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East Central Indiana official outlines grants, interns and requests county dues; commissioners approve $33,570.90 payment
Summary
Bill (East Central Indiana Regional Planning District) briefed commissioners on several grants and programs including EDA resiliency funds, USDA BEST grants and an EPA Brownfields award; he requested Delaware County—s annual dues of $33,570.90, which the board approved by roll call.
Bill, director of the East Central Indiana Regional Planning District (ECI), presented a summary of regional programs, federal grants and staffing on Tuesday and asked Delaware County to pay its annual dues of $33,570.90. Commissioners voted to approve the payment in roll-call votes.
Why it matters: ECI runs regional grant programs, workforce internships and planning services used by four counties (Grant, Delaware, Blackford and Jay); county participation funds the organization—s administrative operations that support grant applications and local technical assistance.
Highlights from the presentation included: ECI—s 2021 EDA resiliency grant (about $400,000) used for regional recovery and internships; multiple USDA BEST (business/entrepreneur services) awards totaling approximately $550,000 over several years to support entrepreneurs and workshops; an EPA Brownfields grant awarded in June 2022 that supported Phase I/II site assessments and cleanup planning for targeted neighborhoods; coordination on a Department of Transportation SS4A (Safe Streets and Roads for All) planning grant; and AmeriCorps broadband fellows working on connectivity, literacy and cybersecurity outreach. Bill said ECI had placed 42 interns since the program began and that some grant funds were still active.
Commissioners asked for details about which counties and municipalities participate (Bill listed Grant, Delaware, Blackford and Jay counties, and cities including Marion, Muncie and others). Commissioners also asked whether dues could be billed monthly instead of annually; Bill said the organization bills once per year because matching funds must be available in the bank for some grants and he would have to check with counsel on alternatives.
Commissioner Brand moved and the board approved payment of $33,570.90 to ECI by roll call. The transcript records the three commissioners voting yes.
Ending: Commissioners approved the annual ECI dues, and ECI staff said they would continue grant and regional coordination work reported at the meeting.
