By JONATHAN SNYDER
The last meeting of 2023 for Markle’s Town Council was held in a new location on East Morse Street while being showered with praise for Markle’s community and government from both Wells and Huntington Counties.
Council Members — President Nicolas Lund, Matt Doss and Blake Caley — approved both the Wells County and Huntington County Economic Development Agreements. Chad Kline, Wells County Economic Development executive director, and Mark Wickersham, executive director for the Huntington County United Economic Development, both spoke to the council about Markle’s growth and some potential goals for 2024.
There are no significant changes to the Wells agreement, and Kline mentioned that over the next year he would focus on workforce development and attracting people to Markle. Kline also mentioned that a recent housing study will be published after Jan. 1. The study focused on data for wages, workforce and housing trends, giving the council an opportunity to show where Markle is at and where they could improve.
“Housing is really the top priority right now,” said Doss.
Wickersham’s excitement for Markle’s growth was apparent while presenting the HCUED agreement. Wickersham said out of nine new economic projects garnering over $70,750,000 in private investment, $30 million were put into Markle. The only difference in 2024’s agreement is the increase in payments for operations. Markle will now pay $4,200 instead of the traditional $4,000 due to inflation.
“It’s been phenomenal what this community has done,” said Wickersham. “You’ve got a good team here.”
The council also approved to keep Joseph Wells in charge of capital assets for Markle. He is responsible for taking inventory on Markle’s infrastructure and valuing the depreciation of all infrastructure assets for the town. Markle Secretary Stephenie Hensley said that he makes her job easier because of his thoroughness.
Additionally, the council approved of a bid to lease out the old town hall building, 197 East Morse St — the building will be the home of a future salon for hair and nail services. The tenant will be responsible for a $1,000 a month payment alongside any internal construction and utility fees; Markle will take care of maintenance and updates to the exterior of the building.
Furthermore, the council also approved to keep $30,000 in the Downtown Development Group for grants. The DDG gives out a Building Improvement Grant, which matches up to $10,000 for any downtown buildings used for commercial activity in the riverfront district, and the Small Business Grant, which matches up to $5,000 for commercial signs and internal fixtures. This will not be a yearly investment for the town, instead Markle will reinvest an additional $30,000 when funds run out.
Additional council actions include:
• Introduced Gatlin Sunday as the new general town assistant.
• Approved the Wells County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.
• Read a letter from the Huntington County Chamber of Commerce thanking them for membership investments.
• Invested $125 for the Youth Services Bureau.
• Read a notice from the Novae Corporation about air quality.
• Paid $2,118 to update the alarm system on the police building.
• Approved a bid from Applied Technology Group for their IT services at $1,300 a month.
• Established a fee for renting out the Carriage House for $100 for four hours or less and $150 for four hours or more. There will also be a $100 damage deposit, which will be refunded if the building is kept clean.
jonathan@news-banner.com
