Chamber Chat
The Chamber Chat - Danville Indiana Podcast informs, connects, and entertains by spotlighting local businesses, community leaders, and events that shape Danville, Indiana. Each episode shares engaging conversations and valuable insights that strengthen community connections and celebrate what makes Danville Indiana thrive.
Chamber Chat
Chamber Chat: A conversation with Town Manager; Mark Morgan
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Join us for a Chamber Chat with Danville Town Manager Mark Morgan as he reflects on his remarkable career with the town since 1978. Mark shares insights on the challenges Danville faces today, highlights exciting opportunities ahead, and discusses how the town is preparing for future growth and success.
Welcome to the Chamber Chat. We are super excited today. It's Jocelyn and Kelly, and we've got Mr. Mark Morton, town manager, king of the dad jokes, and uh a friend into the chamber. So uh welcome, Mark Morton.
SPEAKER_00Thank you. It's good to be here. Appreciate the invitation.
SPEAKER_03You're welcome.
SPEAKER_04I'll let Jocelyn start. Yeah. Okay, Mark. So just tell us about. I know that you've been a town employee forever. I don't know that the world knows that though. So talk to us about how you started, how you got here, all the things.
SPEAKER_00So I started uh um working for the town in July of 1978, uh started as a lifeguard. Um did that every summer until uh I graduated from college. When I was growing up, I'd grown up next to the fire station on Kentucky Street and thought that was probably the coolest thing I'd ever seen. So I I thought, you know, when I graduated from college, I I want to join the fire department. And went down town hall, filled out my application, and uh found out that it didn't pay anything. So I probably ought to get a job. And uh so uh I went to work for the Henders County Sheriff's Department and was a volunteer fireman uh for 20 years, so I've never really severed employment with the town in Danville. Uh I just worked part-time. And then uh in 2005 I had worked my way up to fire chief uh part-time and I was ready to retire from law enforcement. Uh the town was ready for their first full-time fire chief, and so uh I took that job and uh uh became again Danville's first career fire chief and did that until 2019 and the uh position for town manager came open and I applied for that and was uh awarded that position and been doing that ever since. So I've not I've not left the town of Danville technically since 1978.
SPEAKER_03That's insane. They used to hire toddlers for the I I'm old, believe me.
SPEAKER_00It's okay. I know that.
SPEAKER_03Oh, it's like porn. What are you talking about? The lifeguards were toddlers. Okay.
SPEAKER_00I was 15 and a half because you had to be 15 and a half to be able to get your certification for a basic uh water safety person.
SPEAKER_04So I still regret not being a lifeguard. I think I would have enjoyed that.
SPEAKER_00I I wasn't always this felt, you know, I looked a little better in the chain.
SPEAKER_04Um, okay, I I just know I've I've heard a lot of your stories from the police department and the fire department. So without violating any HIPAA contract or anything, I want to hear your best or like most memorable. Like, oh yeah, I'll never forget this. Right.
SPEAKER_00So and and there's a lot of funny stories that I probably can't convey in a public setting. Uh, but one of the most memorable things uh in my career um was uh we did not have paramedics when I became fire chief. We did not have advanced life support. And um they kept saying we know we should do this, and I kept thinking, well, the hospital's in our backyard, you know, we were that close to it. So finally I agreed. I said, okay, let's do we'll do paramedics. The very first run we went on, uh a gentleman had uh uh opened up his camper, there were hornets inside, he got stung and went into anaphylactic shock, and basically was not breathing when we got there. And our paramedics started working on him and everything. And the thing that was most memorable to me was by the time we left the hospital, uh, that gentleman was laying in the bed and thanked me uh for our services. And I thought that was really cool. I at that point I realized that every dime we spent on the paramedics was worth every penny of it. It really was because uh any it I think if things would have been different, this gentleman would never have survived that incident. So um to me that's one of the most rewarding. I could probably sit here all day and tell different stories. Uh but uh uh yeah, that one was that one was pretty huge. Uh one of the things that I I really do think that was funny, um, when I was working in the sheriff's department, I'd received a uh medal of valor for capturing a couple bank robbers, and uh, but towards the end of my career, I uh was awarded a medal of bravery. And uh what was funny it was for entering a burning house.
