Company to honor contract (11/21/05)

Jay County Commissioners learned today that Manatron will indeed be honoring a contract the county had with Plexis for tax billing software.

Jay County Auditor Freda Corwin told commissioners Milo Miller, Gary Theurer, and Faron Parr this morning that a representative from Mantron will demonstrate its MVP program. The company will be honoring a contract the county had with Plexis to provide the Odyssey software program at a cost of $65,400.

Corwin told commissioners of the Plexis buy-out by Manatron about a month ago and since then, company officials told Corwin they would not honor the pre-existing contract. Corwin said today Manatron would provide the MVP program to her office, as well as the offices of Jay County Treasurer and Jay County Assessor at the amount contracted with Plexis.

Also today, commissioners learned from Mike LeMaster, director of Jay County Community Corrections, that field representative Robert E. Moore, was honored by the Indiana Association of Community Corrections in recognition of outstanding achievement and performance.

Moore was presented a plaque by the association during a conference held last week.

Commissioners also signed a letter of support for Waste Management, praising its efforts in the county in the last five years.

Waste Management officials are seeking to expand in another area in the state and were seeking commissioners’ support to pass on to officials involved in the expansion.

Ralph Frazee, director of Jay County Emergency Management, told commissioners of a workshop planned for Dec. 13, in Marion, to discuss the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) with emergency officials. Frazee said he would like to have a commissioner at the meeting as well to help discuss interstate emergency situations and needs.

Fred Bailey, a longtime Democrat volunteer in Jay County, addressed commissioners this morning about the proposed changes in polling sites in the county.

“Thank you for delaying a decision on the changes,” he told commissioners. “There’s a lot of concern out there, especially in Noble and Wayne 5.”

To meet the federal Americans With Disabilities Act requirements, commissioners are considering changing the voting sites in nearly half the precincts in the county.

Bailey said the concern was about the distance some voters would have to travel to vote. “There’s only about a 25 to 30 percent turnout now,” he said, “and it will probably drop if people have to travel very far.”

Again explaining the ADA mandate, Miller asked Bailey, “What do you suggest we do?”

“I don’t know,” Bailey said, adding, “We just wanted to let you know our concerns.”

“I wish we could keep it like it was,” Miller said, “we’re listenin’.”

Also this morning, commissioners signed paper work for the State Office of Rural Affairs’ planning grant in the amount of $47,700 for the Weiler Building.

Jay County Developer Ami Davidson presented the paperwork for the money to plan the renovation of the building in downtown Portland that will house the John Jay Center for Learning.[[In-content Ad]]