|
Step 1
|
The Letter of Intent
|
|
North Liberty’s application for Stellar designation outlined the difficulties the town has experienced but portrayed the town’s enthusiasm and community spirit. The town applied for a Downtown Beautification grant through OCRA to develop its local shops but lost by a few points. Much to the character of North Liberty, community business owners came together to develop the town as a Main Street Community in 2010, the 100th locality designated as such in Indiana, allowing it to go forward and reapply for the Downtown Beautification grant – and win. Concerns surrounding North Liberty were different than other Stellar communities. For example, the town cited a 27% growth in population between 2000 and 2010, contributing to the 2015 estimated population of 1,919. North Liberty began to consider the Stellar program as it noticed these trends and the benefits the program could bring to accomplish their Comprehensive Plan. This plan included findings that reflected resident concerns over kid-friendly spaces, increased connections with nearby Potato Creek State Park, and downtown improvements. Recognizing the importance of the state park, the town emphasized this aspect of their plan and it is extended into the Stellar application. Potato Creek State Park is the third most attended state park in Indiana, with more than one million visitors in 2014. The park has been included in the state’ Bicentennial Campaign to build a new inn, an opportunity for tourist dollars in North Liberty. On April 9th, 2015, North Liberty was notified as a finalist in becoming a Stellar Community and was awarded a $10,000 grant to develop its SCIP. |
|
Step 2
|
The Strategic Investment Plan 2015
|
|
The seven-person North Liberty Stellar Development Team worked from April to July fine-tuning and determining project budgets to create its Strategic Community Investment Plan (SCIP). Utilizing the Comprehensive Plan, North Liberty proved its qualifications and community support to complete the projects detailed in the SCIP.
Priorities of the plan included a connection to Potato Creek Trail, accommodating growing family and senior populations, and supporting businesses through marketing efforts. Each Stellar project, nine in total, was assigned to a project manager, ranging from a private firm such as DLZ, to local business owners. Individual projects mentioned in the SCIP:
|
|
Step 3
|
The Site Visit
|
|
To prepare for the state’s visit to the town, officials and community members organized together to clean the town park and create a promotional video.
Source: HUMDINGER creative, 2015. Available online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUMTG7DlUpA. |
|
Step 4
|
The Announcement
|
Out of thirteen applicants and five finalists, North Liberty was designated a Stellar Community on August 17th, 2015. It was the first town to be placed in the Division II of the program to accommodate towns less than 6,000 persons. The Stellarbration occurred on September 18th with a visit from Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann.