SPEAKER_04As a police officer?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I just thought the irony was there. I was like, you know, I do this every day, you know, but uh but apparently um I wasn't wearing the um fireproof deputy uniform that day. So I didn't know either of those stories, I've never heard those stories. Yeah, that uh um again, I don't that's not one of the things I brag about a whole lot. So yeah.
SPEAKER_04I also didn't realize that you were the first fire chief. That's epic. I didn't know that either.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the uh there were a lot of you know, obviously uh part-time and volunteer chiefs throughout the 200 years of Danville. Right, but uh I was their first career full-time fire chief.
SPEAKER_04So what's been your favorite job so far that you've done for the town? Answer cautiously.
SPEAKER_00I I was gonna say I gotta be careful about this, you know. Um I I I've enjoyed the challenges of this job. Um I I make a I I do joke a little bit about you know being fire chief was a little easier because um you know I just put the wet stuff on the red stuff.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But uh in this job, I'm putting out just as many fires but with no water. But this job really does present different challenges. I really do believe I'm helping people. It's just not as I'm got not seeing the immediate gratification that I saw as fire chief. Then you've got to see it right just like the gentleman in the hospital. You've got to see the results of your efforts, whether it was putting a fire out or helping save someone's life, whatever the case was. In this job, I I may not actually see for years uh what the uh results of what I do, but uh I do believe that every every every decision I make, and again, you know, I have the council that obviously makes the ultimate decisions, but um I really do think that when I'm looking at these things, making those decisions, I'm trying to decide what is in the best interest of our community. And and that's the one of the things I when people ask me, you know, because I know there's things we do that that people aren't happy about, I get it, and it's tough to make everybody happy, but the one thing that I I would want people to take away from it is that I have lived in this town my whole life. I've been here 63 years. I'm not going to do something that's going to hurt our town or what I believe will hurt our town. If I'm thinking about it, I try to make sure that it's in the best interest of the totality. Okay. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03So town manager. So one of the questions that people always ask, okay, what is the difference between a mayor and a town manager?
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_03I still don't even know.
SPEAKER_00So in there there are obviously in the state of Indiana two forms of government. You have a mayorial and council form, and then you have a town manager council form of government. The difference being is a mayor is elected. Um, and and I'm certainly I have friends who are mayors. I have lots of friends who are mayors, um, and I have lots of friends who are town managers. And the difference between the system is that with that being an elected position, sometimes the thought process is more about what will get me re-elected. And I and I'm not trying to say that in a bad way, but I don't have that worry. Um, I know that I have obviously five people that I have to make happy on a daily basis, but when I give them opinion, it's again going to be based on all the research that I've done, what I believe is in our you know, the best interest of the community. Whereas a mayor may may or may not always have that. Now, all the mayors I know they they truly are uh true public servants. They I don't think they think about the re-election aspect, but I do think that sometimes that's got to be in the back of their mind that you know if I if I make this decision, this could cost me this or whatever, and I don't have to think about that. I I have the ability to um basically not be a yes person and just say this is what I think. And uh when I do that, I I like I said I don't I hate to say this, I don't worry about the consequences as much. So I think that is the the biggest difference between the two positions. So um, you know, I'm not I don't have to be affiliated to a particular party one way or another or anything like that.
SPEAKER_03So I that's why I've always loved term limits because you're then they're not they're actually getting stuff done in my opinion, because they're not voting, you know, working on that next vote. So I've always loved term limits for that for that fact.
SPEAKER_00The only downside that I on on and I because I do I understand exactly what you're saying, having come from uh obviously the sheriff's department side, term limits do hurt Indiana sheriffs in some aspects because uh nationally there are so many sheriffs out there that don't have term limits. And so for national uh organizations, those that hold office in them, whether it's the president of the National Sheriff Association or whatever, uh they're coming from states that don't have term limits because there's no fear that they're going to probably be ousted anytime soon. If they've been able to be there for 20 years, they're probably gonna be another four. Whereas in Indiana, eight years is it, and most most Indiana sheriffs don't have an opportunity to serve in those national bodies like that.
SPEAKER_03So I never thought of that. Yeah, that is interesting. All right, that is very interesting.
SPEAKER_00I'm a plethora of information.
SPEAKER_03You are, you are, and jokes.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes, and jokes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03All right. Um, so what if you were to give a 30-second like elevator speech on what a town manager does, how would you how what would you say?
SPEAKER_04Like on the daily basis?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, like what would you say your job is?
