Circleville Council had no legislation Tuesday evening, but they heard a long annual report on economic development.
Ryan Scribner of the Pickaway Progress Partnership said the area needs to get ahead of the serious growth curve happening in Central Ohio. He said "development" is not realizing potential - the potential needs to be unlocked through planning and services.
The economic development director of the city and county spent more than half an hour on his "Strategic 2020 Updates," including:
- Helping to develop a transportation connection with Columbus to remove barriers for workers, and other workforce openness and development.
- Rickenbacker has no remaining ground that is ready for development, so it needs planning for more.
- Speculations on Sofidel doubling their new plant, and other possibilities...in the manufacturing cluster just south of Circleville.
- The good and bad possibilities of a proposed 2,000-acre solar energy project on the west edge of the county.
- Frustrations with GE's inaction and lack of communication preventing anything happening with their mothballed plant.
- With the need for gravel in Central Ohio's explosive development, planning can both support gravel quarries in the right place, and block them in the wrong.
- And much more in his entire presentation audio below.
Scribner also mentioned adjusting the internal structure of the Pickaway Progress Partnership, including adding David Glass, formerly of the Ohio Department of Development.
This happened at a good time, because they have had 12 Requests for Proposals (RFP's) in the first two months of this year, in contrast to only two in the same time last year.
The Safety Committee also had a walk-through of the Circleville Fire Station looking at minor water damages, as well as getting a tour by Fire Chief Bryan Thompson.
Kevin Coleman regularly reports on Chillicothe & Circleville councils and local culture