In an effort to improve the downtown and industrial park, Crothersville officials recently passed an ordinance to establish a redevelopment commission.

That board will work to foster and promote economic development within the southeastern Jackson County community.

The commission is responsible for developing plans and managing tools to address conditions of blight (redevelopment areas) and underutilized land of economic significance (economic development areas).

A redevelopment commission’s work typically involves identifying blighted areas, designating redevelopment areas, developing plans to eliminate blight and working in partnership with private industry and developers to generate new economic development with increased tax base and new jobs.

“It’s to help this town out in the downtown and at the industrial park to get more business to come to town,” said Lenvel “Butch” Robinson, president of the Crothersville Town Council.

Robinson will be joined by Rick Strong, Geoffrey Walker, Jerad Sporleder and Charles Densford on the redevelopment commission. Ralph Hillenburg, who serves on the school board in town, will serve as a nonvoting adviser. They were all appointed to one-year terms.

They will meet soon to elect officers — president, vice president and secretary — and determine when they will meet each month.

Read the full story in Monday’s Tribune and online at tribtown.com.