ANGOLA — Steuben County officials are going to keep talking about a proposal to work with Trine University in an economic development partnership.
A joint meeting between the Steuben County Council and Commissioners will be held Friday at 9 a.m. in the Steuben Community Center to discuss the proposal. Included in the discussion will be what governments in Angola and Fremont might be able to bring to the table.
“I don’t think we need to look at all of it,” Councilwoman Sara Tubergen said, “but we need to look at part of it.”
Trine University president Earl D. Brooks II withdrew the proposal Monday after about an hour of discussion before the commissioners.
The County Council was scheduled to discuss the matter Tuesday, but did not meet with Trine officials as originally planned, because the proposal had not been signed by the commissioners.
“I would like to see us talk to the commissioners in relationship to the proposal,” said Councilman F. Mayo Sanders. After retiring as a county commissioner in December, Sanders attended his second meeting as a county councilman Tuesday.
Representatives of both county agencies decided to continue the discussion Friday.
“We left the door open and the ball is in their court,” Trine University president Earl D. Brooks II said Wednesday. Brooks will be meeting with the university’s board of trustees in Florida this week.
The project aims to promote development of new business in Steuben County, with specific emphasis on biotech and orthopedic companies.
The proposed agreement never made it to a vote Monday. Citing the need for an accelerated time line, Trine’s president withdrew the proposal.
“If the county is not interested, we have a lot of other plans of our own that we are going to move forward with,” Brooks said.
The university asked the county to spend $13.9 million of Major Moves money from the 2006 lease of the Indiana Toll Road, with Trine matching the investment dollar-for-dollar.
The latest version of the proposed memorandum of understanding was nonbinding, with either party allowed to withdraw from negotiations without any legal consequence.
Monday, Commissioner Ron Smith said he would not sign anything that included dollar figures. Smith said the county does not have $13.9 million available due to other project commitments.
Brooks said the university was willing to remove figures from the memorandum, but Commissioner Loretta Smart said she was not ready to sign it.
Tuesday, Sanders suggested looking at only one part of the proposal, a Biomechanics/Movement Science Center, which would entail construction of a new facility. The county would pay for half of that, which would be a $14.3 million project.
“At least we would have something tangible to look at,” Sanders said.
A number of people in the audience urged the county to keep working on the proposal for the economic development benefits it could bring.
“It’s nice to know that perhaps something can be done,” Todd Gorman, executive director of the Angola Area Chamber of Commerce, said after the meeting.
However, Crooked Lake resident George Pifer said the proposal does not show the county any return on its investment.
“The dialogue will pick up again on Friday,” Smith said.
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