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News archives for Q2, 2005
Proposed Historic District Being Researched The Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership (WIEDP) is pursuing creating a historic district in downtown Monmouth that will be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The initial information on the downtown buildings has been submitted and approved by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. read more WIEDP Creates Community Foundation The Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership marked another milestone in the organization by creating a charitable community foundation for the Warren County area. The Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership Affiliated Fund was created through the Moline Foundation to provide a 501 c 3 charitable status for the local economic development group. read more Business Development and Retention Program Underway As part of a continuous effort to maintain and expand local businesses, WIEDP has begun conducting business retention and development surveys with businesses in Warren County. This program will give WIEDP the opportunity to become better informed of specific needs of businesses in our area as well as focus on the local business climate and find ways to help make operations easier and potentially more profitable. read more Highway 34 Coalition Visits IDOT Secretary Martin Springfield - The need for a substantial federal transportation bill and continued evaluation of proposed state road projects were key messages conveyed by Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Tim Martin to members of the Highway 34 Coalition during a visit to his offices yesterday. read more April 2005 - Current Projects There is warmth in the air and spring seems to be on its way to Warren County. The Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership is ready to greet the new season with several programs. Some of the things in the works are, pursuing a proposed historic district for Monmouth that may allow some building owners to apply for tax credits, facilitating the establishment of a Big Brothers Big Sisters program in Warren County, working on the development of an organized repository for GIS information on Warren County, and continuing to support tourism marketing efforts. read more May 2005 - Regional Network The regional network cultivated by the Partnership throughout the past two years is extensive and effective. The Partnership has made the commitment to be involved in a wide array of regional issues and collaborative groups to promote and market Monmouth and Warren County. read more June 2005 - Highway 34 Annual Fundraiser As a member of the Highway 34 Coalition board, I invite you to participate in the 2005 Highway 34 Annual Fundraiser and show your support for this regional project. In recent years, there has been great support from Warren County residents, elected officials, and businesses at this event through golfers and dinner attendees, and we hope to have another great turnout this year. read more Strategic Planning Retreat Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership held a strategic planning retreat on January 20, 2005 to redefine its mission, develop short and long-term objectives, and plan a course of action for reaching them. This informative retreat, lead by Nancy Richman of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, has created a strategic plan for 2005-2006 that focuses on core objectives and activities. There is a very wide and intense scope of work WIEDP accomplishes, but the three main areas that are going to be concentrated on are, business retention and expansion, business attraction and recruitment, and marketing. read more Western Illinois Economic Development Authority Senator John Sullivan sponsored legislation to create the Western Illinois Economic Development Authority (WIEDA), which was signed into law and created on August 6, 2004. read more Countywide Website Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership has now begun the process of developing a Countywide website. Our goal is to develop a web portal for Warren County Government and its incorporated communities with rich, local content for a world audience. This will provide a web presence for Roseville, Alexis, Little York, and Kirkwood, many of whom previously did not have one and will complement the city of Monmouth's current web site. read more WIEDP Launches Warren County Bankers' Assembly The Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership is happy to announce its first meeting in a new series just for Warren County bankers. The Warren County Bankers' Assembly is a new outreach program coordinated by The Partnership to communicate with local bankers about economic development tools available to them. The first meeting will be held June 23rd from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the Colonial Room at Midwest Bank of Western Illinois. read more Monmouth Begins Land Use Plan Process The City of Monmouth has hired the Western Illinois Regional Council (WIRC) to assist in the formulation of a new comprehensive plan for the city. The WIRC has spent the last several months compiling and analyzing data and information concerning the Monmouth community. The WIRC has now begun the process of working with the City of Monmouth Planning Commission and other city representatives to formulate goals, objectives, policies, and recommendations concerning the growth and development of the community and the 1.5 mile extraterritorial planning area over the next 15 to 20 years. read more IIRA Mapping Program Wins National Award MACOMB, IL MAPPING the Future of Your Community, a program sponsored by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) at Western Illinois University, was recently awarded the 2005 Outstanding Program Award by the Community Development Society (CDS). The award is presented in recognition of superior programming that exemplifies and positively influences community development practices. read more First State Bank of Western Illinois New WIEDP Investor MONMOUTH -- The Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership (WIEDP) has gained the support of the First State Bank of Western Illinois, their newest investor. First State Bank is a locally owned and managed financial institution that has a history and reputation for its commitment to economic development in the markets it serves. Ron Peterson, president of First State Bank of Western Illinois commented that, "the bank is very proactive and happy to be investing in economic development efforts in Warren County." read more |