RICHMOND — Pen met paper Thursday evening as people volunteered for committee work to develop and initiate regional projects.
Those signing up were leaving First Bank Kuhlman Center after attending the presentation of the Eastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission's draft five-year comprehensive economic development strategy. The nearly 40 participants came from all six counties — Fayette, Henry, Randolph, Rush, Union and Wayne — in the regional group's area.
"I think we're in good shape at this point," said Jeff Plasterer, the EIRPC executive director. "We had a good turnout tonight. We have people who appear to be energized and are interested in helping us with comments on the draft."
The draft, and subsequent final version, will be submitted to the Federal Economic Development Administration. That provides the region, one of 15 in Indiana, a better opportunity to receive project funding.
Plasterer, a Wayne County commissioner who is retiring as EIRPC's leader at the end of the year, said volunteers are essential for the region to carry out the strategies, goals and objectives developed during the past 15 months with consultants from Ball State University's Indiana Communities Institute and the Purdue Center for Regional Development.