Defense of JCDC rejected

To the editor:
Recently Jay County Development Corporation presented a defense for the mishandling of the Geesaman Industries project. I do not believe you can defend a total screw-up when simple business processes may have prevented the entire fiasco. Simple seems to apply to several aspects regarding this project.
In review, the defense stated meetings took place before the decision to proceed and presentation of funds to Geesaman Industries. After the so-called impressing OCRA meeting and the decision to proceed with the project, what period of time had elapsed from the initial contact and the distribution of funds? The amount of time from the final decision to the distribution of funds? Who is responsible for dropping the ball during these times?
When quick implementation was announced wouldn’t you think a responsible person or group that agreed to proceed would make this a priority? They should exert all means possible to tightly close any loopholes and assure all paperwork was completed for the parties to sign before funds were distributed. Someone should have been burning the midnight oil on the project from the minute a decision was made to proceed and maybe before that. Maybe the lack of business experience and knowledge, or possibly it was an ego or two, caused such a failure.
It was stated that OCRA rules required the city to distribute funds within three days of receipt was the reason for the “rush.” That is one of the weakest excuses possible, since all the legwork and preparations should have been done immediately after the meeting with OCRA and the decision to proceed with the project. If this is the best defense or excuse possible, we need a huge change in leadership.
Poor business decisions and the absence of a close follow-up usually cause large losses to communities and provides the appearance of poor leadership, judgment, planning and decision-making abilities on the part of the former mayor, the city council, JCDC and their representative. This was a failure to protect the citizens.
New businesses looking to relocate may avoid Portland or Jay County for this unforgivable mistake, while questionable businesses looking for ill-gotten funding may take a shot at this easy-mark community when finding decision-makers failed to follow good business practices and common sense.
Jobs are so important to the advancement of Jay County and the decisions are just as important. Any respectable company requesting funding would not refuse or object to any scrutiny of them by a principal lender or backers.
It was stated you did not believe that anyone could predict the route this project would take in the future. While I believe the future is usually unpredictable, this blunder was conceived from the very beginning — starting with the first contact with irresponsible people. Destiny was determined almost from the very beginning. No prediction of the future needed here.
Always, when giving or guaranteeing more than $750,000, a person or group would require an ironclad contact or agreement to protect all parties concerned. Close follow-up is necessary. It did not happen in this case.
Your summary states that JCDC continues to serve and advise the community and county governments. I would prefer this kind of advice be kept to yourself. If Portland and Jay County draws another wanna-be business like Geesaman Industries, maybe we should ask our local butcher, baker and candlestick maker for their advice to prevent another large failure and loss. It might not hurt.
Jim R. Sanders
Portland[[In-content Ad]]