2011

Comprehensive Economic

Development Strategy

Greater Wabash Region

Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission

Accepted by the District CEDS Committee: February 23, 2011

Approved by the Economic Development Administration:

Approved by the Board of Directors:

Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission

10 West Main St., P.O. Box 209

Albion, IL62806

Serving Crawford, Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and WhiteCounties

Sarah A. Mann

Executive Director

March 31, 2011

Mr. C. Robert Sawyer, Regional Director

Economic Development Administration

111 North Canal Street
Suite 855
Chicago, IL60606-7208

Dear Mr. Sawyer:

Pursuant to the requirements of the EDA 301 (b) planning grant received by Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission, we are pleased to present the attached 2011 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS): Greater Wabash Region. Following approval by the EDA Chicago Regional Office, the District CEDS will be sent to all pertinent individuals within the District.

The District CEDS document represents a complete update of the former CEDS published in 2009. This document incorporates all the new regulations established in 2006 by the Economic Development Administration’s Final Rule.

Respectfully Submitted,

Sarah A. Mann

Sarah A. Mann

Executive Director

Phone: (618) 445-3612 Fax: (618) 445-3629
Acknowledgements

The Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission (GWRPC) would like to express its grateful appreciation to the following organizations and local governments for the valuable contribution they made toward the preparation, review and approval of the District's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for 2011:

• the CEDS Advisory Committee members

• the Crawford CountyBoard and CountyOfficials

• the Edwards CountyBoard and CountyOfficials

• the LawrenceCountyBoard and CountyOfficials

• the RichlandCountyBoard and CountyOfficials

• the Wabash CountyBoard and CountyOfficials

• the WayneCountyBoard and CountyOfficials

• the WhiteCounty Board and CountyOfficials

• the Crawford County Development Association

• the Fairfield Area Development Commission

• the LawrenceCounty Industrial Development Council

• the RichlandCounty Development Council

In addition, the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission wishes to express its appreciation to the organizations and local governments for their contributions toward the preparation, review, and approval of the 2011 CEDS document. GWRPC would also like to recognize the contributions made through the cooperation of various local economic development organizations along with state and federal agencies in providing data and reviewing the accuracy of this document.

2011 Comprehensive Economic

Development Strategy

Greater Wabash Region

Table of Contents

Letter of Transmittal……………………………………………… / 2
Acknowledgements………………………………………………. / 3
Table of Contents………………………………………………… / 4
Background/ Introduction…………………………………………. / 5
District Organization and Management………………………….. / 6
The Seven County District………………………………………… / 8
District SWOT…………………...……………………………….. / 39
District Goals and Objectives……………………………………. / 46
Community/ Private Sector Participation………………………….. / 51
Vital Projects……………………………………………………… / 51
Plan of Action……………………………………………………….. / 53
Performance Measures……………………………………………. / 54
Appendix…………………………………………………………… / 55
CEDS Strategy Guidelines…………..………………………….. / 56
CEDS Committee ……………………………………………….. / 62
GWRPC Board of Directors / 63
County Specific Projects …………………………………………… / 66
References…………………………………………………………. / 74

Background

Input for this document was provided by the local government officials of Crawford, Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne and White counties, local Economic Development Organizations, Private Businesses, Higher Education, Workforce Development, State and Federal Agencies and Interested Citizens.

A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is the result of a local planning process designed to guide the economic growth of an area. A CEDS process helpsto create jobs, foster more stable and diversified economies and improve living conditions. It provides a mechanism for coordinating the efforts of individuals, organizations, local governments, and private industry concerned with economic development.

A CEDS is required to qualify for Economic Development Administration (EDA) assistance under its public works, economic adjustment, and most planning programs, and is a prerequisite for designation by EDA as an economic development district (EDD).

Introduction

What is the CEDS?

CEDS are the initials for Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. The CEDS is a publication that is a result of a local and area-wide planning process designed to guide and foster the economic growth of the region.

