The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Economic development group meets

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Members of the Van Wert Area Interim Committee met on Tuesday to review requirements for designation as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with Van Wert Law Director John Hatcher, as well as discuss possible selection of members to a more permanent economic development board following the hiring of a city-county economic development director.

Hatcher noted that the criteria for incorporation were fairly straight forward, and noted he would have a rough draft of incorporation documents by the next meeting of the group on Monday, February 29.

Sara Zura, Van Wert Mayor Jerry Mazur, and Stuart Wyatt, all members of the Van Wert Area Economic Development Committee, were among those who met Tuesday to continue discussions on reshaping local economic development. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)
Sara Zura, Van Wert Mayor Jerry Mazur, and Stuart Wyatt, all members of the Van Wert Area Economic Development Committee, were among those who met Tuesday to continue discussions on reshaping local economic development. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)

Members of the interim economic development board had a spirited discussion on future membership of the entity, as well as how many members the board would have, with some board members stating their opinion that having city and county officials appoint six of the seven members could give the appearance that the board was more political in nature, than centered on economic development.

A recommendation by the newest board member, Sara Zura, that a member of the Business Development Corporation (BDC) be placed on the board met with mixed reviews, with some members feeling that BDC representatives might have a conflict of interest on some matters the board would deal with, while others felt having a BDC representative would be appropriate, especially since that organization would likely be a significant investor in projects created by whoever was hired as city-county economic development director.

Van Wert City Councilman At-Large Jon Tomlinson, who attended the meeting as an advisor to Mayor Jerry Mazur, suggested that a larger organization be created with a membership “buy-in” of $1 or other nominal fee that would then select at least three “at large” members of possibly a nine-member advisory board that would provide oversight to a new city-county development director.

No final decision was reached on membership of a permanent board, while more discussion is also needed to develop bylaws for the interim board.

Those attending were board members Mazur, County Commissioner Todd Wolfrum, Zura, Rabbit Bonifas, Bob Priest, Stuart Wyatt, and Sticky Rammel, and Tomlinson.

POSTED: 02/24/16 at 10:26 am. FILED UNDER: News