ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
OF WAYNE COUNTY, INDIANA
Board Meeting Minutes
Monday, August 6, 2018
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:Barrett, Frame, Golden, Jackson, Leisure, Parker Russell, Templin,Warner, Witte

BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:Salazar, Yaeger

STAFF PRESENT:

Shaffer, Doty, Mitchell, Geres

GUESTS PRESENT:

Barber, Kate – Innovation Center
McClane, Brenda – Hometown Media Group
Oler, Ron – Richmond Common Council
Plasterer, Jeff – Wayne County Council
Radford, Jennifer – Center City DevelopmentRandall, Seth – StudentSowers, George – EDC Attorney
Thurlow, Kim – Ivy Tech Community CollegeCALL TO ORDER
Board Chair Frame called the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Corporationof Wayne County, Indiana to order at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, August 6, 2018 in the EDC board room.
APROVAL OF MINUTES
Frame stated the minutes from the July 9, 2018 board meeting were on pages 2-4 of the board packet.
Motion by Russell, second by Barrett to approve the July 9, 2018 minutes as presented. Motion carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT
A. July 2018 Financial Report
Parker provided the treasury report. He reported on being under budget $12,544.23 MTD and underbudget $61,995.02 YTD. He reported the finance committee discussed not putting so much detail inthe board report and only reporting what is over budget that will need at transfer. The details will be
discussed with the treasurer each month. Motion by Jackson, second by Russell to approve the July
2018 financials. Motion carried.
B. 2017 Financial Audit Report
Parker reported Jennifer North presented her audit report to the finance committee and there wereno findings of anything out of the ordinary. Motion by Russell, second by Leisure to approve the 2017
audit report as presented. Motion carried.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
A. Executive – Frame reported the committee met on July 26 and discussed 2 compliance reports andwent back with questions, heard a business development and marketing update.
B. Industrial Park – Warner reported the committee met on July 26 and heard updates on WWRSD, theBeals-Moore contact for services in MIP Phase I, Gaar Jackson Road, RP&L substation, and industrial
park expansion.

EDC STAFF REPORT
Geres – Geres reported completing another cost of living survey in July the 3rd and final for the year. Sheupdated data on the website and reviewed the site for possible updates to discuss with Valerie and Renee
next month. She reported on attending the budget workshop and working on the audit with Jennifer
North. She also updated the sites and buildings database.
Mitchell – Mitchell reported on working on the WorkKeys testing and reported Ivy Tech may be able tohelp with proctors. She reported working with Jeff Plasterer on Regional Stellar, including a bus tour to all
the communities in the region: Randolph, Union, Richmond, Liberty, Rushville. She reported working withBeals and Moore to mitigate the wetland in the Midwest Industrial Park and move the ditch. She reportedon attending the following meetings: Elder-Beerman task force, EIRPC, Chamber of Commerce Business
Education, and CIS. She noted CIS may have a mentorship opportunity with the schools for employers.
She also reported on attending the Key Sectors Summit at Ivy Tech and attending 2 BRE visits with Valerie.
Doty – Doty reported on meeting with the HYPE group along with Valerie and Melissa Vance on apossible collaboration with the concierge program. HYPE has some organization work to do on their own
first and then they will connect back about the program. They are going to be influencers on social
media to boost the message to more of an audience with the #homeinwayne challenge. She reported on
working with Irongate Creative to expand the Home in Wayne site. She also worked on the testimonial
video with Bethany Seminary for the Hoosier Opportunity testimonial video. She met with the other
Hoosier Opportunity partner counties Jay and Randolph on marketing campaigns with Ball State, print
items – postcards and bookmarks to be placed at public libraries with dual messages for both employers
and employees, banners for the job fairs, banners to go downtown to celebrate the colleges anduniversities here in Wayne County, as well as traditional advertising.
Shaffer – Shaffer reported business development not being extremely busy with only 2 new attraction
leads and 2 conversations with site selectors about available buildings and sites. She reported on Project
Canada Dry from 2008 circling back around, but that they wanted an existing building and local
inventory is low. She reported on reaching out to existing businesses with 8 BRE visits and 4 of them
being with local Japanese companies to discuss the upcoming trip to Japan in the fall. She reported onthe upcoming JASI gala with Mayor Snow, 2 local Japanese companies, 7 students and 3 of theirchaperones from the Unnan Sister City delegation. The students are able to attend because ofsponsorships from the City of Richmond and local Japanese companies. Friday the delegation will host aJapanese cultural night that Shaffer will attend. She reported on attending a presentation on housing
and workforce studies and reported she would send out a link later in the week. She also met with thelocal schools to discuss some of the initiatives that were started last year. The schools are finding value
in the WorkKeys assessment as it is extremely beneficial for the career pathways diploma and theystudents need to score at a certain level as a graduation requirement. National Manufacturing Day also
checks off another box for this diploma. They also discussed Find a Job Friday with the schools where
the employers are getting into the schools on Fridays at lunch time. They discussed the Hoosier
Opportunity website and how the students can create profiles for the employers to search and theHome in Wayne Site where the schools discussed seeing value in this as well. She reported on having agreat meeting with Kim Thurlow and Acacia St. John on how to collaborate with the Skill Up grant award
and Next Level Jobs initiative. She reported WWRSD held another working session with all parties wherecommunication lines were open. Sugar Creek is hiring a 3rd party firm to conduct another study tocompare apples to apples. WWRSD is supportive of the effort. They are scheduling another working
session to meet with the engineering firm.

