DOC rep hears local concerns (2/2/05)

He wasn’t the one who made the decision.

But a regional director of the state’s economic development organization was asked to answer for that decision Tuesday afternoon.

Barkley P. Garrett, director of the Northeast Region of the Indiana Department of Commerce, faced some pointed questions after introducing himself to the board of directors of Jay County Development Corporation.

A reorganization plan for the DOC announced about 10 days ago by the administration of new Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels placed Jay County in a 20-county region with headquarters in South Bend.

JCDC executive director Bob Quadrozzi, who was critical of the decision at the time it was made, relayed those sentiments to Garrett, who attended Tuesday’s board meeting as a way to introduce himself in Jay County.

“They’ve messed up regions in this state like nobody can,” Quadrozzi said. Noting that the Northwest region has six counties to the Northeast region’s 20, he said, “You can’t do as good a job as that six-county region, no matter how good you are ... You have too much windshield time.”

Garrett, who has been with the DOC for four years, most recently as a director under the DOC’s former 12-region structure, pointed out that a satellite office has been established in Fort Wayne to better serve the Northeast region. That decision was made after a flurry of criticism from around the state about not placing a region headquarters in the state’s second-largest city.

“Customer service is going to be the utmost concern to us ... We want to be here for you,” Garrett said.

“Bottom line, you have our word that we will work with you in any way possible,” Quadrozzi said.

Quadrozzi invited Garrett and Karen San Clemente, a project manager from the Fort Wayne office, to schedule a half- or full-day visit to Jay County to learn about the community.

“Jay County sells itself if we can get people here,” Quadrozzi said.

Garrett said that changes could be made to the new structure, including the possibility of moving Jay County to a new region.

“Things are continuing to develop ... Everything is on the table. Changes could continue to happen,” Garrett said.

Garrett also discussed more impending structural changes for the department of commerce. By executive order, Daniels established the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, a quasi-public board similar to JCDC. Legislation is expected to be passed quickly that would give economic development responsibilities in Indiana to the IEDC, with the department of commerce retaining community development functions.

In other business Tuesday, JCDC board members:

•Set Tuesday, March 8, as the date for the next board meeting.

•Heard Quadrozzi report that progress continues on two major projects from last year — Omnicity wireless broadband Internet and X-Plex Extreme Competition Park.

Weather conditions have slowed progress for Omnicity, which is expected to begin providing service in Jay County in the next few weeks. The company was given a $380,000 line of credit using economic development income tax funds.

An agreement has been reached with X-Plex developer Glynn Barber about the lease and purchase of the remainder of the Portland Industrial Park where X-Plex will be located.

Included in the plans for the park are paintball, moto-cross and go-kart and auto racing.

•Thanked area utility companies — including Indiana Michigan Power, Jay County REMC, Sprint and others — for work in restoring services following the Jan. 5 ice storm. “All the companies did, I think, an exemplary job,” JCDC board president Chuck Huffman said.[[In-content Ad]]