County to buy former bank building (12/16/2008)

Jay County Commissioners are adding a property to their collection.

After receiving a price for the former First National Bank, 126 N. Meridian St., at $130,000, the commissioners agreed to purchase the building.

The 4,500 square foot, two-story building, will likely become the new home of the Purdue Cooperative Extension Office.

"Logically it's a no-doubter," said commissioner Gary Theurer. "I think they'll be very happy with what they're getting."

"That's a smart move buying that building," agreed commissioner Milo Miller Jr.

The purchase will create a new home for the extension but will also allow the Jay County Health Department to take full control of the courthouse annex building on West Arch Street, which it now shares with extension.

The commissioners also plan to use the new building for storage and also briefly discussed the possibility of maintaining additional, temporary offices upstairs. Those offices could be a place for visiting attorneys to stop to work while in town, for example.

Money for the purchase will come from the infrastructure fund, which is comprised of income from a host fee paid by the Jay County Landfill.

In other business Monday afternoon, the commissioners:

•Opened bids for new vehicles for the Jay County Sheriff's Department. The bids were as follows:

Les Wenning Motors, $25,990 with trade in allowance.

Moser Motors, 2009 Ford Explorer $24,100, two-toned $25,200, 2009 Ford Crown Victoria, $20,800, two-toned, $22,100.

Fincannon Ford, 2009 Ford Crown Victoria, $19,973, two-toned $20,716, 2009 Ford Explorer, $23,861.75. Trade in on the department's 2002 Crown Victoria, $1,200.

Shifferly Dodge, 2009 Dodge Charger, $24,279, 2009 Dodge Nitro, two-toned, $23,754, 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, two-toned, $25,263.

Fuqua Chrysler-Dodge, 2009 Dodge Charger, $24,900, 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, $23,925.

The commissioners agreed to have the bids reviewed by Jay County Sheriff Ray Newton.[[In-content Ad]]