SPEAKER_00So essentially my job is to make sure there is cohesion, cohesion between all the department heads, uh, that we're all trying to achieve the common goal to make sure that the town of Danville is being operated safely, efficiently, and that we're looking for the future and being progressive. Then at the same time, I have to take the information that is given to me by the department heads, uh, put it in a little package, a compact package, and disseminate that to the council members so that they are able to make decisions on questions that we might ask throughout the course of the two weeks, four weeks, whatever the uh situation may be as far as council meetings and things. But uh really again, I'm I'm bringing everything together, uh redisseminating it so that it again is in a nice little neat package that uh they don't have to try and sit there and go through everything. Granted, there's times I can't avoid it. They're they're going to get the 230-page packet. I I can't stop that. But for the most part, what I try to do is make sure that um I try and make their life easier so that um it's easier for them to make informed decisions. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Departments. What all departments sit underneath you? What are all the town, different town departments?
SPEAKER_00So the fire department just exited, obviously, because they became a territory, but um the uh I oversee the police, water, wastewater, stormwater, streets, parks, planning and building, and code enforcement and human resources. Um really everything but fire and the clerk treasurer's office fall underneath my um purview.
SPEAKER_03Okay. So you want to talk about a territory? Because I don't think people understand what the difference between, you know, because they're not seeing a difference, their fire trucks still coming. Um, but what is the difference between the fire department as it was and the fire territory?
SPEAKER_00So the objective is at the end of the day, the end user, which is our citizens, doesn't see a difference. That really is important at the end of the day. Is um used to say that when we had uh volunteers and career firefighters mixed together, is that my objective was is that no matter who gets off that truck, the citizen doesn't know. They don't know if it's a volunteer or a career firefighter, they're trained the same, that it's all professionalism. So uh that's a good thing that you say the citizens don't know. The difference being is the territory uh is a I guess for lack of a better kind of a merger between the town of Danville and Center Township for years. Uh the relationship between the two entities or the two government entities has kind of been symbiotic that one truly existed off of the other. And it's been a it's it was a great relationship. I I obviously I thrived under it, and we built a nice fire department and and where it is now, but it it was at a point where it couldn't go any further the way it was standing. So with the territory and the merger between the two government entities, it allows the territory to become its own taxing unit. And as a result of that, um it it takes the taxes that Danville and Center Township would have been using for fire protection, moves it over to the fire territory so that they're not trying to compete. Uh, you figure when the town of Danville we get our tax money that's being split between police, fire, water, wastewater, you know, well, not water and wastewater, but the other, you know, parks and streets. And uh the utilities obviously make their own money uh through utility rates. But um so again, it allows them to take that money that's being taxed, goes directly to them so that they have more of an opportunity to isolate those funds to what they need uh on a more daily basis.
SPEAKER_03There was a cap put on them this last, well, no, actually year before last year. Right, correct. Right. Um, and that literally happened almost days. I feel like it was days after we voted to have a territory. I mean it wasn't days, but I feel like it was like boom boom. Um so do you think that that uh you know those decisions at the state house are gonna affect us?
SPEAKER_00No question.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I think there's no question, and and I don't know uh where the end is in sight because even this this last session there were changes that are affecting the fire territory. There are some things that were pulled at the last minute, which will be helpful in the long run, but uh they're still on the porch, if you know what I'm saying. Yeah, um, and it won't be that hard for them to come off the porch and get back into the to the game. And we have to watch that. You know, I think it's important that we're talking to our legislators and saying, okay, you know, we understand what you're trying to do, but please keep in mind how this is going to affect all of us. Uh I think I think we all know that SB1 has has been challenging, and uh, and I don't think it's any different for the territory as it is for us when all of that, when all the dust settles, I guess, so to speak.
