CLARK COUNTY — With the Aug. 31 deadline days away, Clark and Scott counties have not completed the latest step in order to apply for the $84 million in state funding under the Regional Cities Initiative.

As the only contiguous counties to adopt an ordinance in support of the initiative, commissioners from Scott and Clark counties were tasked with forming a five-member Regional Development Authority board. The RDA members, who cannot be elected officials, must be appointed and meet at least once before the application deadline.

“We will probably not be making any appointments to that [board]," Clark County Commissioner Jack Coffman said after Thursday's regular commissioners meeting.

The RDA was not discussed during the public meeting.

Coffman said Clark County commissioners would still have to approve appointments made by Scott County.

Scott County Commissioner Larry Blevins could not be reached for comment.

One Southern Indiana CEO Wendy Dant Chesser presented an ordinance that would form an RDA to county councils throughout the region over the past several months. Floyd, Washington and Harrison counties voted down the ordinance. More than 30 other counties, mostly in the northern part of the state, adopted the ordinance.

With such little time left before the deadline, Dant Chesser said Clark and Scott counties will not submit an application, adding that with only two counties, the application wouldn't be competitive enough to receive state funding.

"I am [disappointed]," Coffman said. "I think it’s an opportunity we’re missing out on."

Clark County Commissioner Rick Stephenson said the primary reason commissioners decided to not make any RDA appointments before the application deadline was because they don't have enough counties participating to be considered a region.

"Since there’s no regional cohesiveness, we don't feel we need to appoint people to a board just to appoint them for no reason," Stephenson said, adding that commissioners are discussing other ways in which the region's counties can work together, including collaboration via interlocal agreements.

Opposition to the RDA has been loudly voiced at county meetings. Those who are against the initiative say an RDA would give too much power to an unelected board and would put the area at risk of eminent domain. There also were concerns voiced over the tight deadline counties had to meet in order to apply.

With or without the application, the RDA still stands. According to Dant Chesser, once the ordinance for an RDA is passed, state statute requires the RDA to hold quarterly public meetings. But if Scott and Clark counties don't appoint members and if the RDA does not meet as required, Dant Chesser said there isn't an actual penalty.

Dant Chesser said without the pressure of the deadline for the Regional Cities Initiative, local officials can set their own timeline on forming the RDA and on deciding how to move forward. If the counties did form an RDA, 1si would be willing to take care of the administrative costs that come with quarterly meetings, such as paying for public notices and recording meetings, Dant Chesser said.

Clark County Councilwoman Kelly Khuri was the only Clark council member to vote against the ordinance forming an RDA on Aug. 10. Khuri said without the application for funding and without appointments from Clark County, the RDA is in limbo, and she'd like to see that changed.

"I would like to see an ordinance from both counties to rescind that ordinance [establishing the RDA]," Khuri said, adding that the council has not yet discussed the option.

Although commissioners were tasked with forming the RDA, it's the county council, the county's fiscal body, that had to vote on the ordinance.

One item Khuri and RDA supporters agree on is the need for more regionally focused conversation.

"With all this talk about regional and working together, I would like to see everybody work together," Khuri said. "We already have the means to do that. We already have people talking, so let’s continue in that vein."
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