Page 8 - New Allen Alliance Digital Book

Past Community Engagement
The NewAllen Alliance Strategic Investment Plan, 2016 (Plan) is both a collective
and individual strategy aimed at retaining and attracting high-quality jobs to
the participating NewAllen Alliance communities of East Allen County, Indiana.
Engagement from this plan provided the foundation for the development of East
Allen’s Rural Revival Regional Development Plan.

Through the development of the scope of the NewAllen Alliance Strategic Investment
Plan initiative, several community needs and desires were identified including:
1). Even though the Eastern Allen communities are close to Fort Wayne, many
seemed to be overshadowed by the urban area and lacked momentum in
comparison to was occurring in other rural areas throughout the Northeast Indiana
region;
Over the last five months, there have been five steering committee meetings, 2). The reactive nature of community and economic agencies in Allen County which
two development team meetings, two housing committee meetings, and three is an appropriate way of doing business in an urban community with the ability
communications committee meetings. Individual project development input was and capacity to engage and place demands on these agencies, is not an effective
received at downtown meetings in Leo-Cedarvile, Grabill and New Haven and approach for rural communities who need a more cultivated approach;
surveys were conducted in Harlan and Hoagland. Public communications during
this time has involved two press releases, posting updates on Facebook, adding 3). Concrete, community-specific plans were needed that provide a strategic focus
information on the initiative and projects under development on the website. A and that can leverage public and private resources; and
30-minute interview with Kent Castleman and Kristi Sturtz on WFWA PBS Primetime
Live also aired on August 17th and is available for viewing on the website. 4). NewAllen communities desired to be heard.
Approximately 12,000 total unique new visitors have visited the website, and An approach was then developed that engaged with local leaders willing to roll up
Facebook post reach has been over 15,000 since June, 2018.
their sleeves and get work done, respected the unique culture of each community,
In August/September of 2018, presentations were made to participating town established plans with concrete goals and strategies, built capacity by providing
councils, city councils, county commissioners, county council, the Allen County- education and information on opportunities and resources, and established trust. The
Fort Wayne Capital Improvement Board, and at the Allen County Purdue Extension initiative sought to integrate the rural region’s collective values and priorities with
annual meeting. the individual goals and objectives of each community that are distinctly different
from those of the urban areas of Allen County. Over 800 community members
There are several community organizations that have been and will continue to were engaged in the process through 30 stakeholder interviews, five community-
be partners in coordinated support to the East Allen’s Rural Revival success. wide workshops, 28 focus group meetings and six community attitude surveys. In
Some of these entities include: Allen County Department of Planning Services, Arts addition, four collaborative NewAllen Planning Oversight Committee meetings were
United, Fort Wayne Trails, Greater Fort Wayne, Inc., Grabill Chamber, Growing Grabill held. Over 800 people were engaged with during the planning process.
(emerging Main Street organization), Harlan Association,Harlan Area Revitalization
Taskforce, Hoagland Area Advancement Association, Hoagland Chamber, Leo-
Cedarville Foundation, Leo-Cedarville Main Street Organization (emerging), Maumee
Township Trustee, Monroeville Chamber, New Haven Chamber, New Haven Main
Street (emerging), New Haven Foundation, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership,
Visit Fort Wayne, Woodburn Association, Woodburn Chamber, Woodburn Main Street.

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