In the latest development for the upcoming Thyen/Clark Jasper Cultural Center, the Jasper City Council Wednesday night passed and adopted a rezoning ordinance.
The rezone changes the property from a B-2 central business to a planned unit development. In addition to the rezoning, councilman and Jasper Library Board member, Dean Vonderhiede, updated the council in regards to the status of the cultural center which will be located at the corner of Third and Mill Street where the former Hoosier Desk building once stood.
October 27th is set to be the date to advertise bids for contractors. From there they will be able to see what the exact cost of the project will be.
In relation to the arts, the Jasper City Council passed an ordinance to create an Arts Sponsorship Fund for private donations to the arts program. Currently donations made to the arts not in relation to the building fund, goes into the general fund as a line item for the arts. The new fund will allow the arts to make a more effective use of corporate sponsorships.
In other council business, the council passed appropriations for the 2019 budget and set the advertised property tax rate of 1.0722.
The actual rate will not be revealed until December. While the advertised rate is set higher, the actual rate is expected to be lower. The 2018 advertised rate was 1.0412, but the actual rate was 0.8560.
And the Jasper Common Council held a public hearing regarding a petition to vacate the public right of way on a portion of Royal Street between Kellerville Road and Margaret Drive near the corporate headquarters of Kimball International.
A representative from Kimball International said the company is currently in the middle of a project that aims to better utilize space and increase safety at the building site. The council then passed and adopted an ordinance allowing the vacation of the right of way. The city’s Utility Service Board previously approved a favorable recommendation of the request this past Monday.
