County to get planning help (02/02/2009)

The county signed on for extra help in emergency planning this morning.

The Jay County Commissioners approved a $6,000 contract, $500 a month, to obtain help from Jim Waechter and the 13-county emergency district he heads. Waechter, formerly a public health officer in the county, now works with the Indiana State Department of Health's planning division.

"It's going to give you someone to do a lot of administrative stuff for the emergency preparedness plan," Waechter said. "We help." The plans focus on major disasters affecting the area such as bio-terrorism or pandemics. The department will help provide training exercises and information.

The money to cover the contract will come out the county's preparedness funding, said Dave Houck from the county health department.

Waechter said plans are in place for a districtwide training session in mid-April.

In other business this morning, the commissioners:

•Made Houck purchasing agent to buy a conference table for the health department when it moves into portions of the Arch Street annex being vacated by the Jay County office of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service.

•Appointed Paula Confer to the Jay County Planning Commission to fill a vacancy. She is replacing long-time member Don Loy on the commission. Eric Pursifull was also reappointed to the commission.

•Heard a presentation from Barnum and Brown Insurance, Dunkirk, about property insurance options for the county. Bob Brown told the commissioners his draft proposal is "broader than what you currently have."

Brown presented a policy that would cover all of the county's property under one policy, except for about $20,000 of county-owned livestock. To cover those animals, the commissioners could purchase a separate farm policy, but Brown suggested the cost to cover the livestock ($1,160), may not be worth it.[[In-content Ad]]