The Starke County Commissioners and the Starke County Council members discussed the contracts for the Starke County Economic Development Foundation and the SCILL Center during their respective meetings last week.
Foundation Executive Director Lisa Dan said funding will stay the same which is $159,000. She was hoping for a contract that would be a multiple-year contract, but it would only be an annual contract for 2022.
She previously told the commissioners that more students are participating in SCILL programs which increases funding so not all of the previously approved $80,000 would need to go to SCILL, but the rest of the funding could be used for another type of program to assist businesses. However, the entities agreed that $40,000 would go to the SCILL Center and $40,000 would be set aside by the county that can be used by the Foundation or the SCILL Center for specific economic development initiatives.
Dan said two separate agreements between the entities will be coming in the future so the Foundation and SCILL Center contracts are split, which accomplishes a request by the commissioners and council to complete that task.
The Starke County Commissioners and Starke County Council approved the contracts last week, ahead of the March 1 contract deadline.
