Mayor Odell delivers State of the City address

Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 4:28 PM

By Wes Dehne

Rochester Mayor Trent Odell praised a number of people for their service to the community before delving into past accomplishments and future projects in his second State of the City address Wednesday at the Fulton County Museum.

"Everything seems to be getting better … we should see a lot of things start to happen this year," Rochester Mayor Trent Odell shared during his second State of the City address Wednesday.

Nearly 80 people attended the address, which Odell delivered at the Fulton County Museum to coincide with a meeting of the Rochester Kiwanis Club, as per tradition.

Kiwanis Club President Donnie Kohls led attendees in prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance before introducing Odell.

Odell, now in his second year in office, dedicated much of his address to recognizing others for their contributions to the city. He also detailed accomplishments made in 2024, as well as what's to come.

He began by highlighting special guests, starting with Rochester High School junior Grant Clark, serving as a nonvoting member of the city's park board. RHS's Allyson Calloway, serving in the same capacity, was unable to attend.

"I appreciate having student involvement in our city government in any way that we can," Odell said, later detailing plans to further expand on youth engagement.

He went on to recognize his wife Stacy, seated in the front; his sister-in-law Kelly Karickhoff, executive director of resource development for Ivy Tech Kokomo; Pastor Steve and Judy Hartman; Darren Vogt of Senator Jim Bank's office; and Indiana University Kokomo Chancellor Mark Canada.

Thank-yous

Odell continued with many thank-yous to elected officials, department heads, board members and employees of the city.

He voiced appreciation for City Clerk-Treasurer Beth Stocking, saying one would not believe the amount of work and time she puts into her job.

"She's such a perfectionist," he said of Stocking. "Her work is noticed by everyone, and we certainly appreciate the things you do."

He referred to his Board of Public Works and Safety members, Brett Curnutt and Gary Hartwig, as invaluable for their mentorship, guidance and being uniquely skilled.

In recognizing City Attorney Andy Perkins, Odell acknowledged that he and Stocking both put added pressure on him last year.

"We certainly are thankful for all the extra effort that you put forth," he told Perkins. "We had a lot of things going on, and we couldn't have done it without you."

Also recognized for their service to the city were the seven members of the Rochester City Council, Brian Goodman, Ruth Gunter, Amy Roe, Bob Cannedy, John Garrett, Brian Fitzwater and Mart Smith.

"(We) all seem to be very together in our approach moving forward, and they've been wonderful to work with," Odell said.

"I know a lot of mayors that I talk with have a lot of battles with personnel. I'm so appreciative that I don't have that," he added, speaking of department heads.

He would go on to thank Fire Chief T.J. DuBois, Water Superintendent Derrick Holloway, Street Superintendent and Park Foreman Duane Border, Wastewater Superintendent Marcus Halterman and City Project Manager Randy Williams. He later acknowledged that he inadvertently forgot to thank Police Chief Andy Shotts.

He gave special mention to Lt. Det. Matt Campbell for taking on IT responsibilities for the city, as well as former and longest-serving fire chief Tom Butler for his service to the community and the country.

Additionally, he recognized office staff and those serving on various boards.

Looking back

Speaking on successes over the last year, Odell noted the first step was rebuilding a positive relationship with the county.

"We've had several projects we've worked on together, and I really appreciate all the help they have given us," he said of commissioners and members of the county council. "We certainly have a great partnership right now and the same vision, I believe, for our community."

He highlighted the completion of extending Apache Drive and detailed plans for extending McDonald Drive, including an access to the parking lot of Walmart. A special thanks was given to Fulton County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jillian Smith for helping the city acquire the privately owned drive.

In finishing the Apache Drive project, Odell noted that there were a lot of change orders to work through. He's hopeful to see some economic development in the area soon.

Blacketor Industrial Park is finally shovel-ready as well, Odell reported.

"That's a huge thing," he said. "Twenty years? I don't even know how long it took from start to finish, but we finally got it done."

