For a lot of the summer, traffic patterns on Indiana 101 heading north have been altered due to a fresh gas pipeline being installed by Sycamore Gas Company, Lawrenceburg.

This took up much of the discussion at the Franklin County Redevelopment Commission meeting Aug. 30.

Commission president Bill Schirmer noted that Sycamore has “a lot of skin in the game.” The project has grown to be between $1.2-$1.3 million, he explained, with the county into it for $500,000. The company will commit the rest of the funding.

“They really did us a big favor by saying 'we'll eat the rest' … and they have,” member John Palmer said of a project with an original price tag of $1 million. “They could have come back and said, 'we want 50% of it all.' That doesn't happen a lot in this world where somebody doesn't come back.”

Half of the county's bill will come from Regional Economic and Acceleration Development Initiative (READI) funding derived from federal American Rescue Plan Act monies, said Schirmer. The Southeast Indiana (SEI READI) six-county group was awarded $15 million late last year.

Another $250,000 is to come from other county sources, which the president said could be more ARPA funds allocated by commissioners or pulled from the county's TIF fund (Tax Increment Financing).

“That's one of the reasons I put $250,000 (on a budget line item), so in the event we need to do it, we've got the ability,” said Schirmer. Palmer agreed, saying “that's what we've been collecting (TIF) for.”

The project is near completion, but Palmer wished to quash any rumors of a development near the Scenic Drive trail.

“Someone called me and said, 'there's a gas line being put in on Scenic Drive,'” he remarked. “They asked when we're going to get a resort.”

He told them there was no gas line, just lines being stored there until installation near 101. “There is no hotel,” Palmer emphasized. 

Another possible development was stunted when SEI READI decided to not move forward with a proposed housing project overlooking the town of Brookville just to the east of Reservoir Hill. As part of the plans, as Schirmer pointed out, there was to be a sewer line extension moving up the hill. A total of $4.5 million was originally granted the county from READI/ARPA funds, to be allocated toward such projects. Tree clearing and initial work had been going on over the past year. 

The project, though, was tied into – and heavily contingent upon - the contentious annexation of properties north of town by the Town of Brookville, which would have presumably built a larger revenue stream to cover matching costs. Thus, this is on hold pending further discussion by SEI READI and finding additional funding elsewhere.

The commission talked briefly about a decision making news at a July county commissioners' meeting. The county agreed to allocate 15% of redevelopment funds captured from TIF to the Franklin County Community School Corporation in the form of PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) – which county attorney and school board trustee Grant Reeves explained is the cap allowed under state law.

“If (FCRC didn't capture) all the assessed value, the schools could potentially get more back but it would be pro rata where everybody – libraries or whoever – gets their share of it back,” explained Reeves. “The purpose of TIF primarily is to develop the area, but there is a carve-out for educational purposes.”

 Some additional loose ends must be tied up before that money is officially allocated.

Sara Duffy, nonvoting member representing the school board, updated the commission via phone hookup that the solar project recently approved by FCCSC (contracted with Sun FundED, Carmel) has moved along for the permit process with the area plan commission. It was not in time, however, to be on the APC's September agenda.