Heart of Jasper and JPD Provide Year-End Updates

Kate Schwenk appeared before the board on behalf of Heart of Jasper, presenting some of the organization’s accomplishments over the past year. Downtown businesses have continued to take advantage of the façade grant project, with twenty signs and four façades installed in 2024. In 2025, there are plans to consider expansion of the program to residential and rental properties in the target area, which is from the River Center to the Cultural Arts Center. Seven new downtown businesses have opened this year, and five others have relocated to the area. 

In Heart of Jasper’s economic vitality update, two businesses received substantial new business incentives from a private donor through HOJ. Monthly events like Music on Main and Shop and Sip continue to drive traffic to downtown merchants. Some notable events for Heart of Jasper this year include the merger with ROJAC, joining the Jasper Optimists Avenue of Flags, and completing the second Astra alley. They also partnered with Park and Rec for the flowers in the square, who sources their plants from Green Thumb. Heart of Jasper supplies much of the labor to help defray many of those costs with volunteers. The property development initiatives between the City and Hart of Jasper will be reviewed for consideration of its annual renewal. In his manager’s report, Assistant Chief Aaron Pehrson presented the department’s proposed taser contract beginning January 2025, which was approved by the board. Permission was also granted to send out towing contract paperwork to vendors. Following general updates, Pehrson presented the board with an explanation of five significant challenges facing the JPD. The problematic areas included resource limitations, which includes an understaffed department, drug abuse and addiction, mental health, community trust, and domestic violence. Pehrson reiterated that each of these areas requires support, and that is difficult to maintain with the current staffing problems. He stressed that the community and police need to work together, and that the department should be made aware if residents have concerns. Pehrson urged the public to make use of the tip line at (812) 481-COPS or call 911 if they need assistance or need to make the JPD aware of a potential issue, saying that they are here to serve.