According to the Economic Development Administration, a CEDS is designed to bring together public and private sectors in the creation of an economic roadmap to diversify and strengthen Regional economies. The CEDS should analyze the Regional economy and serve as a guide for establishing Regional goals and objectives, developing and implementing a Regional plan of action and identifying investment priorities and funding sources.

The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, CEDS, is required by federal regulations to qualify for EDA planning investments. As an EDA funded District, Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission is charged with the yearly submission of the CEDS which is designed to create and retain higher-skill, higher-wage jobs in the most economically distressed areas.

District Organization and Management

The Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission’s Economic Development District consists of the following seven counties: Crawford, Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White. The office of the Commission is located at 10 West Main Street, P.O. Box 209, Albion, IL62806.

Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission (GWRPC) was officially established in 1964 by the Edwards, Wabash and WhiteCounty boards. WayneCounty was annexed into the Commission in 1971, LawrenceCounty was added in October 1998, RichlandCounty in December 1998, and CrawfordCounty in 2001. As the assigned planning body of these counties, the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission is responsible for preparing and maintaining the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the region. GWRPC’s by-laws were first established on December 28, 1972.

Governing Body

The GWRPC board of commissioners is composed of six representatives from each county for a total of forty-two commissioners. The Executive Director serves as a non-voting member of the board. Presently the board consists of 22 elected or appointed officials and employees of local government (53%), 20 private representatives/ workforce development/ post-secondary education (47%). A complete list of board members and their affiliations can be found in the appendix of this document.

The Board of Commissioners meets quarterly in March, June, September, and December and meetings are open to the public. Meeting notices are published in the county newspapers one week before the meetings.

District Management

The Board of Commissioners oversees and ultimately approves all official and/or advisory planning activities. Under the Commission’s by-laws the forty-two member board retains all policy-making authority and can function between quarterly meetings via a seven member Executive Committee. Routine or day to day management of GWRPC is overseen by the Executive Director. Table 1 depicts the staffing at GWRPC.

Table 1

GWRPC STAFF

Sarah Mann………………………………………………………Executive Director

Kara Kuykendall………………………………………………………..Grant Writer

David Jordan……………………………………………………...Grant Coordinator

Crissy Thomas……………………………………………..Administrative Assistant

The Commission’s General Activities

GWRPC’s primary concern is the preparation and implementation of the District’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The Commission also provides numerous other services to the seven county region including: planning, technical assistance, and project development in the areas of community and economic development, transportation, housing, land use, public facilities, and natural resources.

The Commission provides grant writing and management for several programs such as the Community Development Assistance Program, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and EDA Public Works projects. Eligible projects include: public facilities (such as water and sewer), housing rehabilitation, recreation projects, and economic development.

Another one of the many services that GWRPC provides includes a Revolving Loan Fund which was established in 1993 by EDA and Rural Development to assist local businesses and promote economic development. Loans are based on job creation or retention; applicants may be eligible for $7500 per job with a maximum loan of $100,000. Since 1993, GWRPC has loaned out over $2 million for projects totaling over $13 million. As a result of the revolvingloan fund, there have been over 500 jobs created, retained, or saved within the seven county region.

The Commission has served as the coordinator for the (PSAP) Participant Statistical

Areas Program through the U.S. Department of Census in preparation for the Census

2010 effort. The Commission was responsible for identifyingproblematic geographical areas that served as census tracts, blocks or designated places.

The Commission is a member of the following Board of Directors: Southeast Alliance of Illinois (saIL), Illinois Association of Regional Councils, Southern 14 Workforce Investment Board and Connect SI Foundation.
The Seven County District

The Greater Wabash region is comprised of the rural Illinois counties of Crawford, Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White.

