July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Garage testing under way (05/13/08)
Jay County Commissioners
By By JACK RONALD-
Samples from the former Ford garage have been taken to South Bend for testing as county commissioners weigh whether to raze the building to make room for an expansion of the Jay County Jail.
Two employees of Alt and Witzig Engineering Inc. toured the building Monday morning with commissioner Milo Miller Jr.
But earlier Monday, commissioner Gary Theurer wondered aloud whether tearing the building down was the right way to go at this point.
"Why go ahead and tear it down?" asked Theurer. "I don't want to put any money in it. ... I don't see going ahead and tearing it down."
Commissioners have been struggling with the prospect of spending money to design an expanded jail and prepare the site for construction only to have the project defeated by a referendum in the fall.
State procedures do not allow for a referendum until after the bonding process has been set in motion, but commissioners have indicated they'd rather know public sentiment in advance.
A referendum would be set in motion by a petition with the signatures of 100 voters or property tax payers, and commissioners believe a vote on the issue would be inevitable.
If the county moves forward with the jail project and a referendum petition received the needed signatures, the matter would be put on the November general election ballot.
"I'd like to put it to a vote and then know what to do," said Miller.
"I don't want to keep throwing more money at something when we don't know," said Theurer.
The sheriff's department is using the old Ford garage to store some equipment, and the county has other storage needs.
Commissioners are also weighing the possibility of adding on to the courthouse annex building on West Arch Street and have expressed an interest in the former Garfield School building which now houses the administrative offices of the Jay School Corporation. That building may become available when administrative offices move to the former Portland armory.
"Do we go to the school board and beg for that (Garfield) building?" asked Miller. "I don't think so."[[In-content Ad]]
Two employees of Alt and Witzig Engineering Inc. toured the building Monday morning with commissioner Milo Miller Jr.
But earlier Monday, commissioner Gary Theurer wondered aloud whether tearing the building down was the right way to go at this point.
"Why go ahead and tear it down?" asked Theurer. "I don't want to put any money in it. ... I don't see going ahead and tearing it down."
Commissioners have been struggling with the prospect of spending money to design an expanded jail and prepare the site for construction only to have the project defeated by a referendum in the fall.
State procedures do not allow for a referendum until after the bonding process has been set in motion, but commissioners have indicated they'd rather know public sentiment in advance.
A referendum would be set in motion by a petition with the signatures of 100 voters or property tax payers, and commissioners believe a vote on the issue would be inevitable.
If the county moves forward with the jail project and a referendum petition received the needed signatures, the matter would be put on the November general election ballot.
"I'd like to put it to a vote and then know what to do," said Miller.
"I don't want to keep throwing more money at something when we don't know," said Theurer.
The sheriff's department is using the old Ford garage to store some equipment, and the county has other storage needs.
Commissioners are also weighing the possibility of adding on to the courthouse annex building on West Arch Street and have expressed an interest in the former Garfield School building which now houses the administrative offices of the Jay School Corporation. That building may become available when administrative offices move to the former Portland armory.
"Do we go to the school board and beg for that (Garfield) building?" asked Miller. "I don't think so."[[In-content Ad]]
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