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Terre Haute mayor updates council on overpass demolition, lift-station cost savings and state housing bills
Summary
Mayor Sackman told council demolition for the 13th & 8th Avenue overpass has begun, reported a Park Avenue lift-station contract estimate cut to about $5.3M, and outlined changes in state bills (Senate Bill 279, House Bill 1001) that affect wheel-tax arrangements and local zoning; he proposed a municipal income-tax task force.
Mayor Sackman briefed the council on infrastructure updates and state legislation during the March 5 meeting, highlighting local projects and forthcoming requirements that could affect zoning and funding.
The mayor said demolition work is underway for the 13th and 8th Avenue overpass and that right-of-way relocation work will follow with a 270-calendar-day schedule; construction bidding for the overpass is slated for mid-2027. On the Park Avenue Main Lift Station the mayor reported an updated design and contractor estimates have reduced the project cost from $6.4 million to about $5.3 million and said the contractor expects to complete roughly 90% of the work this year.
On parks and grants the mayor said the parks board agreed to support a USTA grant for an indoor tennis facility at Ray Park and that a trail connection (Riley Trail) will begin in April.
The mayor also summarized state legislative outcomes. He said changes in Senate Bill 279 eliminated a double wheel-tax scenario (city and county both charging wheel taxes) and that House Bill 1001 includes provisions that will require the city to begin updating its zoning code or submit confirmation of work on a unified development ordinance by year-end. "We actually got something passed that stops double taxation," the mayor said, and he urged that council members serve on a municipal income-tax task force (MUST) to examine local income-tax structures and distribution.
The mayor warned, however, that parts of House Bill 1001 narrow local zoning options and noted practical enforcement concerns about a state homelessness-related provision; he suggested the city will need to build a plan and coordinate with county and regional partners.
Why it matters: these items affect project timelines, city budgets and local regulatory authority. The fiscal and statutory changes could require council attention to zoning updates and may lead to intergovernmental coordination on tax distribution and homelessness services.
What’s next: the mayor said staff will provide additional timelines and proposed participants for a task force on local income tax and that the council can expect future briefings on the lift-station appropriation and related construction timing.
