Whitewater Community Television broadcasts Richmond Common Council meetings live on its cable television and YouTube channels, indicating to the council president when to gavel the meeting into session.
During council’s May 19 meeting, WCTV asked council for help. The organization’s contract with Indiana University East has been terminated as of May 31, and its board has searched for a path forward.
Richmond and Wayne County receive franchise fees from Comcast that both share with WCTV. Common Council member Jerry Purcell moved that the city increase its contribution from 40% of the fees received to 65%. That idea was referred to council’s finance committee, then will be formally considered by the full council.
An increase could result in an extra $80,000 per year for WCTV. Misty Hollis, a WCTV board member, said the city receives about $80,000 per quarter in franchise fees. That now results in a $32,000 payment to WCTV, but that payment — at 65% — would be $52,000.
The franchise fees vary by quarter. For example, Richmond is paying WCTV $34,800 for its second-quarter payment. Of that, $30,000 was advanced to help WCTV pay debts, but during the council meeting, Mayor Ron Oler said the city had received its payment from Comcast and would have an additional $4,800 for WCTV.
The second-quarter payment indicates the city received $87,000 from Comcast. Similar numbers throughout the year would result in $87,000 additional revenue for WCTV, if Purcell’s motion is passed.
Wayne County receives far less in franchise fees and has contributed a flat $25,000 to WCTV annually. That’s about 84% of what it collects. During the May 21 county council and commissioners workshop, Commissioner Jeff Plasterer addressed the possibility of increasing the county’s contribution. The county also paid about $35,000 for studio equipment WCTV needed this year.
IU East Chancellor Dennis Rome and Arte Libunao, the vice chancellor for finance and administration, addressed Common Council about terminating their contract with WCTV. Libunao said WCTV fell behind in payments to IU East, leading to the termination. Rome said WCTV was welcome to remain in its IU East facility, and Libunao added that IU East was willing to entertain a new arrangement.
With the end of May quickly approaching, conversations continued last week. Hollis said May 23 that WCTV would remain at IU East, without paying rent, but would need its own internet and telephone services. The board was that day extending offers to employees to move forward with three full-time positions and one part-time role that will move to a WCTV payroll rather than being IU East employees as in the past.
“We’ve got a plan, and we’ll do more planning, but we’re on the right path,” Hollis said.
In addition to franchise fees, WCTV relies on memberships and donations. To help with the immediate financial needs, two events are planned May 28 and 29. On May 28, WCTV will request donations through its broadcast channels. On May 29, local radio stations KICKS 96, 101.7 The Point and G101.3 will ask listeners to support WCTV. Hollis said two anonymous donors have agreed to each match $3,000 in donations, for a hoped-for infusion of $12,000.
“I do think that part of it is education,” Hollis said. “We need to educate the community about WCTV, where we are, that we’re needing support and where the support goes.”
WCTV, a nonprofit formed in 1988 to provide public, education and government access television for Wayne County, also has a donate button on its website.
New position
Council was presented an ordinance that would create a new position dedicated to the city’s Revitalize Richmond projects.
The special projects manager would be funded, both salary and benefits, through the Revitalize Richmond grant through Dec. 31, 2028.
Richmond is a partner with Earlham College for the Revitalize Richmond program. Earlham received a $25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment’s College and Community Collaboration program.
The ordinance was referred to council’s finance committee.
HR department
Kenyatta Cox, the city’s director of human resources and compliance, said her department’s goal is to hire and keep great employees for the city, making the city a place where people want to work in her update to council on her department.
The city has 396 full- and part-time employees, plus another 80 seasonal and temporary workers, and Cox said her department strives to ensure a positive workplace culture for them all. The department also is working to improve safety through quarterly safety meetings. Cox said the city is trying to be proactive about and reduce worker’s compensation claims, of which there were 68 in 2024, and property and liability insurance claims, of which there were 96.
“We want to get to a point where we’re preventing accidents and managing risk better,” Cox said.
City branding
Mayor Ron Oler said the city’s branding project continues with another survey.
Oler said that everyone’s input is important and asked that residents complete the survey online at surveymonkey.com/r/brandimage before the end of the month. The survey asks questions like “Which of the following assets and attributes are you most proud of?” and how well words like “scrappy” or “diverse” describe the city.
The project website at richmond-in-brand.squarespace.com provides information about the rebranding process.
A version of this article appeared in the May 28 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.