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Southeastern Indiana development group urges Sunman to back redevelopment commission, seeks consulting funds
Summary
Wayne Jenner of the Southeastern Indiana Development Corporation outlined a plan to establish a redevelopment commission and asked the town to consider partnering and possibly helping fund a year of consulting services (Jenner estimated about $72,000).
Wayne Jenner, a committee member with the Southeastern Indiana Development Corporation, told the Sunman Town Council that the group wants to partner with town leaders to promote business growth and to form a redevelopment commission to guide redevelopment efforts.
Jenner said the development corporation had once helped assemble funds to buy 40 acres south of town, attracted businesses such as Frank’s Industrial and invested proceeds in stocks and bonds. He said SEIDC met with a strategic planning firm (Civitas) and recommended hiring consultants to prepare sites and market the community. "For a year of consulting work with them, we're looking at about $72,000," Jenner said, adding the group would welcome town participation but did not want to replace municipal duties.
The council asked about infrastructure and available industrial acreage. Jenner said some industrial property south of town remained a potential option and that most utility constraints were manageable at present. Council members noted that the town already has a draft ordinance to establish a redevelopment commission; that draft sets the commission membership at three members appointed by the municipal executive (council president), two by council members, and one nonvoting representative from the school corporation.
Council staff and members discussed timing: the ordinance would come back for first reading at a future meeting and could be incorporated into the town’s budget process if the council wished to provide start-up funding. Staff emphasized there is no guarantee the ordinance would pass on second reading next month, and council members discussed recruiting up to six prospective commissioners to ensure an effective initial slate.
Next steps: the council agreed to review the draft ordinance, solicit members, and consider whether to include redevelopment-startup funds in the next budget cycle. If the ordinance proceeds, the town would schedule the first organizational meeting likely in the third or fourth quarter of the year, depending on membership and budgeting.
