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Boone EDC Weekly
Greetings from the Boone EDC,
Welcome to Boone EDC Weekly.
As an organization, the Boone EDC is constantly researching and benchmarking to learn what our competing communities are doing to attract and retain business. Boone EDC Weekly is a compilation of noteworthy National and Indiana news about economic development trends. We will also post information about upcoming conferences, events and webinars that you may find interesting.
Boone EDC Weekly is another tool that you can refer to as a community leader to help Boone County continue to move forward in a positive manner.
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Foreign Investment Boosted Hoosier Economy Through Recession
Indiana enjoyed a better bump from foreign direct investment than most states from 2009-11 and that trend is likely to continue, according to a new report from Indiana University.
An element of "jobless recovery" was visible in the report from the Indiana Business Research Center, however, with the top three foreign investors representing 40 percent of the total foreign investment, accounting for just 1 percent of expected new jobs.
Click here to learn more.
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| Zionsville Economic Development Group Posts First Strategic Plan Draft
After working for more than one year, the Economic Development Commission Strategic Plan Working Group has finally put together a first draft of the plan.The group posted the first draft of the 117 page plan for public consumption and comment on Monday, May 21 on the town's website.
According to the plan, it "is a long-term strategic guide to help the Town of Zionsville manage and facilitate stable and desired economic growth within the defined study area over the next 10 to 15 years." The group focused on the 1,000 acres in the southeast quadrant of Zionsville for their study area.
Click here to learn more.
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| Logansport Shares EPA Cleanup Grant
Logansport, Rochester and Fulton County were awarded a $686,500 federal grant Tuesday to begin the process to clean up contaminated properties and those believed to be contaminated. It was the largest award given in Indiana during this round of grants handed out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"It's really good news," said Logansport Mayor Ted Franklin. "It ties in with the whole effort we've been putting forward to clean up problem properties throughout the city."
The money would address the area's Brownfield properties, which are vacant and underused sites that may have hazardous substances, pollutants or contamination that would be available for re-use after remediation. Other communities that received money Tuesday include Kokomo, Muncie and Indianapolis.
The money given to Logansport, Rochester and Fulton County is divided up, so $400,000 will be spent to assess hazardous substances and $286,500 will be spent on assessing petroleum, according to the EPA's website.
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Cities Facing Worst Fiscal Situation Since 1980
For the first time since 1980, both property tax revenue and state aid to local governments are declining at the same time. While cities and counties used to be able to count on at least one of those remaining positive, this current state of double decline is creating the most significant strain on the finances of local governments in a generation. And things probably aren't going to get much better any time soon.
This dismal situation is explained in a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts' American Cities Project, which looks at how both state aid and local property tax revenue have sharply declined in recent years. It's a problem that's making things even harder for the roughly 90,000 counties, cities and school districts in the U.S. as they struggle to provide services and aid that's now in much higher demand than before the economic downturn. These two funding sources typically amount to more than half of city revenues, and to have them both declining at the same time is like taking a city's wallet and then punching it in the stomach.
Click here to learn more.
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| Indiana Chamber Unveils its Vision for Economic Growth
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce debuted its Indiana Vision 2025 plan Tuesday to community leaders, describing its vision for prosperity in the state.
The plan focuses on four core areas of improvement for Indiana, and the state chamber plans on vetting the plan at five other localities to gather feedback from communities across the state.
The chamber has four key focus areas for state improvement, said Kevin Brinegar, president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber - outstanding talent, which encompasses K-12, higher education and the workforce; an attractive business climate; a superior infrastructure; and a dynamic and innovative culture.
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Officials Say Community Pools Boost Quality of Life
Most municipal officials in Northwest Indiana said having a pool is worth the trouble and expense during the scant three months of summer because of the quality the pools add to residents' lives.
"City pools are great fun for families and are economically valuable for most citizens, especially children," said Caren Jones, superintendent of the Gary parks department.
The city will operate pools in Roosevelt and Tolleston parks this summer - and a splash pad for younger children in Buffington Park. It has scaled back from former boom times when at least six neighborhood pools opened every summer.
Like many municipal pools locally, those in Gary were built before 1975, officials said. The pools that open this year in Gary are expected to cost about $30,000 to operate and are not expected to generate a profit, Jones said. Only one, the Roosevelt Park pool, will charge an admission fee this year.
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SAVE THE DATE!
The Boone EDC Annual Meeting sponsored by Metronet and Skjodt-Barrett Foods will be on Wednesday, July 18, from 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Please stay tuned for additional information!
 
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| The Boone EDC would like to Thank Gene Lewis Ford for being a Great Economic Development Partner
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Meeting Dates:
Boone County Commissioners: - June 18 @ 9 a.m. Boone County Council: - June 12 @ 8:30 a.m. Boone County APC: - June 6 @ 7 p.m. Boone County RDC: - June 15 @ 2 p.m. Advance Town Council: - June 11 @ 7 p.m. Jamestown Town Council: - July 3 @ 7 p.m. Lebanon City Council: - June 11 @ 7 p.m. Thorntown Town Council: - June 18 @ 7 p.m. Whitestown Town Council: - June 12 @ 6:30 p.m. Zionsville Town Council: - July 2 @ 7 p.m. Boone EDC Board of Directors: - July 26 @ 4 p.m. Boone EDC Executive Committee:
- June 13 @ 7:30 a.m.
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