Updated Dec 16, 2022

What are the risks  to the taxpayers?

Funding by the State for the READI grants was provided by the Federal American Rescue Plan.

Dec 16, 2022. Indiana Uplands announces READI commitments totaling more than $24.6 million by Betsy Trotzke 

• • Committed READI Projects & Programs

    • Early Education – –  Brown County Community Foundation $229,040
  •  PDF Copy: Indiana Uplands announces READI commitments totaling more than $24.6 million »  Brownional Opportunity Initiatives
  • Post at Brown County Matters.  Brown County Community Foundation identified as receiving $229,040 for an outdoor facility upgrades at the Brown County Early Education Center. “READI funds will be used to install an outdoor classroom with playground equipment. The EEC opened in August 2022 in the former Brown County Intermediate School, with 70 high school students participating in early learning workforce training opportunities at the center. While Brown County Schools has remodeled the former school, the outdoor space has not yet been updated for use by children under the age of 6.” 

Dec 21, 2021. County’s READI region receives $30 million to help fund select projects By Suzannah Couch

• • FB Post – Brown County Matters. Unknown how much if any taxpayer money will be expected to contribute. “Indiana Economic Development Corporation will host a READI kickoff meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 11 when organizers hope they will learn projects will receive READI funding. Until then, the IEDC will work through a grant agreement with each region.”
  • FB Post – Brown County Democrat

Dec 14, 2021. Inside Indiana Business. $500M in READI grant funding dished out to all 17 applicants| Emily Ketterer  Uplands Report 2.Indiana-Uplands-READI-PAGES-FOR-FRONT-BACK-PRINTING   Hard Truth Hills pg.146,  Brown County Land bank – pg. 156

20211214 BC Readi Projects – Hard Truth Hills (HTH) and RDC Land Bank

• • Indiana Uplands – 30 million. Includes Brown County.
  • The grant program also requires each region to provide at least $4 in matching funds for every $1 awarded by the state.
  • Facebook Announcement – Gov Holcolm

Oct 13, 2021.  Completed Plan – Indiana Uplands READI Development Plan: “A Region on the Rise”   

• • Announcement of the Completed Plan at LinkedIn
  • View the Indiana Uplands READI Development Plan – Full Spreads
    (best for desktop computers)
  • View the Indiana Uplands READI Development Plan – Single Pages
    (best for mobile devices)
    • Brown County Land Bank pg. 156.

Due: July 30, 2021.  Indiana Uplands READI Plan: Call for Projects and Programs

July 13, 2021.  READI group meeting weekly to discuss possible grant-funded projects By Sara Clifford 

An informal steering committee is now meeting every Thursday at noon to discuss which local projects might be put into an application for up to $50 million in grant funding.

The grant opportunity is called READI, and Brown County has committed to try for it with the 11-county Indiana Uplands region.

The local steering committee has been asked to come up with a list of approximately five projects to contribute to the Indiana Uplands’ grant application. Whether or not those projects will actually make it into the application remains to be seen, as the 10 other counties in the region also will be contributing ideas.

July 6, 2021. The Indiana Uplands is READI to Go Posted on July 6, 2021 by Betsy Trotzke

• On July 1, ROI notified the Indiana Economic Development Corporation of its intent to seek funding, alongside its partner organizations, through READI on behalf of the Indiana Uplands region, comprised of Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, and Washington counties.

July 6, 2021. Commissioners OK resolution for READI opportunity By Suzannah Couch 

• It is not clear what would be required of Brown County financially in the future or how Brown County would benefit from applying for READI with Indiana Uplands, as no grant application or project plan has been written yet.

June 28, 2021. The Brown County Commissioners will have a special meeting at 2 p.m. Monday, June 28 at the County Office Building to discuss a resolution of commitment to the READI grant initiative.

June 25, 2021. BCD. Brown County likely to join region for try at grant funding By Sara Clifford –

Stellar – Another Grant Opportunity requiring taxpayer funding?

June 18, 2019. BCD. Another shot at Stellar? Town, county starting to talk about funding opportunity By Sara Clifford –

•  Nashville-Brown County unsuccessfully tried for a Stellar Communities designation from the state in 2014.
• At the time, being named “Stellar” would have given the town and county access to a pool of millions of dollars in funding for projects for about a five-year period, supplemented by local money. Only Stellar Communities designees can apply for that pool of state and federal funding.
• On the day in July 2014 when the local Stellar committee made its pitch to the state Stellar selection committee, protesters holding signs which read “No Stellar — Not This Year” were visible at nearly every project site and some also spoke during the presentation.

May 23, 2020.  Town redevelopment discusses TIF, Stellar, Creekside By Abigail Youmans

• The Nashville Redevelopment Commission discussed ongoing projects such as TIF, Stellar and a potential property within town limits in a virtual meeting on Tuesday, May 12. 

May 4, 2017. What are best bets for future of local economy? by  Sara Clifford 

• Brown County’s greatest potential for economic growth is as a bedroom community, according to economists with the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University.

  But local leaders had a different viewpoint; they perceived recreation as the area with the biggest potential, and to them, housing ranked No. 3.

• According to the state and federal data the Ball State researchers studied, retail is the least promising sector among the five studied. Nos. 2, 3 and 4 are recreation, wholesale and production, in that order, the data said.