Commissioners change course on assessor pact (01/23/07)

Jay County Commissioners reversed a decision Monday they made about a month ago after being told that the low quote for an Ohio company to assist the assessor was not the best one.

In December, Jay County Assessor Anita Mills presented quotes from Appraisal Research, Findlay, Ohio, and AdValoren Solutions, Kokomo, which had assisted her in the past year with appraisal services.

Despite Mills' objections at that time to hiring Appraisal Research, commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Gary Theurer, and Faron Parr accepted their quote, which was nearly $3,000 lower than AdVoloren's.

But Monday, after learning that Appraisal Research's contract carried a higher penalty rate ($100 per day) than AdValoren ($50 a day) in the event the assessor's office cannot make an April 1 deadline for disclosures, commissioners reversed their decision and agreed to hire the Kokomo company.

In her earlier efforts to change the commissioners' minds on the decision, Mills presented several written statements from Appraisal Research customers who were concerned about their work, as well as from state spokespersons, before learning the contract carried the higher costs.

"That's reason enough right there," commissioners' attorney Brad Burkett pointed out about reversing the decision.

Burkett has explained in the past that the lowest quote does not have to be accepted if a "good reason can be specified."

Additionally Monday afternoon, at the request of Dunkirk Mayor Sam Hubbard, commissioners appointed county engineer Dan Watson as a representative to a committee to determine Common Construction Wages for a Dunkirk water main relocation project.

That project, set to begin in March will replace about 8,000 feet of water main along Ind. 167 in Dunkirk. For details, see story above left.

Commissioners Monday afternoon also approved a request from Jay Emergency Medical Service director Teresa Foster-Geesaman to pay Medtronics Emergency Response System, Chicago, Ill., $3,086 for the repair of a heart monitor.

Foster-Geesaman then discussed with commissioners a maintenance contract for the equipment. Expected to cost $4,000 annually, the contract would include replacement of the equipment batteries, she said.

"It's a Catch-22," Miller said of the need for the coverage, noting if it's not needed it would be an additional expense, but if it was, it could save the county money.

Commissioners asked Foster-Geesaman to obtain more information concerning the maintenance coverage.

"If maintenance covers everything it's not too much," Parr said.[[In-content Ad]]