16 April 2015 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

16 April 2015 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

Present:Jim Helms, John Rahe, Jim Deaton ( Acting Chairman), Randy Lyness. Dave Deddens Chairman arrived during the IVY Tech presentation.

ABSENT:Dusty Burress (non- voting school board member)

Also present: Terri Randall, county administrator and economic development director,(who arrived later in the meeting during the IVY Tech presentation) Andrea Ewan, attorney, Sue Hayden, minute taker, Gayle Pennington, Auditor and DCRC treasurer.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES- March 12th minutes were approved.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:none

CLAIMS AND FINANCIALS:Routine expenses and Randy Lyness abstained as there were expenses from Maxwell in this set and he is related to people owning that business. Approved. Randy Lyness also asked that his abstention be noted in the minutes.

NEW BUSINESS:

IVY Tech Campus President- Mark Graber- Advanced Manufacturing Expansion Project Presentation Jeff Holdcamp Facilities was also with him. 

Graber said that there were several articles in the local paper on this also. The proposal is now a reality and Lawrenceburg matched IVY Tech’s $3 million for a total of $6 million for this. The building on Industrial Drive is about 15,000 sq ft- 16 years ago. The new expansion is 12,000 sq ft and almost a perfect square. Welding, machining, project, economic development, and advanced manufacturing labs. There is a fire tower out there and the new addition is out there added to the original building. Pri Pac did all their training in a room at IVY Tech when they moved in a few years ago. That room will be available for training also. 

The timetable was presented. It started in Nov 2013. This has gone thru the governor’s office. Grader showed all the documentation for all the state approvals. Rage asked who approved the architect. Grader said it was Schmidt and Associates the approved one for IVY Tech statewide. They also presented to Greendale Redevelopment Commission and they are interested in contributing to this project in some way. Their first construction meeting was this coming week. They anticipate approval in late summer and construction to start in early fall. It will take about 13 months. Late fall 2016 completion and classes start in January 2017 if all goes according to plan. 

They have letters of support from businesses in all three cities in the county. Jay Weber wrote one for Batesville Products. He notes that his company is competing with others all over the world. So this will affect current manufacturers and future workforce. IVY Tech has been working with Lawrenceburg HS and some will be starting to take classes there soon. They could have about half their associates completed before they graduate form High School. They have been doing this for years with the hospital too. 

The last section stemmed from an Advanced Manufacturing Roundtable. They discussed how to meet the workforce. They did  survey to get a baseline of where we are currently to see what we have- what we need, and goals for the future. He asked Randall to make comments on that. She said Oren Turner, Grant Hughes, Al Abdon, and Guinevere Emery were involved. Randy Johan from Ivy Tech EMT training was helpful too. The goal was to provide input so IVY Tech knew what and how to design this project. They wanted to be sure we put in equipment that would relate to what the businesses here need. There is a need to know how workforce dollars work in Indiana in each of the 10-11 regions. That Region 9 Workforce Development Board decides how to use the grant dollars coming in to our area. It is essential by next week to demonstrate how we will help them fill these jobs.She hopes this will build a local multidisciplinary team to work with businesses. She’s pretty excited about that. 

Graber said that they have dinner and a meeting tonight at IVY Tech and everybody is invited to that. Randall said that they have talked to Eric Krantz at the DC Chamber. Grader said that they are speaking to other schools to train at this also. Randall said this has been done in Batesville already. They are using that model. This IVY Tech expansion is another piece to show our commitment to improving the workforce. The workforce is aging. Randall said that all these companies that are here are exploding- some have even outgrown their newer facilities. “Isn’t that great for DC?” We have to spend more time working for the businesses that are here.That will help when we connect more resources with REDI Cincinnati. 

John Rahe asked if they could get faculty for these projects. Graber said they start with a dozen adjunct faculty. Eventually they become full time and so on. That’s how it worked with their nursing program. The employees that are ideal have worked for about 20 years and then do this teaching. Cincinnati State does this also. Governor Pence has made this a priority per Randall. The state has upped their game in this arena. Our state does this locally where others push money down from the state programs and goals. She thinks somewhere between the two things is ideal. Manufacturing jobs are good solid jobs- not part time like Amazon. 

Randall said that they may see some scholarship programs also from the local manufacturers and businesses. Pennington asked if they would expand into computer aided design etc. Graber said yes. Like at Purdue. They also do customized training and maybe contract with an individual to train specific needs.      

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER’S REPORT: nothing new to report on the Aurora Industrial Park Sign. Now that the property is finalized, she will call the widow to see if they can get that settled.

Whitewater Mills had $100,000 grant from IEDC. DCRC is the administrator of that grant. They have receipts for $728,000 form the Mills. That qualifies for the $100,000 percentage they were granted. She said all invoices are clearly related to the project. She asked for their approval to submit this to the state for the check. The check comes to DCRC and then they write one to the Mills. Approved. 

Whitewater Mills Ribbon/Cake Cutting is April 17- tomorrow. Randall did a collage of 4 posters for this. They have to be there at 4.Rick Siemers, The Lt. Governor, Deddens, Lynch, etc. The majority of food is 1-4 PM. Then they have tours. This was an invitation only event and they will be doing a dinner for their vendors that evening.  

ATTORNEY’S REPORT- none

OTHER BUSINESS- none

ADJOURNMENT - 11 AM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township