Although there was ultimately no action taken mainly due to the absence of two board members, Brookville Redevelopment Commission listened to a presentation from Brookville Main Street Monday evening regarding that organization's desire to create a liaison position locally to benefit both groups and the town.

“A lot of our organizations are working in silos,” said Main Street vice-president Gage Pace. “All doing a great job, but when's the last time we all came together, identified goals we all share and create a working plan based on those goals.

“From talking with Todd (Thackery, BRC President), it's been a while since Main Street has sat down with redevelopment to see what ways our goals align.”

Also presenting was Lowell “Teen” McMillin, who helps Main Street with fundraising and was one of the entity's organizers two decades ago. 

He spoke of BRC's already pledging $100,000 to Main Street's revolving loan fund held at Franklin County Community Foundation – the balance of $50,000 to be donated by June 2023. McMillin noted there's another $100,000 or more needed to make Main Street a self-sustaining organization. 

“We've got an unprecedented opportunity right now,” he said. “We've got a confluence of assets and momentum coming together. New sidewalks and lights, the (aquatic center), the golf course … all those make the community much more attractive and give us an opportunity to be more viable economically.”

The $100K given by BRC helps support the PreservINg Main Street program that saw the state award $2 million for façade improvements on Brookville's Main Street. 

“It will give folks in town, who maybe don't qualify for the façade grant, an opportunity to come up with funding to do things to make buildings more attractive to (businesses) coming in,” McMillin added. 

“Main Street's where it starts,” added Pace. “It's not uncommon for a community's Main Street to act as the economic liaison or adhesive for different organizations within the community, bring them all together after one goal. And it's common that Main Streets are financed in some way by their municipality or county.” 

He explained that proposed role would work on a micro level versus the macro-economic development work of John Palmer and consultant Nick Lawrence of the Wheatley Group, who look for large manufacturing facilities and the like. 

“Our main goal is to fill our Main Street with viable businesses that make this a better place to live,” said Pace. “Right now, we need a salesman.”

To that end, he proposed a new economic development liaison position dedicated to Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) on Main Street. Someone would work on a short-term contract at first prior to the full-time position being established by the end of the year. The initial salary would be $45,000/year with the liaison reporting periodic progress to BRC.

The financial request from Main Street asked for BRC to initially contribute $30,000 – earmarked for economic development - toward the $100,000 needed for sustainability, whether matched or not. Main Street could then contract with the new liaison.

Pace added that BRC would benefit from contributing to Main Street in tax residuals. He said the commission could see about $510,000 in newly assessed value, which when divided by tax distribution percentage, results in about $14,423 per year going back to BRC.

Member Aaron Leffingwell asked how the position would differ from that of Lawrence, to whom BRC contributes 25% of consulting fees.

Pace said the liaison would basically “hold the hand” of any entrepreneur looking to move to or start a business in Brookville. He also mentioned Ginnie Faller, business advisor with the Indiana Small Business Development Corporation's Southeast Indiana division, who could ostensibly feed the liaison business leads for downtown. 

Member Darrell Flaspohler said he'd like the board to assess other projects they're currently funding before moving on this new request. Leffingwell agreed. The guests were invited back to next month's meeting. 

In other items, there was no change to the Lawrenceburg Fund 4500 ($76,231.21) and the Tax Increment Finance (TIF) fund sits at just over $270,000.

Leffingwell provided an update on the 6th Street lots from the Blight Elimination Project. They've been sold to Kurt Grimmeissen for $750 and figure to be used as an expansion of G2 Apparel or the refurbished Nixie's when it reopens. One stipulation was a retaining wall and sidewalk must be in place by the end of the year.