It was August, 2015, and we were living through an era of alphabet soup. That was then ...
For the sparse straight dope, read Chris Morris's description of yesterday's meeting, in which the Floyd County Council voted 5 - 2 to reject One Southern Indiana's entreaties and remain outside the Regional Development Authority (RDA) required to participate in the Regional Cities Initiative lottery. The voting breakdown reflects this issue's strange non-partisan orientation. Four Republicans and a Democrat (Striegel) voted against, with Pickett (D) and Schellenberger (R) voting in favor.
... this is now.
It seems that for quite some time, some local government officials have been conferring with One Southern Indiana, and we're now going to witness a revival of the Regional Cities Initiative, as plotted and stewarded by an appointed Regional Development Authority board, with the ostensible goal being a share of economic development monies disbursed by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (go here for more).
I'm told the votes are there to pass this measure. For proponents of the RCI, the best case scenario would be an RDA accepted by Floyd, Clark, Harrison, Washington and Scott counties.
Here's the ordinance.
Apologies for the quality of reproduction.
I'm only a pro bono blogger with a full plate today, annoyed yet again by non-transparency on the part of local government, but in little position at the moment to elaborate beyond what I've written.
I've heard the arguments in favor, and respect them. I'd respect them even more if they were accompanied by pledges of renewed transparency, and a concurrent goal to involved more citizens in the process. 1Si has a dreadful record in this regard, and it has consistently refused to be accountable for the horrible plan it created in 2015.
Seeing as 1Si is responsive only to its members, my recommendation is simple.
Engage your county council representatives.
Agree or disagree; say yea or nay. Ask questions. Expect coherent answers. We need to know if this time we'll be allowed to make input to this process. If not, then it's just another one of 1Si's shell games.
Find them here: http://www.floydcounty.in.gov/index.php/floyd-county-government/floyd-county-indiana-county-council
Good luck, and let me know what they tell you.
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