Thank you all. To the citizens of Southport, I am honored to continue to serve you as your mayor.
May God Bless the City of Southport,
Jim Cooney, Mayor
City of Southport