Crawford, Lawrence, Wabash and White counties all border the State of Indiana on their eastern sides. The region’s center is located adjacent to a number of large metropolitan areas. The Greater Wabash Region is ideally located within a three to four hour commute to major metropolitan cities including Chicago, Illinois, Cincinnati, Ohio, Memphis, Tennessee, St. Louis, Missouri, and Louisville, Kentucky. Evansville, Indiana is located only 50 miles from the center of our region.

According to the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the counties of Edwards, Wabash, Wayne, and White are considered to be in the Economic Development Region of Southern Illinois while the three remaining counties of Crawford, Lawrence and Richland lie within the Southeast Economic Development Region.

DCEO-Southern RegionDCEO- Southeast Region

Regional Economic Profile

Geography

With the WabashRiver flowing at the eastern border of the entire Region, the Greater Wabash area is characterized by a highly rural composition. Roughly covering 2,812 square miles, the Region has a total of 43 incorporated communities. Interstate 64 runs through White and Wayne counties, linking the Greater Wabash region with larger communities, such as Evansville, Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri.

Table 2

Metropolitan Areas in Close Proximity to the District

Area Approximate Driving Hours

St. Louis2.0

Louisville2.5

Indianapolis3.0

Nashville4.0

Memphis5.0

Chicago5.0

Table 3

Region Characteristics

Crawford / Edwards / Lawrence / Richland / Wabash / Wayne / White
2000 Population / 20,452 / 6,971 / 15,452 / 16,149 / 12,937 / 17,151 / 15,371
% change from 1990 / + 5.1 / - 6.3 / - 3.3 / - 2.4 / - 1.3 / - 0.5 / - 7
Land area Square Miles / 444 / 222 / 372 / 360 / 223 / 714 / 495
Person Per Square Mile / 46.1 / 31.4 / 41.5 / 44.9 / 58 / 24 / 31

Climate The Greater Wabash Region has four distinct seasons and a moderate climate, with average monthly temperatures ranging from 32 F to 90 F. The summers are usually typified by hot, humid weather with highs reaching the upper 90’s, and moderate cold winters with night-time lows averaging in the teens. The average precipitation totals approximately 43 inches of rain and 14 inches of snow.

The Region’s relatively mild climate poses no significant hindrance to economic development efforts. This factor could, in fact, allow for a much more diverse agricultural sector of the local economy. The growing season lasts about 190 to 200 total days. The Average regional climatein the area is as follows: Summer- 78 degree Fahrenheit, Winter- 32 degree Fahrenheit. The area receives approximately 40 inches of rainfall and 14 inches of snow annually.

Labor Force

The District’s Labor Force is comprised of 50,372 workers as noted in Table 5. As noted in the Annual Unemployment Chart below, the unemployment levels have increased in the region since 2007 and has historically been higher than the U.S. unemployment rate.

Table 4

Percentage of Population in Selected Age Groups-

Location / Age 0-17 / Age 18-24 / Age 25-44 / Age 45-64 / Age 65+
Crawford / 20.3% / 9.3% / 26.1% / 27.7% / 16.7%
Edwards / 21.2% / 6.9% / 24% / 29.3% / 18.7%
Lawrence / 18.6% / 9.8% / 28.5% / 25.7% / 17.3%
Richland / 22.3% / 7.9% / 23.7% / 26.5% / 19.7%
Wabash / 21.8% / 8.3% / 23.7% / 28.5% / 17.7%
Wayne / 22.2% / 7.7% / 23.3% / 27.4% / 19.3%
White / 21.3% / 7.3% / 22.8% / 28.3% / 20.4%
Region / 21.1% / 8.2% / 24.6% / 27.6% / 18.5%

Source:

Table 5

Labor Force for the Greater Wabash Region

CountyLabor Force

Crawford9717

Edwards3105

Lawrence8285

Richland 7314

Wabash6052

Wayne8184

White7715

Region 50,372

Source:

Annual Unemployment Rates for the 7-County Region, Illinois,

And the U.S. 1990-2010

Population Characteristics

The seven county district includes forty-three (43) incorporated communities, the majority of which are aligned in close proximity to I-64, Route 1 or one of the many state and federal routes which provide linkages to other Illinois and Midwestern areas.