SPEAKER_03I I I think everybody's feeling it. I know the schools are feeling it, the libraries are feeling it, towns feeling it. Um you know, and it's kind of like, well, wait, you know, I think a lot of people don't understand. Well, I I I feel like there's maybe a handful of people that fully understand what was fully done with SB1. So um it, but I appreciate that our town um continues to look forward um as to to making adjustments and those kind of things. I feel like this council that we have are are very cognizant fiscally of um of our future and those kind of things. So I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_00I think one of the things in looking at SB1 and how we're dealing with it, as you say, we have to be creative, you know, and we have to look at what what options do we have to us. But what we have to be careful is is that when we explore or are ready to explore an option, that that's not getting nixed as well, uh, which we're kind of seeing on some levels uh under the new bills that are that were passed this year. And they just um I'm I'm a firm believer in local rule. Um, you know, I've I've had people come into my office um so many times, and they're um, if you're familiar with the layout of town hall, they'll come into my office and they're complaining about something in Washington or something in Indianapolis, and and and I I try to take that opportunity to remind them that the uh the most impactful decisions are made across the hall from my office because those five people over there are the ones that will that affect our town. And they need to take as much interest in what's happening in our community as they do in Washington and in Indianapolis because it's closer to home. And that's why I'm a firm believer in the home rule. Um the it's it's just it's funny because when I look at the election cycle and I I watch on the off-year elections, and you know, we have a six percent turnout or whatever for local election, I it it it reminds me that people don't really take that interest in that local in the local elections. It's it's disappointing.
SPEAKER_03Did you see the Republican just got a huge grant um to publish a voting um something? I don't know, I saw it at 5 30 this morning. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I haven't I haven't opened that email yet. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03But yeah, I think that's great. Because so it's a it's a non-biased, right, um, you know, uh just a basically a voter information thing, and it's to go to every home in Hendricks County. And I think that's great. Because I think one of the things, I mean, I mean, you know, my dad, I I grew up, you know, pre-seat committeemen, you know, I was there working every election. So I guess I just learned very quickly um and very young the importance of voting, um, you know, and especially in our local government, you know. Yes, I you know, everybody says, oh, one-one vote, what is the matter at the state, you know, at the state, or what is the matter and it is, it is. And I I think one of the things we're finding with the public policy, you know, committee, you know, our um our chambers, um, I think people didn't realize how accessible our state legislators are, how accessible our local legislators are. Uh, I mean I mean our state and aren't town council members. So um so I think that's great.
SPEAKER_00All right. What's funny? I'm sorry. No, you're good, is that people need to realize when they say that you know their vote's only one vote. We've had elections in Danville that have have been as uh close as three votes.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00So a vote's very important. Um I've seen elections throughout the United States where they result there the result was a tie, and at the end of the day, the winner was decided by a coin flip. That's I mean, uh I don't want that. I want I want the voter. I mean, I'd really rather say my vote, you know, did this. So uh I think it is important to vote. Uh one of the things we are going to be working on, I'll be working on it after the primary, is we're gonna be changing our election cycle. And we're going to uh put it on um election years where there are other national elections so that we can get more turnout. I know there's a lot of thought that, oh, you get lost in that, but I'd rather see the turnout and have people have the opportunity to vote in that election as opposed to people not coming out. And quite honestly, I it's it's a fiscal matter because when we have our own election, we have to pay extra money for it. So I'd rather be absorbed into the nationalists, save us some money, and again get that voter turnout.
SPEAKER_03I agree. I agree. All right. Um, what are some challenges that we have here in Danville? What do you see?
SPEAKER_00Well, I think there is a lack of understanding in everything that that happens. And I know it's impossible to try and absorb everything that goes on because Danville's changing so much. We have so much going on. But I I think there's misinformation that goes out and the challenge is trying to make people understand that come see us. I mean, our offices are open, our phone lines are always available. Come see us if you have questions. Chatter. Stay on the chatter. I'm not gonna cast dispersions yet. I've never been on social media, but I do have people obviously that keep me informed of what goes on on social media.
SPEAKER_03Then you really don't know how funny Jocelyn and I are.
SPEAKER_00You're absolutely right. Yeah, she has shown me that you're not. But um it's it's it's important not to I I look at it, and again, then I'm just gonna show my age, like the old telephone game where you know she'd say something to me, I'd say something to you, and then next by the time it got back around to her, it's completely changed. And that that's not helping our situation. Uh uh, talked to a gentleman the other day that um you know it was almost like an epiphany. I mean when he was like, Oh, really? And I said, Yeah, and I he goes, Well, I didn't understand it that way. And I was like, that's why you called me. Please, anytime just call me. If anything, I'm an we're an open book. We really are, and uh, we have nothing that you know we don't want the public to know. And um, and I think that's you know, that's the hardest challenge, is just to make sure that people are getting the correct information. No matter how much we put it out there, I want them to know that you know they can call us anytime.
