Dax Norton talks about his company's contract with the town of Nashville, the Brown County Music Center, COVID cases and forward thinking in the new year.
On this week’s installment of Ask The Mayor, Nashville's Norton addresses these issues and more. Listen to the full conversation with Indiana Newsdesk anchor Joe Hren by clicking on the play button above, or read some of the questions and answers below. A portion of this segment airs 6:45 and 8:45 a.m. Wednesday on WFIU.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Hren: I wanted to start the show with an email question from Ann from Brown County. She would like to ask Dax Norton of Brown County, who hired you? What is your salary? And just who are you? We should begin that you’re not an elected official.
Norton: I don't get paid a salary from the town. So, the town contracted with my company, MS Consultants. We started a program for communities that were either in the transition of town management and didn't have one, what we've kind of waiting to see what they would do. It's really kind of a strategic direction type consulting role, which is to help elected bodies, such as a town council, take them through a journey of strategic direction and essentially write an administrative strategic plan.
So that when they did bring on a town manager again, or for the first time ever, that they would be readily prepared to hand that person, this guidebook that they created for the future moving forward of Nashville. So I do some things for the council, some administrative work, some policy work, some resolution work. They're not paying me benefits. My company pays benefits. So that's where this all began. And almost, I guess, two years later, it's gone really well.
Hren: She also asked whether the Brown County Music Center should be sold, she did ask this a month ago, but still relates today, especially after learning the center will receive half of the county's CARES Act allocation.
Norton: So that was the county council now. These expenditures are all in the jurisdiction of the county, with multiple different funding sources. Obviously, they weren't self-sustainable, but the pandemic came in and from what I've been told, yes, it seems like the banks are working with the music center now to keep it alive and afloat and sustained through this period until they can start holding live shows again. But that's all county government, county council funding, county council decisions at this point, not the town council.
READ MORE: Fall Tourists Pack Shops In Brown County Despite Rise In Virus Cases
Hren: The good news is that cases are going down statewide, Brown County positivity rate is going down. Still high about 18%. From what you've heard, how did Nashville manage this past fall season, which is the big tourist boom, looking back now.
Norton: From what we've been told, and a good indicator of this is the food and beverage tax distribution to the town. It didn't really budge much in 2020. So people were invited in, the Convention and Visitors Bureau did a very good job of educating the Chamber, Community Foundation, Town Council, educating folks to come in, it seemed to go fairly well, with distancing and mask use.
Obviously, there was that spike for everybody, it seemed, after Thanksgiving, it seemed like it just went up starting in mid October. It wasn't just a Brown County thing, it was everybody got the new spike. So it seems that the fall season in Brown County, Nashville went as well as could be expected given the circumstances, and everybody kind of pitched in to make it as good as it could possibly be.
Hren: Well, looking ahead now as we begin a new year, I know you mentioned before some new commission's are starting to form — there's a lot of forward thought happening. Can you update us a bit?
Norton: We're starting to talk about movement forward, looking at the comprehensive plan, updating it for the 30 year outlook, talking about a couple of new commissions, human relations is one that's been ongoing for some time, there's now a citizens action committee that's been set up to talk about how does the county and the town move that idea forward, revitalizing the efforts of the main street group. They're a well known group, led well by Brenda Young and others in the community, revitalizing that group and giving it some more energy and the ability to get grants.
So, it's really kind of in this stage of strategy, I think, of we have made it to 2021, and now it's time to talk about all these ideas of growing from within, continuing to help each other, continuing to maintain the historical integrity of the community. Historic preservation may come up again, something that's important, economic stability will come up again, as potential buildings may be sold or are for sale. I work for the council, but there's also multiple groups talking about the future of the county and Nashville as one. So it's kind of exciting right now.
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