In SOTC, Goodnight ties together public health, safety and city design

Feb. 28--KOKOMO -- Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight tied together the issues of public health and safety with his sometimes controversial city design philosophies during his annual State of the City address Monday night at City Hall.

Goodnight, giving his 10th SOTC address, looked back on 2016 -- including the previous year's tornadoes and passage of LGBT protections -- but spent much of the speech demonstrating his approach to local governance and the wide-ranging effect he believes those methods have on Kokomo residents.

The third-term mayor described what many see as his main role -- "ensuring the public's safety" -- but eschewed the usual conversations surrounding safety and instead focused on topics not often associated with crime or economic growth.

Goodnight explained to the audience the difference between actual risk and perceived risk, saying that while most people think about public safety in terms of police and fire, it's important to also comprehend the risks presented by diabetes, heart disease and more.

"Public safety is also about the health and well-being of our citizens," he said.

Noting that Howard County is ranked in the bottom half in overall health among Indiana's 92 counties, Goodnight cited statistics from the Cato Institute which claim Americans are 70 times more likely to die from diabetes and heart disease than violent crime, and 20 percent more likely to die in a traffic accident than fire.

He went on to compare the microscopic chance of dying in an attack by a foreign terrorist (one in 46 million) with the chance of passing away from diabetes (one in 53) and heart disease (one in seven), calling them "real risks."

Goodnight then referenced the controversy that surrounds much of his administration's design plans, specifically road diets and lane reductions, which he believes lead to "smart streets" and walkable neighborhoods.

Those in turn assist public safety, public health and economic growth, he said, claiming the city's crime rate has dropped significantly since he took office in 2008.

"Now, most of us, if we could, would move mountains to prevent cancer in children," he said, referencing another risk. "Yet, when it comes to redesigning streets to make them safer for our young people, unfortunately, through misinformation and misplaced priorities, it is often fought every step of the way."

Since Goodnight's 2016 SOTC address, during which such infrastructure improvements were discussed, the city has announced or made progress on similar projects on Apperson Way, Washington Street, Markland Avenue, Superior Street, Home Avenue and Market Street.

"Many of the healthiest and safest places in our country are dense urban cities and neighborhoods with Smart Street design where walking is natural and convenient," Goodnight said.

"Smart streets are safer," he continued. "After hundreds of studies, the data has shown that narrowing lanes, adding medians, building curb extensions and planting trees along the street will together result in fewer accidents. And the few accidents that do occur will be much less severe."

Goodnight, who also spoke about the impact walkable communities can have on cardiovascular events and crime, pointed directly to an upcoming project that, although complete design plans have not been revealed, has generated controversy.

The Markland Avenue Reconstruction Project, slated to begin in early 2018, will include sidewalk and curb reconstruction on Markland Avenue from Washington Street to Apperson Way, along with new curbs, asphalt, signals and lighting.

Goodnight said that while that section of road already has sidewalks, he sees few pedestrians and "minimal business investment," partly due to the difficulty of crossing Markland Avenue's four traffic lanes.

"If people do not feel safe, they just won't walk," he said. "If people do not enjoy the walk, they will choose to drive instead. We all know, the less we walk, the less healthy we will be. When you really think about it, Kokomo's street department, engineering department and traffic department are actually Kokomo's health departments. Because for us, all public policy is health policy."

Goodnight later tied those points in with the impact a community's physical health can have on its economic health, saying that "it is in every employer's best interest to find cost-saving measures wherever possible" and that "healthier people have lower healthcare costs."

He referenced the "mobile economy" and business owners' focus on utilizing healthy employees, which he said "are happier and therefore more productive.

Goodnight, however, also looked back on 2016 and the impact one specific piece of legislation had on the community.

On March 14, the Common Council voted to approve legislation that protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens through the city's human rights municipal code. Those protections, said Goodnight, have been enacted without the confrontations many were expecting.

"Now, nearly a year after its signing, the dire warnings from the fear mongers never came true, including the imaginary bathroom boogieman," he said.

Goodnight noted that the city's Human Rights Commission has not received any LGBT-related complaints, which he called a "true reflection of the integrity, compassion and decency of our local businesses, management and owners."

Toward the beginning of his speech, Goodnight also spotlighted an issue frequently debated in federal government but not often discussed by local politicians: climate change.

Goodnight cited climate change as a driving force behind the tornadoes that have ravaged Kokomo in the last three years. He also referenced last week's 60 degree-plus weather that coincided with numerous tornado threats throughout the Midwest.

"Tornado season now seems to be January to December with no reprieve," he said. "Climate change, for us, is about the dozens of families who lost their homes, some for the second time in less than three years. It is about the 100-year-flood that now seems to happen every 10."

Goodnight pleaded for residents to "take climate change seriously ... because of the destruction, instability and the overall expense it is already causing here in Kokomo."

In relation to last August's tornadoes, Goodnight thanked numerous Indiana communities and local organizations and businesses, both for their clean-up efforts during the immediate aftermath of the storms and subsequent donations.

He said the Rebuild Highland Park fund, which will fund 100 new trees and replace ADA-compliant playground equipment, has raised nearly $90,000 through donations from "civic-minded partners."

In another effort to highlight Kokomo's successes, Goodnight provided statistics on everything from debt per capita and blight removal.

Specifically, Goodnight said Kokomo currently has the lowest debt per capita of Indiana's 35 largest cities.

Additionally, he said Kokomo has removed nearly 100 blighted, abandoned and unsafe properties throughout the city, while also collecting almost 2,500 tons during the first full year of its curbside recycling program.

He also referenced the new downtown YMCA's busy first year, claiming that membership has more than doubled since the $16 million facility opened, with "well over" 300,000 recorded member trips.

George Myers can be reached at 765-454-8585, by email at george.myers@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter @gpmyerskt.

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