SPEAKER_03Right. They don't for the person that doesn't want to read through the 200 pages of uh board packets, right? They can um I love that you can go on YouTube. Um, I was in Florida at one point and there was a meeting I wanted to watch, and um so I watched the town council meeting on YouTube um sitting on the beach. Right. And it was delightful. Yep. And if they know if I'm gonna sit in a town council meeting, I'm gonna say sitting on the beach.
SPEAKER_00I gotta figure out how to get that. But one of the things I do that I I I hope helps the public, because I do it to help the council, is when you see our agenda, um, I put a summary in there. It's a topic summary that I put in there, and it it gives a just a usually a one or two sentence blurb of what the intent of that particular topic is. Uh so like last night we had a resolution to change uh the seasonal hours for the DORA, and you know, I it literally I summised a two-page resolution into two sentences. And and I do that again, so the council has an easier way to, you know, they can they're gonna read it, but it gives them that brief and it also provides for the public exactly what this resolution is intended to do. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So we're part of that problem, right? Or not the problem. I wouldn't say we're the problem there, but we're we the chamber is uh part of the reason for um the change.
SPEAKER_00We don't make changes. You're about to get controversial. We don't we don't make changes in ordinances or resolutions for any one isolated organization.
SPEAKER_04No, no, no, no. Thank you, Mark. That was good. We were I said we're part of it.
SPEAKER_00You're you're a wonderful aspect of our community.
SPEAKER_03Thanks, Mark. All right, so what are some opportunities we've got coming up in Danville? What are some opportunities for Danville coming?
SPEAKER_00So can you be less specific?
SPEAKER_03Um let's talk. I can be less specific, obviously. Um let's talk about economic development. Okay, um, because I feel like there's some some movement that we are working towards, um, especially on the southeast side of town. Um, so I feel like that is an opportunity uh for our community. Sure. Um, so if you want to talk about that, sure.
SPEAKER_00Um we actually have what I would consider uh four areas that we're looking at for uh current economic growth. All four provide different challenges. Uh and so I'll start, I'll just start out east and move my way towards the west. In the southeast part of our area, uh out by the airport, IMI, the landfill. Um if I was building a home, that's not an area I would want to build a home. Uh I just there's too much noise, whatever the case may be. And so we've identified that as a commercial area, light industrial, and one of the problems we're getting or running into is being able to provide uh infrastructure in that area. And so, you know, we're trying to figure out how to design uh collectors so that we can gather wastewater. And again, that's not it's not an overnight easy process, and uh we'll we'll get it figured out. We've got engineers working on it, but again, that's an excellent area for growth and opportunity out there. I I I think the two of you have heard my uh dream. I I unfortunately have a lot of dreams uh about you know how a domino will fall and then the next one fall. And and I do believe that the airport has uh uh great potential for our community that if we can get the right housing, I not when I say housing, I'm talking about hangars, of course, right? Um where people who fly a half million dollar plane, million-dollar plane, whatever in uh that they can park their plane, get an Uber. Uh then coming to my next thing, as if we could get a hotel located somewhere in Danville, they could Uber to that hotel. Let's say they're coming in for the Indianapolis 500. And they don't want to be downtown in all whatever that is going on down there, but they just want to go to the race. So they come into our community, um, they um go to our hotel, they get an Uber to I don't know, the Mayberry, whatever, have dinner, go back, then Uber up to the 500, enjoy the race, come back, get on their plane, and leave. I think we're providing them an alternative to that downtown feel, if you know what I'm saying. Um, so that that's what I see out there, and that's why I think that needs to stay commercial and industrial out there. We are working on some uh possible growth near the Walmart area. Like I said, we we've been talking about a hotel there for I don't know how many years now. Um, it's not dead by any means. Uh, it's just finding the right investor that wants to put it in there. Uh, we are struggling uh with NDOT and on a couple of issues out there. Uh they're not willing to give us what we need. Um, they are, but it's at a price that I'm not willing to pay. And I don't know where that price came from, but we're trying to figure that out. Um, so that's another economic development area out there. Uh white, I just found out last week this was called the White Lake area, but I I always call it the property. I didn't realize it. I didn't either. I always call it the Pence property, yeah. Yeah, um, but anyway, um, we are working on helping uh that develop. Um, we finally came up with a uh a number on building roads, and and and we've decided that we would prefer those roads to be built to our standards. Uh originally on a private road they were like 27 feet, we're gonna uh have it built to 32, and by having it built to 32, it it allows us to obviously to put some uh coin in the game, and but that way we can take those roads over and they've met our standards. Uh then of course we have the situation out west uh with Miles Farm. There's a commercial area out there that uh we've got a lot of interest in. Uh, but again, it goes back to trying to work a solution with NDOT and saying, you know, what is it you expect here? What is it you're looking for when you say that if traffic gets to be such and such, we need to do this adjustment or make this uh improvement. Um, and I don't have an answer. And and I that's what's holding me up right now is I need that answer. I have to have that answer. Or I'm not going to obviously, at you know, being here since 78 and at 63, I'm not going to be here when all that comes to fruition. And so I'm not going to tag whoever takes my place with an$8 million bill. Yeah. That's not fair to them. So uh those are things that I'm looking at. So I think we have a lot of opportunities. Um there are things that uh working with the Redevelopment Commission that we've we've met with them on identifying areas for economic growth and and uh economic development areas. Of course, we want to be uh mindful of the school because anything we do as far as an EDA or a TIFF is might adversely affect their ability to get money. So we we're trying to walk a balanced uh tight rope here and see what we can get done that uh is beneficial to them, to us, uh, and bring additional growth in.