OTHER BUSINESS
A. Center City Development Corporation Strategic Planning Efforts
Center City Development Corporation Presentation by Josh Russell, Executive Director
Josh Russell provided information about the Center City Development Corporation and introduced thestaff including Kate Barber, Director of the Innovation Center and Jennifer Radford, Marketing andCommunication Director.
Josh discussed the challenges faced by the organization including confusion over it’s identity andpurpose as well as sustainable funding. In order to alleviate some of the issues plaguing the organization
over the years Josh and staff have identified three pillars of excellence tied to the mission and purposeof Center City Development Corporation.
1. Communication Engagement
2. Innovation
3. Economic Development (for CCDC purposes this pertains to resource development)
Community Engagement
The organization started with restarting downtown business meetings to discuss the challenges andissues faced by business owners in the district. CCDC has begun lobbying on behalf of the businesses
located in the downtown district and is a voice for their concerns. Another facet of community
engagement the CCDC sees as it’s role is participation in events. Recently the organization agreed to be
the fiduciary for the Meltdown as well as host other events.
Innovation
Facilitate the buying and selling of properties to spur development. Additionally, as owners of theInnovation Center work to increase value of the space by producing programs and providing services forthe businesses in the downtown district.
Economic Development
CCDC separates itself from the EDC in its economic development focus on retail and providing amenities
and services to that sector to help it thrive and succeed in the downtown district. The resourcecomponent of this function focuses on increased fundraising for the organization to not only continue tofunction but to grow and pursue its goals.
Accomplishments and Assets
Main Street Designation by the State of Indiana Main Street Program
Certified Tech Park – recipient of those funds as dispersed by the City of Richmond Redevelopment
Commission
Innovation Center
Urban Enterprise Zone
Currently the CCDC is looking for funding independent of the Certified Tech Park.
Timeline – Milestones
CCDC started in 1984
Innovation Center added in 2003
Certified Tech Park designation in 2008

Stellar Designation in 2013
Elstro Plaza opened as part of Stellar program in 2016
Recent Accomplishments
Received approval to significantly expand the Main Street boundaries now including the Depot District,
Starr neighborhood and Whitewater Gorge
This will help CCDC pursue larger, more substantive grant funding that will result in a greater impact forthe community. Also opens the door to potential residential programs and more diverse programs. Oneof the projects the CCDC is looking to undertake is new signage for the new as well as existing Main
Street area.
The CCDC will also begin developing a strategic plan. Josh is fundraising currently to pay for the plan.
The first step will be a revitalization study that will include community engagement and research
conducted by a third-party consultant that specializes in data collection and action plans. The resultantaction plan will become the basis for the strategic plan. Findings from the research will be presented toCCDC members.
The strategic plan will include the action plan with timelines and be incorporated into the City ofRichmond’s comprehensive plan.
In executing the plan, CCDC leadership and staff will revisit the plan to ensure it’s being executed as well
as work with the City on action items and engage stakeholders.
The CCDC is also working to increase accountability and engagement through board development. A
new organizational chart includes new standing committees built from the board’s structure andinclude:
MarketingBoard Nomination
Governance
Finance
Other temporary committees and task forces will be developed as needed.
CCDC is a membership driven organization. Individuals can become members for $50 and organizations
for $100.
Russell wrapped up his presentation and EDC Chair Frame asked if there were any questions. Upon
receiving no questions Frame thanked Russell and his staff for attending the meeting and providing
information on CCDC’s current activities and future endeavors.
ADJOURNMENT
Frame adjourned the meeting at 5:08 p.m.
NEXT BOARD MEETING – Monday, September 10, 2018
at EDC of Wayne County, Richmond, Indiana at 4:00 pm