6 November 2013 Community Visioning- Regional Strategic Vision Plan Meeting Notes

6 November 2013 Community Visioning- Regional Strategic Vision Plan Meeting Notes

A shared vision for Greendale, Lawrenceburg, Aurora, and Dearborn County

Initial Project introduction

Context Design Landscape Architecture is consultant for the process.

Commissioner Shane McHenry welcomed everyone saying he was a little bit nervous seeing celebrities like Jim Helms in the room....

Introduced several people. Showed a slide of all the groups invited tonight which included all the city and town and county officials, boards, etc.

Introduced Terri Randall- county administrator- who said she was playing the role of Vanna White….

The Agenda

Why are we here?

What is the purpose of a strategic vision plan?

Jeff Stratman from Aurora showed a map and explained why we need a map AKA plan.

It might be good to have certain things like sewer, retail or whatever. Need a map to get where we want to be. Who are key players to get best decisions. Has sat and talked with several people in this room and wasting time until we get this map. We don’t want pieces of maps. Businesses coming here don’t care about all our boundaries.

Who should contribute to the planning process?

Terri Randall said this is unprecedented to have all these people together. Mayor Carr said to her why don’t we just put all these people in a room? We think that all the people we invited are necessary as the first to hear this message. We will have a core steering community representing each major community in the county. We will have a fairly aggressive timeline. There will be public sessions with this process. There is a marketing plan but we have to come together to be successful.

Why now?

Grant Hughes- Thanked everyone for coming- executive director of redevelopment and mayor’s ass’t. Handles the Regional Economic program- 10 counties. One of the common denominators is they have a plan. Like Columbus and Seymour. Community entities like DCH and AEP are also part of the discussion. Business organizations and civic minded groups also have dialog- and they think we need a plan. Have to see what our residents want and what businesses need. Business moves to educated workforce. People don’t move to business as much. Gone are days of large manufacturers- now they are more segments of the industry. Diversified with steady employment. Need a viable plan. Climbing out of economic downturn- need to have a plan. There has to be collaboration of all and leaders and that is occurring now.

What do developers and investors seek when considering locations and destinations?

Al Abdon- 18 months ago the four of us have been meeting and now we have the mayors and others are coming together. We have TIF areas, shovel ready property, county EDI money. Shift in paradigm as to what business is looking for. The biggest hole we have found is that we don’t have the programs. And stability is necessary. Fiscal and government stability. You have to have a plan. Government changes and stability may be affected then. A plan can go from adm to adm. People and officeholders change. The plan should also change and be updated every 5 years. We need a common goal. It is unprecedented to see this group together. We want to show them that we have sound fiscal cooperation. Locally and at the state level. The state is in great shape financially. Plan to work and work to plan.

What will a strategic plan include?

Terri Randall introduced - Fred Prazeau from Context. He is a good collaborator. I hate the term consultants- but we believe this is the right person to lead us.

Fred Prazeau- we are here to facilitate if there is a project. We may or may not get paid.

Strategic Vision Plan has 6 elements:

Job creation

Workforce Development

Enhancing Livable Communities

Attracting and retaining top talent

Emphasizing ed’n achievement

Creating a broader more stable tax base

Need a plan- those without a plan get left behind.

Strategic Vision Plan

Private sector reinvestment requires a quality vison plan by steady commitment to implementation

A strategic vision includes:

Creative and illustrative imagery

Economic development strategies

Regional infrastructure priorities

Potential project opportunities to carry into local plans.

Influx character and creativity

Get plans and images to paint a picture of what is possible.

Example: competitive fishing, new state park on its way, riverfront, regattas, events might market and program that will attract resources and tourism dollars. The level of cooperation we have seen is very rare- make it work for you.

We need actionable plans. All the mayors say this. Ingredient needed: Marketing impact tax study and economic development study is necessary. Is a project a catalyst or a one and done.

Terri Randall- I have come to a point where I think about what have I done with my life and what mark have I left. I don’t want to have my kids and grandkids leave. You have to make big decisions like how to appropriate a half million dollars. If I were in fiscal body how would I make the decisions? With this map or plan you would be able to prioritize. Citizens will understand our decisions if we all have the plan.

Questions:

Pat Krider- Time frame to get to end plan. 3 months to get data and 3-4 more months to get plans. April to May to be done.

Mark Neff- Can you identify the next steps for us? Terri and Shane will go to the communities. Meet with people. Identify assets of community. Looking for two-three different themes to attract folks to Dearborn. Identified one- like the fishing.

Jeff Stratman- have 8-12 people in Aurora in a charette and bring the ideas to the larger group. Neff wanted to know how to get that info from the common DC resident. This might be a way.

McHenry said the more collaborative we get- the more ideas we will have.

John Rahe wanted to know if they could move on with projects in the meantime. Fred said- do not stop any wheels in motion. World is market driven- and we expect to be flexible.

How is this planning process going to be funded? Stratman said we are proposing a Cadillac plan. If it costs each community can share in it and at the end of the day have a better product. SEIRPC can help some of us get OCRA (Office of Community and Rural Affairs) dollars to help finance it. OCRA is for lower income communities. Community has to put in 10%.

The market piece- working with several companies to get the data we need. $150-200,000 to get there and a whole product. They will be knocking on doors in each county entity to get funds.

Fred said he was located on East side of Indy in Hancock county- Alyssa his wife also involved. Projects in 8 states.

www.context-design.com is the website of his company.

Jud McMillin spoke about how excited he was about this. Grants can help drive economic development .

Kathy Scott- asked if this is more urban city or the whole county? Fred- said they will look at entire region.  Can you give us a success story? Fishers is going thru a development plan and we have helped with that. No foreign investment.

Jim Red Elk- how do you maintain and update the plan? Keep at it every 5 years.

Terri Randall- I sniff around for money. When you drive into some communities you know what they are all about. The road systems in our county are a challenge.

Terri Randall- We might find out we need a road from here to here. We need to be able to tell our story. To let them know we know what we are doing. To open up other areas of our county. Keep some of our rural areas. Keep what makes us unique. Get people up state to help us make these things happen.

Conclusions and Next Steps to be communicated.

Closing of Joint session 7:30 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township