SIDC urges Daviess County to pitch in $50,000 to keep regional land bank operating, outlines EDA water‑tower opportunity

Greg Jones, representing the Southern Indiana Development Corporation (SIDC), told the Daviess County Council on May 13 that the regional development organization has helped secure roughly $18 million in grant funding for the region and is running a two‑and‑a‑half‑year regional land bank that now owns about 14 properties and expects to hold roughly 20 by 2027.

"In that 2 and a half years, we own 14," Jones said, adding that several properties are under contract with developers. He described the land‑bank model SIDC uses — including renovation contracts and local contractor engagement — and said the program is designed to return properties to productive use rather than sell to the highest bidder.

Jones told the council the land‑bank grant that currently covers program costs expires in September and asked each of the six participating counties to budget $50,000 to keep the regional land bank operational. "That's what you can anticipate or ask for for the land bank in order to keep that service open and available," he said.

He also outlined an infrastructure need tied to the Westgate/Crane Technology Park: water capacity for companies locating on the Daviess County side of the park. Jones said the Economic Development Administration (EDA) is offering a financing window that could fund a large portion of a water‑tower project — "maybe up to $4,000,000 out of EDA on a project that could be in the $6,000,000, $7,000,000 range" — but that a local match would still be required.

"The missing piece in the application is the local match," Jones said, estimating the county share in the "$2,000,000 range, hopefully, not up to the $3,000,000 range." He asked council members to review budgets and consider using discretionary funds or TIF dollars for the match if the county is willing to participate.

Council members questioned ownership and long‑term benefits. One member noted Eastern Heights is the existing utility for the area; Jones said the EDA project modeled in a neighboring county turned the completed asset over to the local nonprofit utility without an exchange of funds. "Whenever the asset is built, it's turned over to Eastern Heights," he said, adding that rate and governance questions could be negotiated but cautioned that overcomplicating agreements could jeopardize the EDA opportunity.

Why it matters: Jones framed the county contribution as an investment in future tax base and employment. He said leveraging grant dollars and coordinating across counties can unlock redevelopment in blighted areas and provide infrastructure that attracts large employers. Council members asked for written materials and clearer documentation of projected county benefits before committing funds.

Next steps: SIDC said it will send a formal written request for the $50,000 contribution and additional documentation about the water‑tower application, including engineering estimates and proposed match scenarios. The council did not take a formal vote on the EDA match at the May 13 meeting.