Grants may be sought

REDKEY - Grant applications to help the fire department and renovate a historic building in the community are under consideration.

Meeting in special session Wednesday, town council members reviewed options for obtaining grants to purchase a new tanker truck as well as grants that could eventually allow construction of a new fire station and the relocation of town offices into the current fire station building.

Grants could be sought to construct a new fire station building next to town hall at 20 S. Ash St. Fire offices could then be relocated into the present town hall structure, and the current fire station could be renovated for use as the town hall, with possible space for a library branch there in the future as well.

The present fire station, at the northwest corner of High and Oak Streets, needs more than $100,000 of work, Redkey Fire Chief Randy Young reported several months ago. Young also said the fire station should be enlarged to accommodate new, larger equipment.

In addition to Redkey officials and council members, Wednesday's talks also included Jay County community developer Ami Huffman and three representatives from The Schneider Corporation of Indianapolis - architects John Alberti and David Dixon, and development coordinator Nola Albrecht. Schneider is the firm that designed the fire/ambulance base on the east side of Dunkirk near Jay County Road 400 South.

That project was partially financed with an Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) grant. OCRA grants could also be used for the Redkey projects, Huffman explained. She proposed a timetable, calling for applying in January of next year for a grant for a new tanker truck, and then applying in July 2010, for a second, larger grant, possibly totaling $500,000, for construction of the new fire station facility near the present town hall site. Redkey council president Doug Stanley said some of the land for the proposed project would have to be obtained from the Jay School Corporation.

Stanley added that the fire and police station headquarters could both be located at the present town hall site.

The current fire station structure, more than 100 years old, could then be converted into offices for the clerk-treasurer and other community activities, he said. Possibly an historic preservation grant could be obtained to help with this project, Huffman said.

Dixon, an architect with experience in the field of historic preservation, said the Redkey fire station, which formerly served as a city hall, "is substantially in good shape."

Stanley said he believed that town officials should develop "a master plan" for future action.

"There's a lot of ducks to get in a row," Huffman said, agreeing with Stanley.

Town council members said they thought the police department should be involved with this planning process, too. No representatives from the police department were present at Wednesday's special meeting.

In other business Wednesday night, council members:

•Postponed the next regular town council meeting from Aug. 20 to Thursday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. in town hall. However, a previously scheduled town budget hearing will still need to be held at 6 p.m. on Aug. 20 in town hall, clerk-treasurer Sandy Kirby explained.

•Approved having Jay County Jail inmates assist with efforts to install some large playground equipment, donated by the Jay School Corporation, at Redkey's Morgan Park. Redkey park board member Terri Heston said she and her father, Herb Heston, will coordinate this project which will be done as soon as possible. She and Stanley thanked Jay County Sheriff Ray Newton for co-operating with the plan.

•Agreed in principle to employ Redkey volunteer firefighters Randy Young and Terry Miller as part-time workers to help with various projects between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30 while major street and water system improvement projects are being completed in town. Each will be working 16 hours a week as general laborers, covered under the town's worker's compensation insurance. A vote formally approving this move will be taken at the Aug. 27 meeting, Stanley said.

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