After Stellar, Huntingburg Officials Ask, "What's Next?" They Want to Hear From You

BY: DAVID SHEPHERD, NEWS DIRECTOR

HUNTINGBURG -- Officials in Huntingburg want to hear from residents as part of its Your Home, Your Huntingburg Comprehensive Plan.

"What is the important thing for Huntingburg to focus on in the next 45 years," asks Huntingburg mayor Denny Spinner.  "  I got an e-mail a citizen the other day and he said that's the 'toughest survey that I've ever taken because I only get to pick 10 things.'"

The mayor says the list of ideas is a long one, meaning you'll have plenty to chose from when you take the online survey.  "We need your help to help prioritize those things.  We want to know because that's going to guide our city council for the next four to five years."

The survey will be up through Friday.  CLICK HERE to participate by taking the online survey.

This is just the latest area of growth for the city.  The Huntingburg Chamber of Commerce hosted 7 ribbon-cuttings Friday morning for new businesses on or around 4th Street.

The idea came from mayor Denny Spinner who admits work on the 4th Street Heritage Trail Project ended up being a transitional time for the city.

"In many of those cases, the transition was a time for some of those businesses that have been on 4th Street for a long time, they were looking for a transitional time," Spinner says.  

"And while we lost some key businesses that had been part of Huntingburg for a long time, even those people were very secure, and were very comfortable that there would be people to follow their path and come back in.   

And, the mayor says, he thinks other businesses will take notice.

"The interest draws more interest. When you seven new businesses, the number of people who say, 'yes, I need to take a look at Huntingburg.  That's what this investment is all about."

The changes within the city of Huntingburg all came together thanks to the Stellar Communities designation says mayor Spinner.  "The beauty of the Stellar Communities program was it allowed us to be strategic about how we wanted to approach this and also gave us the resources to do it."

Offset Promotions will be the 8th new business to open up recently in that area.  There will be ribbon-cutting is at Offset Promotions today (Monday) at 408 E. 4th Street in Huntingburg.

The ribbon-cutting is at 4:30 p.m.  An open house goes until 7:30 p.m.