Harrison County CIC reviews megasite progress, transportation needs and regional partnerships

With no meeting held in October, Executive Director Nick Homrighausen opened November’s Harrison County Community Improvement Corporation meeting with a review of old business. He reported that several SIT projects are still progressing, including Thomas Train, Ozzy and Iowa. The project names, assigned by the state, refer to efforts to develop megasites consisting of more than 500 acres of land.

Homrighausen also noted that he and several board members attended the recent groundbreaking for the Tappan Regional Safety Center. Commissioner Paul Prevot said the turnout was strong and the chosen location was ideal.

Under new business, Homrighausen said he received a call from Mike Chadsey of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association and later participated in a discussion with ODOT about efforts to secure funding to upgrade the rail bridge at the state Routes 250 and 151 split. “For many years we’ve been working on getting some federal dollars to get that bridge raised and widened to accept four lanes,” Homrighausen said. “It’s currently a 70-mile detour for large trucks because the bridge is not at a standard height.”

Homrighausen then introduced guest speaker Ambery Kohler from Ohio Southeast Economic Development, the partnership and engagement manager for eastern Ohio. “A couple of you might recognize me. I spent my last several years as deputy director for Congressman Rulli for Ohio 6, and prior to that I worked for Congressman Bill Johnson. I do know the area quite well. I’m very excited to get into the meat of what’s really going on here in Harrison County and see what I can do to help you go in the direction you want to.”

Kohler said her years of work in congressional offices helped her build strong relationships with leaders at various levels, providing an advantage when communicating with officials. “If we come up with issues and need to talk to your state senator, your state representative, I’m the person you reach out to,” she said. “The other side of what I do, besides that government side, is the relationship with you.”

She said she hopes to be a familiar, accessible presence for the county’s business community. With experience finding grants, connecting people with job opportunities and facilitating problem-solving, Kohler described her role as supportive. “I don’t work on the project side. I’m more of the background,” she said. “If there’s an issue, let me see what I can brainstorm. I try to be a connector and problem solver.”