Pulaski County commissioners authorize CDBG planning grant application to update 2009 comprehensive plan

Pulaski County commissioners voted to pursue a $60,000 CDBG planning grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs and passed a resolution authorizing Curbsie to submit the county's application. The county will provide a local match of $5,250; the application is scheduled for submission Aug. 15 and award announcements are expected in September.

The grant would fund a comprehensive-plan update; Nathan Orger, county planning staff, told the board Pulaski County has not updated its comprehensive plan since 2009 and called the proposed project a “big picture” effort that will take six to 12 months and cover land use, economic development, housing, transportation and social services. Orger said the update would use public meetings, online surveys and steering-committee interviews and that two firms had submitted statements of qualifications; interviews were scheduled for the coming Friday with a recommendation planned for the commissioners’ next joint session.

Commissioner Knebel and other speakers said the 2009 plan was largely ignored in past years and that an updated plan should be maintained and reviewed regularly. Knebel said the county needs to “do a better job of keeping up with the plan over time.” Leanne Wright of the Community Foundation told the board the foundation had conducted public listening sessions and “supports this application and encourages you to move forward with the grant.”

The board made a motion to proceed with the planning grant application and subsequently passed a resolution authorizing Curbsie (the regional planning commission) to submit the application. Both votes were taken by voice; no roll-call tally of individual votes was recorded in the meeting transcript.

If funded, the consultant selected would draft the plan with periodic drafts sent to the project steering committee for review. Orger said consultants typically run public outreach—online surveys and multiple county meetings—and will tailor the outreach plan with the steering committee once hired. Commissioners discussed the need to ensure the plan is actively referenced by county bodies and updated on a schedule consistent with OCRA expectations.

The board opened a public comment period specific to the application; Wright reiterated the Community Foundation’s support and noted prior visioning work that flagged transparency and public engagement as priorities for Pulaski County.

For record: application amount $60,000; local match $5,250; application deadline Aug. 15; award announcements expected in September. The county’s two firms that submitted qualifications were to be interviewed before the commissioners’ next joint session.