One of the bigger accomplishments, Odell said, was reestablishing the Summer Parks Program. He thanked all of those involved for helping provide such a phenomenal opportunity to the community's youth.

While recognizing the park board for its efforts, Odell noted work is underway on establishing a five-year plan to identify priorities, such as pool renovations.

Odell also reported that plans have been finalized for the extension of the Nickel Plate Trail.

"We're hoping to get moving on that as soon as the weather breaks this spring," he said. "That will be great for our community, as well as to connect the trail on up to the trail around the golf course."

Odell went on to highlight a change in the city's health insurance, sparked by a workshop provided by Accelerate Indiana Municipalities – a nonpartisan organization that advocates for Indiana's cities and towns.

"We ended up with very minor changes to our employees' health insurance, and we were able to make it affordable to bring families on and save the city $100,000 in premiums," he said.

Odell also reported reaching a new agreement with Republic Services to process leachate from the County Line Landfill while generating revenue for the wastewater department. Additionally, sludge from the wastewater treatment plant will no longer be taken to the landfill. Merrell Bros. Inc. will instead haul it to Kokomo to finish the drying process and then apply it to farmland. The new arrangement is to save the city roughly $60,000.

Developments

In housing matters, Odell reported that two companies were recently awarded federal tax credits for developments in Rochester. Of 16 awards across state, only one other community received two.

Village Management Company Inc., Indianapolis, is to develop Chamberlain House, a 40-unit apartment complex, next to Arbor Woods Apartments, 500 Mitchell Drive. Keller Development Inc., Fort Wayne, is to develop Hawkins Homestead, a 35-unit complex for seniors at 1329 College Ave. Other housing projects and a possible hotel also are being considered.

Development of a new commercial park at U.S. 31 and State Road 25 remains in the works, Odell reported.

"The other side of the coin to more housing is more jobs," he said. "We've always felt, and I think this community has always felt, like that was a prime location for development."

"It's impossible to say who might come, but we know that no one will if we're not prepared," he added.

Dirt may begin to move on that project this summer, as utilities are extended to the site. Recognized for their involvement in the project were Fulton Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Michael Ladd and professional economic consultant Charlie Sparks, as well as Jim Straeter and family.

Shout-outs

Odell gave shout-outs to members of the Rochester Redevelopment Commission for helping develop a plan that allowed Putt's Bar & Grill to remain open while exploring grants to hopefully salvage the building.

He additionally praised all those involved in the Nickel Plate Music & Arts Festival, the Times Theater, Chili Cook-Off and Red Hot Car Show, Light Up the Park, the newly available warming center, Celebrate Recovery and Recovery Cafe, as well as United Ministries, 4C Health, Matthew's Market, Fulton County HOPE and Lighted Pathway.

Odell recognized Dr. Ken Hoff for his generous donation of the Fulton County Wellness Center to the city, allowing it to remain open under the direction of the Fulton County Council on Aging.

He also applauded Woodlawn Health for engaging on the local and state level to ensure the hospital can continue serving the community.

What's to come

Looking ahead, Odell hopes to make progress on establishing a permanent structure for those in need. He envisions a resource center that can provide food, clothing, shelter and job opportunities to help people become self-sufficient.

He noted Rochester Police Department will soon have a code enforcement employee and Chief Shotts is working on an ordinance with "more teeth" to help curb violations.

"If you want to sell a community, you've got to clean it up, so we're going to be a little more aggressive with that," Odell said.

He also detailed plans for a new water tower to meet state standards and add capacity for fire safety. He was troubled to report having to implement a water rate hike to cover maintenance expenses and future growth.

Upcoming roadway projects include East Fourth Street from the railroad tracks to Main Street and the circle drive around Rochester City Park.

Odell also expressed excitement in having more events downtown, such as First Fridays or Second Saturdays, and seeing Rochester Schools' Little Zebbies Child Care project come to fruition.

He finished his address by urging attendees to be steadfast in the call to service before inviting Pastor Hartman up to pray for the community.