Eight Pillars of Responsible Development
E-REP’s mission is to promote regional economic development and vitality through catalytic leadership, collaborative planning and coordinated investment. Simply stated, E-REP exists to improve quality of life for Hoosiers in our four-county region. As we look to the future, and the likely development projects that are attracted to our part of Indiana, it is important E-REP be a thought leader. This starts and ends with transparency. We demand it of ourselves, and we expect it of those businesses that seek to join our communities. All involved must be open and honest about the benefits and impacts of projects – economic, environmental, or social. This extends to local and state units of government, and utility providers, which must provide a clear and stable environment for those that seek to invest in our area. E-REP has developed the following pillars to serve as our guidepost to responsible economic development.
1. Financial Fairness
-Those who drive the need for new infrastructure should bear its cost.
Responsible development insists on fairness. Large scale economic development projects that demand much of communities, such as energy and water usage, must pay for the infrastructure they drive—not existing customers.
2. Net Benefit
-At the end of the day, economic development projects must leave our communities better off than they were found.
Growth must produce a net benefit for the community. These benefits cannot be theoretical or deferred indefinitely. They must be measurable through high levels of investment, better jobs, stronger tax base, local quality of place improvements, and creating additional employment from regionally based suppliers and contractors.
3. Authentic Community Engagement
-Social license isn’t granted once—it must be maintained over time.
Trust is built from engagement, and community engagement can turn controversy to consensus. Communities deserve early, honest dialogue—not technical presentations at last minute public hearings. Real engagement turns promises into commitments and shared expectations into accountability.
4. Infrastructure Reliability and Environmental Stewardship
-Resilience is not a constraint—it is an economic imperative, and environmental stewardship is not a talking point—it is a competitive advantage.
Strong, resilient utility systems are essential, and communities rely on them for everything from public safety to economic competitiveness. Responsible growth respects natural resources, minimizes impacts, and supports sustainability beyond regulatory minimums.
5. Smart, Future‑Focused Land Use
-Land use decisions echo for generations. We should not mortgage tomorrow’s flexibility for today’s photo-op.
Projects must fit into the physical and social fabric of where they seek to exist. Strategic development respects comprehensive plans, promotes the highest and best use of land, and includes decommissioning or reuse strategies.
6. Workforce Development
-The goal isn’t just to attract jobs—it’s to grow talent here.
Not every large development project has a need for thousands of workers, but every opportunity can deepen our talent pool in a variety of ways. Responsible economic development ensures that local people gain skills, credentials, and pathways that endure beyond a single project.
7. Predictable Governance and Regulatory Structure
-Risk management is not pessimism. It is realism.
Just as those that seek to develop projects owe communities transparency, communities owe businesses clear rules and predictable processes that give investors confidence to spend capital without having to worry about the rules changing in the middle of the process.
8. Fairness & Shared Prosperity
-We must be honest about shared prosperity. This means paying attention to where impacts land, who gains access to opportunity, and how growth supports affordability, quality of life, and long-term resilience.
Responsible development recognizes that rarely are all benefits and impacts evenly distributed. That, alone, does not make a project unfair or unworthy. But the most responsible development is honest about this imbalance and addresses it directly.