County to convene economic development strategy meeting; land bank kickoff scheduled

County leaders said Sept. 11 they will convene a strategic economic development discussion Oct. 2 with representatives from the county—s CIC, the Chamber, local government and the regional economic development organization, and they noted an initial land bank kickoff meeting scheduled for next Thursday. Why it matters: The strategy conversation aims to coordinate county economic development priorities and identify funding or incentive options; the land bank kickoff begins the process of organizing property acquisition or management for redevelopment. Commissioners said the Oct. 2 meeting will include CIC head Joy Mantellusa, Chamber head Bobby Smathers, the mayor, and representatives from Ohio Southeast; the intention is a broad strategic conversation about county priorities and possible JobsOhio funding or county-supported incentives. Separately, the initial land bank meeting will be a kickoff to make the land bank operational; commissioners said outreach at the county fair generated limited public feedback but that they hope the land bank becomes functional soon. No funding decisions were made at the Sept. 11 meeting; the session was informational and preparatory. Commissioners expressed support for pursuing coordinated economic development work and said they would follow up with staff and partner organizations on next steps.