American Council of Engineering Companies of Indiana Environmental Business Conference September 15,

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American Council of Engineering Companies of
IndianaEnvironmental Business
ConferenceSeptember 15, 2005
Indiana Office of Rural Affairs Serving
Indianas rural communities through technical,
financial and personal assistance

• Lt. Governor Becky Skillman
• Secretary of Rural Development
• Joe Pearson, Director ORA

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With 75 of Indianas counties designated as
rural, we must cater to the needs of these
communities and offer any assistance possible to
promote successful and sustainable rural Indiana
communities.

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman Secretary of Rural
Development Joe Pearson, Director ORA
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Office of Rural AffairsAgency Commitment

• To assist Indianas small cities, towns and rural
  counties in addressing economic and social needs
  by working with local, state and national
  partners to provide technical, financial and
  personal assistance.

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman Secretary of Rural
Development Joe Pearson, Director ORA
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Keys to SuccessfulRural Communities

• Planning
• Regional and Local Partnerships
• Public Participation at all levels
• Community Priorities
• Promoting Livable Communities

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Livable Communities

• actively and successfully serve the needs of
  their citizens
• effectively connect people and places
• preserve, build upon and invest in their
  economic, environmental and human assets and
• plan and prepare for the future and form
  partnerships between the business, civic,
  government and not-for-profit sectors of the
  community.

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Community Development Block Grant Program

• Provide small cities, towns and counties (pop.
  50,000 or less) with federal funds for community
  improvement projects.

Greg Beumer, Director
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Community Development Block Grant Programs

• 2005- 37 million to Indiana
• Since 1982, Indiana has assisted 537 different
  communities with a total of 704 million
• Grant Administrator Training

Greg Beumer, Director
Winchester, IN
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Community Focus Fund Planning Grant

• Eligible planning activities include data
  gathering, study, analysis and preparation of
  plans and the identification of actions to
  implement such plans
• 1.5 Million available annually
• Applications accepted on a monthly basis

Greg Beumer, Director
Elberfeld, IN
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Community Focus Fund (CFF)

• Infrastructure Projects include
• Community Facilities
• Fire Protection Projects
• Sewer, Water and Stormwater projects
• Downtown Revitalization
• Historic Preservation
• Housing Projects
• Two competitive funding rounds per year
• Maximum award amount cannot exceed 500,000
• Required local match of at least 10 of the total
  project cost
• Must benefit low to moderate income persons

Troy, IN
Greg Beumer, Director
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Rural Development Grants

• Rural Development Council Fund (RDCF) monies go
  to the creation of regional entities that
  promote the improvement of the quality of life in
  rural Indiana
• Rural Development Action Fund (RDAF) provides
  grant dollars to entities that work to enhance
  and assist in improving the economic viability of
  rural Indiana communities
• Grants are awarded through competitive funding
  rounds
• 2003-2004 40 communities are receiving grants
  for a total of 6.2 million

Greg Beumer, Director
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High Speed Communications

• Facilitate affordable high speed communications
  in rural and underserved communities through
  public policy, education and community outreach.
• The ORA, under the leadership of Lt. Governor
  Skillmans office, aims to achieve statewide
  connectivity by 2007.
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Cris Fulford, Director
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IN State Office of Rural Health

• Maintain and improve the access, quality and
  financial
• viability of rural health and human service
• delivery systems in rural Indiana.
• To augment and enhance the existence of small
  rural hospitals through the Federal
• Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant Program.

6 aims for the delivery of health care safe,
effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient
and equitable.
Bob Sunman, Director
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Celebrating 20 years!
Using economic development, redevelopment and
historic preservation tactics to help
individuals, businesses and organizations
strengthen the centers of their cities and towns.
Ellen Harper, Director
Frankfort, IN
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Leadership Development

• Increase the leadership capacity of individual
  rural community members and their communities by
  providing resources, training opportunities and
  technical assistance.
• GOALS
• Be THE state repository for leadership contacts
  and resources
• According to need, provide training modules for
  rural communities
• Support and perform community planning/visioning
  sessions in conjunction with other statewide
  efforts
• Enhance statewide network of leadership
  organizations

Annie Hernandez, Director
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IRDC
The Indiana Rural Development Council is a
partnership of local, state, federal, for-profit,
and not-for-profit stakeholders that support
Indiana communities. The IRDCs purpose is to
coordinate efforts of citizens and government to
meet the economic and social needs of rural
Indiana.
Phil Anderson, Director
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Key Objectives

• Community Visitation Program
• Entrepreneurship Task Force
• Hubs Facilitating Groups
• EIWG (infrastructure) - IHART (housing)
• Leadership - Workforce
• Health Care - Education
• Local Planning - Land Use
• Ag Development - Social/ Cultural
• Technology (broadband)
• Communications (outreach, conferences and
  partners)

Phil Anderson, Director
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Office of RuralAffairs CONTACT Information

• Community Development Block Grant
• Greg Beumer at gbeumer_at_ora.in.gov or 317.232.1703
• Grants Management
• Beth Goeb at bgoeb_at_ora.in.gov or 317.232.8334
• High Speed Communications
• Cris Fulford at cfulford_at_ora.in.gov or
  317.234.1252
• Indiana Rural Development Council-
  www.in.gov/irdc/
• Phil Anderson at panderson_at_ora.in.gov or
  317.232.8776
• Indiana Main Street- www.in.gov/mainstreet/
• Ellen Harper at eharper_at_ora.in.gov or
  317.232.8912
• Leadership Development
• Annie Hernandez at ahernandez_at_ora.in.gov or
  317.232.8909
• Indiana State Office of Rural Health

Indiana Office of Rural Affairs Lt. Governor
Becky Skillman, Secretary of Rural
Development Joe Pearson, Director One North
Capitol, Ste. 600 Indianapolis, IN
46204 317.232.8895 jpearson_at_ora.in.gov www.in.gov/
ora