Menu
Lt. Gov. Crouch speaks on rural revitalization efforts
After concluding six conferences which have been held throughout Indiana in the past month, leaders at the local and state level have engaged in conversations and discussions on how Indiana’s rural communities can not just grow, but thrive.
The Inn at DePauw served as the venue for the last regional conference hosted by the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) for 2019. The previous events were held in Madison, Huntingburg, Fair Oaks, Knightstown and Angola respectively.
State officials, as well as Mayor Bill Dory, spoke from 9 a.m. into the early afternoon on initiatives relating to quality of life in rural areas, as well as working effectively with government entities like OCRA.
One of the highlights of the event was a keynote address by Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who emphasized the importance of collaboration and the continuing need for ideas to revitalize and sustain Indiana’s rural areas, especially its downtown spots.
“These conversations allow us to gain a better understanding of rural communities and their needs,” Crouch began. “Our rural Hoosier communities are the heartbeat for our economy. More importantly, the downtown is the heartbeat of the community itself, and gives a town its character.”
Crouch has spoken on interwoven elements of rural improvements and economic development, including tourism, public safety, broadband expansion and interconnectivity and waterway upgrades. The last two of these issues have been tackled or considered particularly in Putnam County’s rural areas like Fillmore and Russellville.
However, Crouch commented that she believed Greencastle’s recent boom has been borne our of community leaders and citizens taking charge of the city’s development, and having a vision to see its character restored.
“We celebrate the risk-takers who have what it takes to rebuild a community, and we can see that here in Greencastle with the downtown,” Crouch said.
Crouch highlighted the city’s $19 million Stellar Communities grant, awarded to both Greencastle and North Vernon as the program’s inaugural recipients in 2011, toward reworking its downtown facades, as well as make improvements to the Greencastle Fire Department.
Going back to promoting revitalization at the state level, Crouch provided that she sees cooperation between her, the Indiana legislature and Governor Eric Holcomb. She mentioned District 44 Representative Beau Baird (R-Greencastle), who was in attendance, as an ally ensuring a fiscally conservative agenda and a balanced budget, providing that the current budget has demanded no increase in taxes.
“We recognize that the future is being built together, and through implementing conservative fiscal leadership, we can continue to make strides in revitalizing our rural communities where it counts,” Crouch said.
Crouch turned her attention to the issue of broadband expansion in rural communities, which she says is a serious issue in both a social and economic sense. Though she did not speak on this need in Putnam County, the lieutenant governor made it clear that internet connectivity and technology access was an immediate concern.
“We want to be able to connect Hoosiers to each other, their community, the nation and to the world, and for everyone to have equal access to technology to create growth,” Crouch said. She cited a recent study done at Purdue University that determined that 500,000 rural Hoosiers currently live in an “internet darkness.”
Her message in part was still focused on rural communities working together with the state, especially in the purview of OCRA, which she heads.
“We want to put OCRA out there for you and to be there for you,” Crouch continued, “so that you can continue to make your communities places where people want to live and work.”
Ultimately, Crouch came back to the theme of revitalization as a whole. For her, it was still about the success of community members rallying after the initiatives and vision which they need to see improvements through.
“When we come together, we can build a better tomorrow,” Crouch said as she concluded her remarks. “We are so proud of your contributions, and we thank you and recognize you for your dedication to your communities.”
In addition to OCRA, Crouch oversees the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the Office of Defense Development and the Office of Tourism Development. She also serves as the president of the Indiana Senate and as chairman of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Task Force and the Indiana Counter-Terrorism and Security Council.