According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the Greater Wabash Region was 102,976. This number represents a decrease of 1,507 from the census taken in 2000 which is approximately 1.4%. Two counties,Lawrence and Richland, had an increase in population over the past ten years.

Economic Tools

Most of the District’s larger municipalities are assisted by chambers of commerce, local economic development corporations, and/or industrial commissions comprised of public and private leaders. Village boards, city councils and county boards and their local economic development organizations have begun to cooperate more in order to foster future growth through joint endeavors. These endeavors include enterprise zones, tax increment-financing districts, and jointly financed public infrastructure improvements.

The State of Illinois has designated a number of areas in the Greater Wabash region as Enterprise Zones. State-designated Enterprise Zones are presently in the cities of Albion, Carmi,Fairfield, Grayville, Lawrenceville, Mt. Carmel, Olney, and Robinson. These Enterprise Zones offer a combination of state and local incentives to encourage companies to build or expand within a designated zone. Incentives are available provided that companies invest a certain amount of money and retain or create a certain number of jobs. Businesses that build or expand in an Enterprise Zone may be eligible for significant local property tax abatements and a State sales tax exemption of 6.25% for all building materials. In addition, companies in an Enterprise Zone may receive a state utility tax exemption on gas and electricity. Development in an Enterprise Zone also allows companies to receive a $500 credit on Illinois income taxes for each job created in the zone. Because of the great financial benefits to companies, local governments actively promote these Zones for economic development.

Several municipalities contain TIF Districts (Tax Increment Financing) including Carmi, Grayville, Fairfield, Robinson, Olney, Lawrenceville and Mt. Carmel. These districts are designed to provide local government with the ability to offer a combination of local and state tax incentives in order to attract private sector investments into defined areas within their local jurisdictions.

Table 6

Gender Population Characteristics- 2000

CountyMaleFemale

Crawford10,74110,212

Edwards 3,351 3,599

Lawrence 7,267 8,076

Richland 8,077 8,692

Wabash 6,094 6,536

Wayne 8,230 8,759

White 7,449 8,197

Region 51,20954,072

Source: 2002 Illinois Statistical Abstract

Table 7

Census Population

County2000 Population2010 Population Loss/Gain

Edwards County6,9716,721-250

Crawford County20,45219,817-635

Lawrence County15,45216,833+1381

Richland County16,14916,233+84

Wabash County12,93711,947-990

Wayne County17,15116,760-391

White County15,37114,665-706

Net Loss to Region: -1507

Source: US Census Bureau

Table 8

District Racial Composition

CountyCaucasian/% of populationMinority/% of population

Edwards County6,89298.9%791.1%

Crawford County19,13993.6% 13136.4%

Lawrence County15,13998.0% 3132.0%

Richland County15,85298.2% 2971.8%

Wabash County12,93797.9% 2772.1%

Wayne County 16,930 98.7% 221 1.3%

White County15,09798.2% 2741.8%

Source: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs-Comprehensive Economic Development System

