Business View Civil and Municipal l January 2023

46 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 attracting all types of new investments. His philosophy of government includes “either helping or getting out of the way by removing burdensome regulatory rules that hinder development. “Beyond that,” he continues, “is our partnerships with the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and Greater Fort Wayne, as well as local developers, which has been key. So, it’s about partnerships; we’re not doing this alone. Between our internal team, which we’ve been able to build here in the city – they’re tops in their fields – and our relationships, we have an open door with developers.” McMichael elaborates on the city’s proactive development ethos. “In our administration, it’s ‘let’s get to the yes.’ What I mean by that – is a developer or somebody looking to invest in our community may have a goal in mind of something they want to do and how to get to it. Well, we’ve got enough smart people around the table, and we can figure out how to achieve the objectives of the developer or the investor while maintaining the sustainability of the community.” McMichael also understands that when a new business is looking to locate or expand, the city must provide baseline legacy utilities, good roads, and of equal importance, adequate housing for the area’s growing workforce.