SPEAKER_03So I would probably be remiss if I did not ask about traffic. Sure. And we were the town is working on some opportunities. Right. Um, so you want to talk about what we're what the town is doing and kind of where we are in the process.
SPEAKER_00Sure, sure. So we are in the process of of developing a thoroughfare plan, which I think our last one was in 2010. The thing that that again this goes back to understanding, making people, make sure people know the truth, is this is not called a bypass plan. It is a thoroughfare plan. Um the bypass that opportunity was probably uh missed 50 years ago. And uh the last time we even looked at the thought of actually building a true bypass, I want to say it was close to 300 million dollars. We don't have that kind of money. We don't know the landfill just doesn't produce that much for us. So um but so um what we're doing, the reason we're calling this a thoroughfare plan, and and what we want people to understand is we're not trying to get the park and Putnam County traffic off of 36. That's that's not our objective. Our objective is to let them traverse through town. What we want to do are create uh thoroughfares that would allow our citizens to go home. And so, whether that's on the south side of 36, the north side of 36, we're trying to provide alternative roads to where they can exit off of 36, let the park in Putnam County traffic absorb 36, and they can go to their homes, that they don't have to stay on 36 and be a part of that traffic because um if you're sitting on 36, you're part of the problem, and that's what we're trying to get rid of. Uh, we've got some ideas to try and uh work on 200 east and realign that uh the entrance off of 200 east to uh waste management to try and get the semi-trucks off quicker, and that gets them if you know where bottlenecks there on Main Street. Uh, if we can get those semis out of that bottleneck process, we've cleaned things up quite a bit. So if we can we can get the semis off, get them off at 200 east, go into the to the landfill. Um, we think that that's going to be a big help. And then after that, we want to get our citizens off 36, get them to their homes. And that's really what the thoroughfare plan uh it's it's been interesting uh to see the thought process of the thorough plan, thoroughfare plan. Uh people who live on where a thoroughfare is proposed have absolutely no desire for it, but they want to see it in someone else's backyard. And we're seeing that a lot, uh, which is okay. I I would expect the same thing. But uh yeah, I just I just want to make sure people know that our objective is not to take all of the traffic and run it down Lincoln Street or up Stratford or whatever. Uh our objective is that the main traffic stay on 36 and people get to go home and not have to mess with it. So I don't know if I answered your question or not.
SPEAKER_03No, I think that was perfect. Okay, I think it was a great explanation. All right, I'm gonna ask one more question. Sure. And then I will pass it over to Jocelyn because she has to wrap this up. Sure. All right, so quick question. Chamber, we have had the opportunity to have you serve as ex officio on our board um since I've been here. I don't know how many years before I came on that you actually served. Um, but what do you see? Um, because obviously the town does help. Um, we have a contract with with the town. Um, what do you see the benefit of um the chamber um to the town?
SPEAKER_00Boy, that I don't know if there's enough time in this.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yay! You could answer.