Table 9

Population of Incorporated Communities in the Greater Wabash Region

County Village or City19802000 2010

CrawfordFlat Rock 415 331

Hutsonville 568 554

Oblong17041580 1466

Palestine17661366 1369

Robinson64386822 7713

Stoy 119 104

EdwardsAlbion22851933 1988

Bone Gap 350 272 246

Browns 213 175 134

West Salem1145 1001 882

LawrenceBridgeport22812168 1886

Lawrenceville56524745 4348

Russellville 119 94

St. Francisville1040 759 697

Sumner12381022 3174

RichlandCalhoun 222 172

Claremont 212 176

Noble 746 677

Olney88648631 9115

Parkersburg 234 199

WabashAllendale 613 528 475

Bellmont 307 297 276

Keensburg 244 252 210

Mount Carmel89087982 7284

WayneCisne 705 673 672

Fairfield59545421 5154

Golden Gate 126 100 68

Jeffersonville 340 366 367

Keenes 123 99 83

Mount Erie 135 105 88

Sims 355 273 252

Wayne City11321089 1032

WhiteBurnt Prairie 114 58 52

Carmi62645422 5240

Crossville 944 782 745

Enfield 890 625 596

Grayville23131725 1666

Maunie 225 177 139

Mill Shoals 333 235 215

Norris City15151057 1275

Springerton 154 134 110

Source: 2010 U.S. Census

Income/ Employment Characteristics

As noted in Table 10, the per capita income within the Greater Wabash Region is well below state average. According to Table 11, the percent of the population that is below poverty level is higher than the state average for six out of the seven counties in the district. The average percent of population below poverty for the entire district is 16.5% which is significantly higher than the U.S. average of 13.5%. According to Table 12 and the Average for the District Average Wage per job in 2008 for the region was $32,720. The average wage in Illinois was $48,388. There is a significant difference between the district average and the Illinois average.

Table 10

District Income Characteristics

CountyMedian Household Income (2008)*Per Capita Income (2008)

Crawford$42,564$33,469

Edwards$41,275$30,099

Lawrence$38,999$28,141

Richland$39,267$29,478

Wabash$43,642$30,798

Wayne$38,114$31,264

White$40,118$34,591

Region Average$40,568$31,120

Illinois$56,230$42,540

Source:

*Median Household Income is a CEDS 2011 Performance Measure

Table 11

% of Individuals below Poverty (2009)

Crawford16.8

Edwards10.7

Lawrence16.3

Richland15.9

Wabash14.1

Wayne14.8

White13.8

U.S. 13.5

Source: U.S. Census Bureau- ACS Estimates

Table 12

District Average Wage per job (2008)*

County

Crawford$41,169

Edwards$32,572

Lawrence$34,572

Richland$29,872

Wabash$30,176

Wayne$27,995

White$32,683

Region Avg.$32,720

Illinois$48,388

Source:

*Average Wage in a County is a CEDS 2011 Performance Measure

Table 13

Employment Statistics in the Greater Wabash Region 2009

Definitions

Total Employment (Emp) -Beginning of Quarter Employment Total number of workers who were employed by the same employer in both the current and previous quarter

New Hires (HirNew) -Total number of accessions that were also not employed by that employer during the previous four quarters

Job Creation (FrmJobGain) - The number of new jobs that are created by either new area businesses or the expansion of employment by existing firms.

Separations (Sep) : Total number of workers who were employed by a business in the current quarter, but not in the subsequent quarter.

Turnover Rate (TurnOvrStbl) : Turnover Rate = (1/2) * (full-quarter accessions + full-quarter separations) / employment stable jobs

Net Job Flows- Job Change (FrmJobChg) The difference between current and previous employment at each business.

