Wayne County Council members and the county commissioners took their opportunity to set priorities for the county’s future during the Feb. 19 workshop.
HWC Engineering and Forward Wayne County visited to conduct an input session as part of a countywide planning process. The planning builds on momentum created during the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program and grant funding that’s recently poured into the county.
Mason Gordon, the economic development team lead for HWC, showed the county has benefited from nearly $50 million in investments through HELP, Lilly Endowment awards, and the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative.
The planning process includes meetings with participating towns and community input sessions. The final community input session is 6 p.m. Feb. 26 in Lincoln High School’s cafeteria. That session was rescheduled because of weather.
A prioritized list of 30-or-so projects resulting from the process does not have a funding source; however, proactively having money-ready and shovel-ready projects positions the county to best capitalize when dollars become available.
Commissioner Jeff Plasterer said he sees the county’s role as working with Richmond or the county’s towns to develop their specific projects.
Priorities put forth by council members and commissioners included housing infrastructure; road and bridge infrastructure; workforce attraction, development and retention; public transportation; and a sports and recreation complex or other amenities for families and youth.
Other ideas include expanding the Gateway Industrial Park’s acreage and infrastructure, an outdoor mall, a conference center, east-west bike trails across the county and aggressive marketing of the county.
HWC will take the countywide input and develop the priority list.
Other business
Council agreed to provide $22,320 from its contingency fund for additional worker’s compensation premiums. The premiums exceed the budgeted $180,000. Commissioners and council will work this year to accurately budget the 2026 premiums.
A version of this article appeared in the February 26 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.