Better access sought at polling sites (9/27/05)

With the next election day still a little more than six months away, time is growing short to make polling sites in Jay County handicapped accessible.

Jay County clerk Jane Ann Runyon and Jay County Commissioners briefly discussed the issue Monday afternoon. And while no conclusions were reached, it looks relatively certain that in coming years the number of polling sites across the county will be reduced.

Provisions that were part of the federal Help America Vote Act require that beginning in 2006, all polling sites are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Elections next year in Jay County will involve virtually every level of government with the exception of cities and towns — including township, county, state and federal level offices.

Runyon, who said there may be some redrawing of non-township precinct lines to achieve a better balance in the number of voters, said she may recommend that two or more precincts be combined at one polling site.

Currently, the only location in Jay County with that arrangement is in Dunkirk, where Dunkirk 1 and Dunkirk 3 precincts each vote at the West Jay Community Center.

Runyon is currently searching for new polling sites and/or inexpensive fixes to handicapped accessibility at polling sites around the county — especially those in rural township areas.

One of the most common accessibility issues is the fact that handicapped parking spaces must be paved — especially in unincorporated areas, Runyon said.

Commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Gary Theurer and Faron Parr said Monday they would talk with Waste Management, the owner of the Jay County Landfill and adjacent recreational areas, about paving a small portion of the Scout Cabin at the Freeman Scouting Facility so it could possibly be used as a polling place for Jefferson Township.

The current Jefferson Township site is the Jay County Conservation Club, which also has a stone parking lot.

Also Monday afternoon, the commissioners took under advisement proposals from five companies to do a bi-annual inspection and report on the county’s bridges.

The proposals will be reviewed by Jay County engineer Dan Watson, who is expected to make a recommendation to the commissioners in the next few weeks.

The commissioners said Monday they hope to receive the information in digital as well as in a printed form, and plan to add a layer with bridge information on the county’s Geographic Information System.

Proposals were received from Butler, Fairman & Seufert, Steven J. Christian & Associates, Rumschlag Technical Services, AECON Consulting Engineers, and Beam, Longest and Neff Engineers.[[In-content Ad]]