County Commissioner Resolutions - June 2006� �: -
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RESOLUTION SUPPORTING
REGIONAL ECONOD�IIC DEVELOPAIENT
�VHEREAS, the � ; (o sa � County Commissioners (the "Commissioners") are
committed to enhancin� economic development activities in a four (4) county re�ion defined as
Gibson; Posey, Vanderbureh and Wamck Counties in the State of Indiana (the "Region"); and
WHEREAS, the County Commissioners reco�ize that the Re�ion offers tremendous
opportuni[ies for investment from businesses which are located both within and outside the
Region; and
�VHEREAS, in June of 200i, the South�vestem Indiana Economic De�elopment Task
Force (the "Task Force") ���as established with a mission to further advance the economy of the
Reeion in collaboration across public; private and non-profit sectors; and
�VHEREAS, the Task Force has reported that �vhile the Re�ion is a diverse marketplace
overflowing with poten[ial, efforts to capture ne�v investment and to rapidly respond to business
issues are hindered because there is a lack of coordination behveen economic development
initiati��es within the Region; and
�VHEREAS, economic de��elopment must be elevated from [he purely loca] [o the
regional sta�e �vith a focus on business attraction, reten[ion and expansion; and
�VHEREAS, in order to attract new business im estment and to retain and expand existing
business im�estment, the Reeion should immedia[ely act to establish equitable and shared
economic development principles and convert these principles into action; and
�VHEREAS, the Task Force has recommended that an umbrella organization be formed,
to be known as the Economic De��elopment Coalition of South«�est Indiana; Inc. (the
"Coalition"), to serve the economic development needs of the Reeion �vith a mission to build on
past accomplishments and hamess the Re�ion's energies and collective resources in a more
coordinated manner; and
�\'HEREAS, the Coalition is a non-profi[ corporation which ���ill be overseen by a Board
oC Directors comprised of elected oCficials from each county in the Reeion, prominent business
leaders, educa[ors; workforce development and transponation providers and others positioned to
support the needs of existing and prospective im�estors in the Re�ion; and
��'HERE,aS, the Coalition ���ill be staffed b�� persons �ersed in re�ional economic
de� elopment initiatives a�hose mission �vill be not onh� to further in��estmen[ in the Region in its
entiret�� but also to sup��ort the economic de��elopment effoRS of each of the counties comprisina
the Reeion: and
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«'HEREAS, the Coalition will act to develop and implement ne�v strategies to modemize
the Region's economic development structure and better alien the Re�ion's public, private and
not-for-profit sectors; and
«�HEREAS, the Coalition will act to properly coordinate and eliminate costly duplication
o£ cenain activities such as data gathering, marketin� material development and target industry
intelligence; which will allow economic developers to devote a�reater percentage of their time
and money to productive service delivery and economic enhancement and provide a mechanism
for lead sharing and project tracking with the Region; and
�VHEREAS, the formation of the Coalition will enhance the Region's business ciimate
and enhance the ability of public/private leadership to speak as one resoundine voice to state;
federal and local eo� ernments, philanthropic institutions and others.
\T0�1', THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that for the reasons set forth abo��e, the
Commissioners suppoR and encourage [he formation and mission of the Economic Development
Coalition of Southwest Indiana, Inc.
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