By DAVE MARTIN
SHIPSHEWANA, Ind. — The Shipshewana Town Council voted Thursday to participate in an effort to create an economic development corporation for LaGrange County.
Besides deciding to become involved, council members also voted to contribute between $6,500 to $6,800 for 2009. However, organizers of the concept had asked for a three-year commitment.
The purpose behind the proposal to form an economic development corporation is to put the county in a more competitive position for attracting industry. Organizers have asked all four of the towns in the county to contribute.
On its agenda Thursday, the council was slated to appoint a person to serve on a board of directors for the proposed corporation. However, the council was not prepared to make an appointment yet.
Council President Roger Yoder asked council members to come up with some suggestions.
Organizer Harold Gingerich, a former county councilman, said last month that the goal is to form a board by Oct. 1.
Gingerich had said that paperwork was already filed with the state for forming a countywide economic development corporation in LaGrange County.
He told the council in July that he fears that without the corporation, LaGrange County will lose out to surrounding counties on opportunities to attract industry. He added that firms are behind the scenes without the county’s knowledge, checking out Shipshewana and other LaGrange towns on the Internet to determine if they are ideal places to set up shop.
County officials need to be prepared to answer questions and provide information. If they can’t, the firms could decide to locate elsewhere, Gingerich said.
So it is an absolute necessity to have a system in place for providing needed information, meeting with industry representatives and getting things moving, he said. An economic development corporation would perform those functions, Gingerich said.
Economic development is important for the county because it builds the tax base, he said.
In other business Thursday, the council approved a host of items relating to its plans to secure a state-matching grant for a water tower. It OK’d a resolution authorizing the submission of a Community Focus Fund grant application and making a commitment to match the grant, if the state approves Shipshewana’s grant application.
The council voted to allow Yoder and Clerk-Treasurer Ruth Ann Downey to sign grant documents. Finally, council members approved a donation of $10,000 to the LaGrange County Community Foundation for its involvement in the process to secure a grant.
Town Manager Mike Puro announced that another public hearing on the grant will take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 9 at Town Hall. The hearing, to be hosted by Region III-A, will be more of a “technical requirement,” so public turnout is not as critical as in the first public hearing.