SPEAKER_00But um, you know, what I look at personally, and I just say you know, I've since I've been town manager, that was one of the um appointments that was given to me was to serve as an ex-officio on your your board. I've enjoyed it, I've learned a lot. And one of the things that I see is the chamber, uh you are, for lack of a better, you're the face of the town of Danville, even though you're not within our structure. You're not, you know, you're not part of the uh the departments that I listed that work underneath me. Um but I do believe that when when new businesses or um people come into our community, um, and I think this is just inherent through history, one of the first things they look for is the chamber of commerce. And so I do believe that it's it's it's wonderful having you guys affiliated with the town inside with a fiscal you know pack impact that we do, but you are truly the representation out there, and then as a as a subcategory, I I and again this is selfish. I use you and look at you as uh our economic development um partner. And yeah, I know we have a redevelopment commission, but uh the town of Danville doesn't have an economic development person or a chair or whatever you want to call them, and I look at you guys as that that's what you do. Um, you're out there, and I and I know you're doing it. I know you don't you don't advertise it, you don't boast, and you don't talk about it, but I know you guys are out there. Um whether it's a an empty, vacant building, or you know, it's somebody who's looking for X amount of footage to come in. Um there are several organizations that do this, but none of them do it as closely for the town of Danville like you guys do. And that's what I look at. You guys are our representatives out there uh promoting the town of Danville for economic development. Um, and there's also the feel good. I love the part that you know we we still do concerts on the square, concerts in the park. Um I think it's important. I think it's important for our citizens to know that you know those things happen. They're they're free, they're you know, um we're still just a wonderful community, you know. It's a uh the small town feel is still there, it's never going to change. We're gonna have our square and we're gonna still do things, and we build a beautiful amphitheater down in our park. I'd I'd put our park system up against anybody, to be quite honest with you. I think it's a great park system. So uh I think uh the partnership we have, I think it's fantastic.
SPEAKER_04Well, thank you. Thank you. All right, Tesla. I get caught just listening to you talk so bad, but I was really thinking about what I was gonna ask next already. Um, first one, I want to hear your best joke that you can share with you.
SPEAKER_00That's human resources says I can't do that anymore.
SPEAKER_04Okay. Um next question is I didn't prepare you for this at all, so I apologize. What's your best piece of advice? Life advice, business advice, anything you want to share? Work advice?
SPEAKER_03What advice do you live by?
SPEAKER_00Um, boy, that's a tough one. I know you, but I'm expecting a lot out of this. Um you know that I think that I truly, and I know this will sound so cliche, but just be yourself. You know, if if you can't, if you can't, if you can't be you trying to be somebody else, probably isn't gonna work out uh because they probably aren't doing it very well either. And uh, you know, when I was uh a sheriff's deputy, one of the things that I uh I was in our field training program, and and one of the things that I liked about it, when you're training a new police officer, they normally had three other training officers that that and and it wasn't because you somebody was getting burnt out, it's because you didn't want to create a clone. You don't if you if this deputy, new deputy only rides with one deputy, they're gonna emulate everything that person does. The objective was is that they get to see three different models and take the best of all three and then hopefully make their own person. And I do believe that that is uh important that you just you learn to be yourself. It's it's there's nothing wrong with um taking snippets from other people that you've learned from. I've learned from the best. I I uh uh my my my dad had the uh probably a saying that I lived by uh and I took throughout um pretty much my whole career, and it started back when I played football. Um had a coach that I didn't always agree with. And uh my dad said to me, he said, uh, you can either play for a coach or you can play in spite of a coach. But if you love the game, play the game. And I think there's so much truth to that. And and and so um I have I've literally anytime I've made a decision, whether it's career, whatever, I've tried to keep that in mind that okay, no matter who's leading this, do I like doing it? If I like doing it, I'm either gonna do it for them or in spite of them, but I'm gonna do it.
SPEAKER_03Sounds really good. Good job, Mark. I like that. Killed it. Mark, we know you're busy. No problem. Thank you so much for um taking some time to chat with us today. My pleasure. I'm sure we probably could have gone another hour or so. Usually. I agree. Uh so maybe we'll have you back on the end of the day. Yes, part two. And um maybe I'm not hard to find. Well, just thank goodness. Thank goodness. We get to see a way of walking by our whiskey pop in. Um, and uh, I guess he used to tell us jokes.
SPEAKER_00I can I have to be you know careful about what I do. Maybe a train. Yeah, just maybe betray.
SPEAKER_03All right, thank you, Mark. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00Appreciate it.