From Council

The Fort Wayne Common Council appointed Thom Obergfell and Casey Cox to serve on the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission at Tuesday night's meeting.

Obergfell, nominated by Councilman Tom Smith, is the First Vice President of Corporate Services for Tower Financial. Cox, who was nominated by Councilman Mitch Harper, is a recent IU law grad and YLNI member.

The Redevelopment Commission was instrumental in the passing of Harrison Square.

The Common Council also chose a Council representative to the Downtown Improvement District board. Councilman Tim Pape nominated Karen Goldner and Councilman Tom Smith nominated John Shoaff. Councilwoman Goldner got the nod with 6 votes to 3.

The DID will be especially interesting to watch this coming year as they will have both a new president and a new event coordinator.

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Redevelop panel gets 2 new faces
Shake-up connected in part to Harrison Square outcry
Link (JG)

"The council appointed Tom Obergfell of Tower Bank and Casey Cox, an attorney with Beers Mallers Backs & Salin, to the commission, removing David Wright and Steve McElhoe from the board. In the vote for the two positions, Obergfell received the support of almost the entire council, and Cox got one more vote than McElhoe. Wright was eliminated in a preliminary vote.

Wright, who did not attend the meeting, said he wasn’t surprised to lose his seat on the committee after vigorously supporting the $120 million Harrison Square project.

“I was strongly in favor of Harrison Square from Day 1, and the party was not, (Councilman) Tom Smith wasn’t,” he said, noting Smith, R-1st, was responsible for getting him on the commission in 2006."

[...]

"Councilman Mitch Harper, R-4th, who nominated Cox, said Harrison Square likely had a role in the council’s willingness to appoint two new people, although he was unsure of Cox’s stand on the project.

“There should be some people who ask some impolite questions,” Harper said. “I know (Cox) will do that.” Harper said nominating him went along with his pledge to try to bring younger professionals into government.

Cox, 25, said he supports the downtown development because it’s not just one building project, but it represents a community trying to redevelop itself."