La PORTE — A unified approach to economic growth is taking shape in La Porte County to make business investment and job creation in the community less cumbersome and to avoid duplication.
The La Porte County Council took an initial step Monday night when it agreed to examine the issue even as talks among other interests in the county continue.
An item on the council agenda called for funding, just as it had in recent years, the county’s Office of Economic Development for a full year. Instead, after hearing about plans to restructure, the council voted to approve six months worth of funding for an office that would coordinate business recruitment in the county.
County Attorney Doug Biege said efforts are under way to restructure economic development in the county by bringing together similar offices run by the city of La Porte, Michigan City, the chambers of commerce and Purdue University Northwest.
“We’re looking at a different approach this time,” Biege told council members.
A similar umbrella group, the La Porte County Economic Development Alliance, disbanded in 2013 after nine years and was replaced by an independent county office, according to Leigh Morris, former mayor of La Porte and senior vice president Northwest Regional Development at Indiana Economic Development Corp.
“I urge you to support renewing and revitalizing the La Porte County Alliance and refocusing the county’s economic development efforts on those things that will enable our economic development organizations to be most effective — making La Porte County the most welcoming, best organized, most supportive place for jobs to be maintained and created,” Morris said.
Withdrawing from the alliance and creating a separate office only complicated negotiations with prospective employers and developers, Morris said.
"While the intentions may have been the best, the impact has been negative," he said.
Economic development is increasingly a regional issue, according to Morris. Lake, Porter and St. Joseph counties have all formed regional organizations to coordinate development and leverage resources.
Biege told the council that six months worth of funding, $50,000 from riverboat revenues, would provide operating funds for the county economic development office as it studies restructuring. Another $15,000 would pay half the salary of an economic development coordinator as that work continues.
That coordinator would work with the Greater La Porte Economic Development Commission, the Economic Development Corp. of Michigan City and others, leading efforts to make the county attractive and ready for economic development. Morris said many businesses across the county have requested a return to this approach.
“This is a good compromise,” Morris said about funding the county office for six months. “Time to study.”
Biege said coordination among the county and other municipalities is already evident in initial financial support for a double-tracking study along the South Shore commuter rail line and coordinated lobbying efforts in Indianapolis to ensure no further loss in casino tax revenues.
During their discussion of the issue, county council members suggested that Purdue University Northwest in Westville might be a centrally located place for an office and that residents on the south end of the county also should be included.