1 | Page 2011 CEDS

QWI Quickfacts / 033 Crawford / 047 Edwards / 101 Lawrence / 159 Richland / 185 Wabash / 191 Wayne / 193 White / Total for Region / Average for Region
2009 Quarter 1
Avg Monthly Earnings / $3,100.00 / $2,717.00 / $2,253.00 / $2,321.00 / $2,640.00 / $2,399.00 / $2,701.00 / $18,131.00 / $4,532.75
Avg New Hire Earnings / $2,213.00 / $1,905.00 / $1,597.00 / $1,244.00 / $2,419.00 / $1,354.00 / $1,735.00 / $12,467.00 / $3,116.75
Job Creation / 696 / 30 / 98 / 276 / 106 / 127 / 161 / 1494 / 373.5
Net Job Flows / 417 / -83 / -149 / 49 / -68 / -50 / -9 / 107 / 26.75
New Hires / 927 / 84 / 322 / 511 / 304 / 312 / 573 / 3033 / 758.25
Separations / 751 / 203 / 535 / 727 / 425 / 442 / 677 / 3760 / 940
Total Employment / 6,964 / 2,615 / 3,998 / 6,191 / 3,473 / 4,431 / 4,618 / 32290 / 8072.5
Turnover / 6.00% / 4.80% / 8.10% / 7.30% / 8.30% / 6.40% / 6.40% / 47.30% / 11.83%
2009 Quarter 2
Avg Monthly Earnings / $3,541.00 / $2,833.00 / $2,379.00 / $2,567.00 / $2,738.00 / $2,550.00 / $2,854.00 / $19,462.00 / $4,865.50
Avg New Hire Earnings / $6,794.00 / $1,341.00 / $1,630.00 / $1,704.00 / $2,129.00 / $1,401.00 / $2,167.00 / $17,166.00 / $4,291.50
Job Creation / 352 / 131 / 565 / 314 / 292 / 248 / 252 / 2154 / 538.5
Net Job Flows / -170 / 15 / 394 / 114 / 121 / 47 / 72 / 593 / 148.25
New Hires / 655 / 162 / 765 / 686 / 464 / 424 / 565 / 3721 / 930.25
Separations / 1,156 / 253 / 629 / 887 / 521 / 605 / 789 / 4840 / 1210
Total Employment / 7,507 / 2,626 / 4,086 / 6,531 / 3,509 / 4,501 / 4,752 / 33512 / 8378
Turnover / 8.80% / 3.80% / 6.90% / 7.30% / 7.00% / 6.10% / 7.00% / 46.90% / 11.73%
2009 Quarter 3
Avg Monthly Earnings / $3,290.00 / $2,948.00 / $2,868.00 / $2,345.00 / $3,069.00 / $2,470.00 / $2,727.00 / $19,717.00 / $4,929.25
Avg New Hire Earnings / $1,584.00 / $1,424.00 / $5,234.00 / $1,372.00 / $4,142.00 / $1,525.00 / $1,820.00 / $17,101.00 / $4,275.25
Job Creation / 129 / 42 / 476 / 204 / 309 / 143 / 187 / 1490 / 372.5
Net Job Flows / -178 / -53 / 300 / -113 / 170 / -16 / -72 / 38 / 9.5
New Hires / 502 / 286 / 965 / 675 / 561 / 394 / 502 / 3885 / 971.25
Separations / 809 / 373 / 798 / 945 / 495 / 550 / 692 / 4662 / 1165.5
Total Employment / 7,128 / 2,562 / 4,293 / 6,321 / 3,611 / 4,410 / 4,523 / 32848 / 8212
Turnover / 6.10% / 4.30% / 10.60% / 7.90% / 8.10% / 6.90% / 8.80% / 52.70% / 13.18%
2009 Quarter 4
Avg Monthly Earnings / $3,547.00 / $3,341.00 / $2,988.00 / $2,713.00 / $3,477.00 / $2,884.00 / $3,084.00 / $22,034.00 / $5,508.50
Avg New Hire Earnings / $2,242.00 / $1,665.00 / $2,492.00 / $1,470.00 / $3,660.00 / $1,694.00 / $1,962.00 / $15,185.00 / $3,796.25
Job Creation / 227 / 83 / 253 / 308 / 179 / 143 / 193 / 1386 / 346.5
Net Job Flows / -103 / -23 / -495 / 24 / -8 / -107 / -40 / -752 / -188
New Hires / 547 / 155 / 647 / 770 / 491 / 352 / 448 / 3410 / 852.5
Separations / 914 / 352 / 1,238 / 948 / 629 / 673 / 649 / 5403 / 1350.75
Total Employment / 7,106 / 2,523 / 4,521 / 6,468 / 3,767 / 4,484 / 4,591 / 33460 / 8365
Turnover / 5.80% / 4.40% / 11.50% / 7.40% / 8.80% / 7.30% / 7.80% / 53.00% / 13.25%

Source: