July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Funding eyed for generator (1/13/05)
Council asks about power for courthouse
By By Mike Snyder-
With the memory of a city-wide blackout fresh in their minds and water flowing freely in the basement of the courthouse, members of the Jay County Council discussed whether a generator should be obtained to power county operations during power outages.
Council members, who met for less than 30 minutes Tuesday night, approved a series of additional appropriations for emergency management agency grant funds. The action simply brought unspent homeland security grant funds forward for placement in line items for the 2005 budget.
Councilman Todd Wickey, who is the investigator for the Portland Police Department, raised the issue, questioning EMA director Ralph Frazee over whether any of the grant funds could be used to purchase a generator.
“It is possible ... to put (some of the grant funds) on a generator,” Frazee told the council. “I’m not sure $5,000 (available in undedicated funds in a planning grant) is enough” to buy a generator large enough to power the entire courthouse.
Wickey and fellow council members said that the generator would allow EMA and other county operations to function during outages. It would also provide power for sump pumps in the courthouse basement, which takes on significant amounts of water.
“You don’t realize how nice electricity is until you don’t have it,” said Councilman Jack Houck, who, like many others in the community, battled basement flooding all day Wednesday.
Frazee was asked to discuss the generator purchase with Jay County Commissioners.
The grants, which were announced last year, totaled more than $140,000 and will be used for a variety of equipment and supplies — including hazardous materials packs for First Responders.
Five of seven council members were present Wednesday, including new at-large member Jim Zimmerman and returning members Marilyn Coleman, George Meehan, Wickey and Houck.
Houck and Coleman were re-elected as president and vice president of the council, which includes six Republicans and Democrat Gerald Kirby. Kirby and at-large member Judy LeMaster were out of town Wednesday.
The council also approved additional funds for three county positions Wednesday, backing up a decision to increase pay grades for auditor second deputies ($752.92), retirement center matron ($968.40) and retirement center cooks ($2,948.68).
Council members tabled action on a request for a $5,000 additional appropriation into the Jay Circuit Court budget to pay for law books. Judge Brian Hutchison apparently forgot to include the money in 2005 budget requests. Neither Hutchison nor his council representative Kirby was in attendance Wednesday, so the council deferred action until February.
Also Wednesday, the council made its internal and external appointments. Zimmerman was appointed to the county Economic Development Income Tax Advisory Committee and the planning commission, while LeMaster was appointed to a tax abatement advisory committee and the road committee.[[In-content Ad]]
Council members, who met for less than 30 minutes Tuesday night, approved a series of additional appropriations for emergency management agency grant funds. The action simply brought unspent homeland security grant funds forward for placement in line items for the 2005 budget.
Councilman Todd Wickey, who is the investigator for the Portland Police Department, raised the issue, questioning EMA director Ralph Frazee over whether any of the grant funds could be used to purchase a generator.
“It is possible ... to put (some of the grant funds) on a generator,” Frazee told the council. “I’m not sure $5,000 (available in undedicated funds in a planning grant) is enough” to buy a generator large enough to power the entire courthouse.
Wickey and fellow council members said that the generator would allow EMA and other county operations to function during outages. It would also provide power for sump pumps in the courthouse basement, which takes on significant amounts of water.
“You don’t realize how nice electricity is until you don’t have it,” said Councilman Jack Houck, who, like many others in the community, battled basement flooding all day Wednesday.
Frazee was asked to discuss the generator purchase with Jay County Commissioners.
The grants, which were announced last year, totaled more than $140,000 and will be used for a variety of equipment and supplies — including hazardous materials packs for First Responders.
Five of seven council members were present Wednesday, including new at-large member Jim Zimmerman and returning members Marilyn Coleman, George Meehan, Wickey and Houck.
Houck and Coleman were re-elected as president and vice president of the council, which includes six Republicans and Democrat Gerald Kirby. Kirby and at-large member Judy LeMaster were out of town Wednesday.
The council also approved additional funds for three county positions Wednesday, backing up a decision to increase pay grades for auditor second deputies ($752.92), retirement center matron ($968.40) and retirement center cooks ($2,948.68).
Council members tabled action on a request for a $5,000 additional appropriation into the Jay Circuit Court budget to pay for law books. Judge Brian Hutchison apparently forgot to include the money in 2005 budget requests. Neither Hutchison nor his council representative Kirby was in attendance Wednesday, so the council deferred action until February.
Also Wednesday, the council made its internal and external appointments. Zimmerman was appointed to the county Economic Development Income Tax Advisory Committee and the planning commission, while LeMaster was appointed to a tax abatement advisory committee and the road committee.[[In-content Ad]]
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