What does Brown County mean to you?
What do you want it to be, and how do we keep or make it that way?
This isn’t the first time Brown Countians have been asked those questions, but a local volunteer group is hoping people will come out and talk about them this fall.
The answers will help guide an economic plan for the county.
The underlying goals are to raise property values and residents’ income, grow the population and the public schools’ enrollment, and increase residents’ educational attainment. Those points are known as community vitality indicators, or CVIs, and healthy communities show positive measurements in those areas, according to the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
Volunteers on the Brown County Redevelopment Commission have been working for more than a year to get a $40,000 grant from OCRA to develop this Brown County economic plan. In that time, the commission’s membership has changed several times.
The aim, however, remains the same: To create not just another study, but an action plan that aligns with residents’ vision for their community.
To get it right, they’ve planned a series of “road show” meetings to hear directly from residents in their communities, instead of expecting people to drive to a government building in Nashville to share their opinions, or having county leaders create the plan on their behalf.
Two meetings will be hosted in each township in September and October.
During those meetings, commission members will give an overview of the challenges the county is facing; explain financial considerations such as county debt, taxes and the labor force; and share other data about Brown County that factors into its economic health, such as the availability of land, the cost of housing, the size of government and the enrollment in public schools.
Then, residents will be asked what they want the future of Brown County to look like, for them and for their children.
The plan is to have a wrap-up presentation in November at the Brown County Playhouse to share with everyone what was said at the individual township meetings. The county’s hired consultant will take that guidance into consideration when writing the plan.
“We’re there to listen and to understand. We’re not there to fix, we’re not there to voice our own biased opinions; we’re there to inform and listen and get some feedback,” redevelopment commission President Jim Kemp said at the group’s August meeting.
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WHAT: Brown County economic community conversation
SCHEDULE:
- Wednesday, Sept. 12, 7 to 9 p.m., Helmsburg Community Church (during Helmsburg Community Development meeting)
- Thursday, Sept. 13, 7 to 9 p.m., County Office Building in Nashville
- Tuesday, Sept. 18, 7 to 9 p.m., Van Buren Elementary School
- Tuesday, Sept. 25, 7 to 9 p.m., Sprunica Elementary School
- Thursday, Oct. 4, 7 to 9 p.m., Helmsburg Elementary School
- Thursday, Oct. 11, 7 to 9 p.m., County Office Building in Nashville
- Thursday, Oct. 18, 7 to 9 p.m., Van Buren Elementary School
- Thursday, Oct. 25, 7 to 9 p.m., Sprunica Elementary School
WHY: To gather input for an economic development action plan and share information about the current local economy
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