Bryant wants EDIT loan

A plan to borrow money for a major upgrade of sewer and wastewater facilities in Bryant received a preliminary OK Monday from Jay County Commissioners.
Bryant, which had plans for the major project drawn up several years ago, has applied for a $600,000 community focus fund grant through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, is hoping to combine those funds with up to $150,000 in public and private loans to finance the work.
The county loan, if eventually approved, would be from economic development income tax (EDIT) funds.
Leo Kahn and Jason Meindering, representing Bryant, discussed the plans with Commissioners Faron Parr and Jim Zimmerman. Commissioners’ president Milo Miller Jr. was not present at Monday’s meeting.Parr and Zimmerman gave verbal approval to the concept. A proposed loan agreement will likely be drawn up, and the matter will then be taken before Jay County Council and the Jay County EDIT Advisory Committee.
Kahn and Meinerding told the commissioners the town has been approved for a loan through a bank, but that they wanted to seek a public loan as well in hopes of reducing the amount of interest paid.
In other business Monday, Parr and Zimmerman agreed to explore the possibility of renting a large barn/garage near the Jay County Jail for use as a storage facility for the Jay County Sheriff’s Office.
A meeting will likely be held this week involving Sheriff Ray Newton, property owner Bob Swhier and attorneys for the county and Swier in an effort to reach an agreement on renting the garage, which is located adjacent to the jail parking lot.
“We’re trying right now to rent the back building … in the long-term, I think the commissioners would like to buy the property,” Newton said Monday afternoon. “Right now, I’m running out of places to put things in storage. We’ve talked about buying the property, with the hopes of putting a garage … to house vehicles and long-term storage.”
The property, which is located on the west side of South Commerce Street midway between Main and Water streets, also includes a residence that has been unoccupied for several years.[[In-content Ad]]