Jay County development director reports 44 applicants for Make My Move; READI childcare funds requested but not yet received
March 03, 2026 | Jay County, Indiana
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Travis Richards, director of the Jay County Development Corporation, gave a quarterly update July 10 on local economic development efforts and grant activity.
Richards said the county has received 44 applications to the Make My Move program with one applicant accepted so far. He reported that READI 1.0 funds earmarked for the Salamonia schoolhouse childcare project have been requested but not yet disbursed; funding for the childcare facility project has been obligated. READI 2.0 activity includes regional workshops with more sessions planned.
Richards described downtown and preservation work: attendance at the Indiana Main Street Seminar, review of Portland Historic Preservation Commission guidelines and steps toward creating a cultural district. He summarized town-level engagements: Redkey (INDOT sidewalk project and an OCRA planning grant for a master utility study), Dunkirk (assistance on a recent property transfer and development-corp discussions), Pennville (industrial-development assistance and park resources) and Bryant (community crossings support and potential industrial development projects).
On business attraction, Richards said Portland’s recent tax abatements resulted in 20 jobs among 11 businesses and $78 million in investment. Commissioner Brian McGalliard asked how those jobs were being created given existing local openings; Richards said the tight labor market means some positions may be filled by employees shifting from other roles.
The board did not take formal action on these items; commissioners indicated they might seek outside assistance on HELP! program implementation with OCRA and Kleinpeter Consulting in the future.
Next steps: continue outreach and grant administration; staff to monitor READI disbursement and downtown-preservation guideline updates.
Richards said the county has received 44 applications to the Make My Move program with one applicant accepted so far. He reported that READI 1.0 funds earmarked for the Salamonia schoolhouse childcare project have been requested but not yet disbursed; funding for the childcare facility project has been obligated. READI 2.0 activity includes regional workshops with more sessions planned.
Richards described downtown and preservation work: attendance at the Indiana Main Street Seminar, review of Portland Historic Preservation Commission guidelines and steps toward creating a cultural district. He summarized town-level engagements: Redkey (INDOT sidewalk project and an OCRA planning grant for a master utility study), Dunkirk (assistance on a recent property transfer and development-corp discussions), Pennville (industrial-development assistance and park resources) and Bryant (community crossings support and potential industrial development projects).
On business attraction, Richards said Portland’s recent tax abatements resulted in 20 jobs among 11 businesses and $78 million in investment. Commissioner Brian McGalliard asked how those jobs were being created given existing local openings; Richards said the tight labor market means some positions may be filled by employees shifting from other roles.
The board did not take formal action on these items; commissioners indicated they might seek outside assistance on HELP! program implementation with OCRA and Kleinpeter Consulting in the future.
Next steps: continue outreach and grant administration; staff to monitor READI disbursement and downtown-preservation guideline updates.
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