Region 1 presents 2026–2030 comprehensive economic development strategy to McHenry County Board
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Summary
Region 1 Planning Council presented a draft five-year Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (SEDS) covering McHenry, Boone and Winnebago counties; the plan, which lists infrastructure, workforce and site-readiness projects, will move to committee and is slated for federal submission by year-end.
Region 1 Planning Council officials presented the draft 2026–2030 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (SEDS) to the McHenry County Board, describing it as a five-year regional roadmap intended to support grant applications for infrastructure and site-ready projects.
Isaac Guerrero, director of economic development at Region 1, said the plan covers regional demographics, a required SWOT analysis, prioritized goals and a list of priority infrastructure projects submitted by local jurisdictions. Guerrero said the Economic Development District (EDD) covers Winnebago, Boone and McHenry counties, and that the federal Economic Development Administration requires a SEDS to demonstrate regional planning and buy-in before awarding infrastructure grants.
Mark Picos, executive director of the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation, told the board Region 1 helped secure more than $3,100,000 in site-readiness funding that supported development in the Marengo I-23/90 corridor and that Region 1 is working on projects including water and sewer capacity for Wonder Lake.
Guerrero outlined the plan’s structure: chapters on regional demographics and economic conditions, a SWOT analysis, and chapters 4–5 that set five prioritized goals (infrastructure; workforce; business formation/expansion; diversity and economic resilience; quality of place) along with specific strategies, tactics, timelines and named local stakeholders for implementation. Guerrero emphasized that the plan is collaborative and not solely a Region 1 document; he said stakeholders collectively "own a piece" of the plan and that Region 1 will assist with grant applications and implementation as requested.
The board was told the draft SEDS will go to committee next month, then to the full board in October, and that the package (including a required gubernatorial letter) will be submitted to the Economic Development Administration in Washington by the end of the year. During Q&A, board members confirmed the demographics chapter includes social and economic indicators such as educational attainment, ethnicity, household income, and business demographics; Region 1 staff offered to prepare additional data reports on request.
Action and next steps: The presentation was informational; the board was asked to consider formal endorsement via committee and an October board item. The transcript does not show a formal vote on the SEDS at this meeting; staff said implementation discussions are already underway with county staff and the McHenry County EDC.
Context: The SEDS is a standard five-year planning requirement tied to eligibility for federal infrastructure and site-preparation grants and is intended to coordinate municipal, county and regional economic-development priorities.