Looking for more space (04/10/07)

A request from Jay County Prosecutor Bob Clamme for more room in his courthouse office had Jay County Commissioners on the prowl Monday afternoon.

Clamme told commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Gary Theurer and Faron Parr recently that since he had assumed the position full-time, he needed additional space in his office, which is on the north end of the first floor of the Jay County Courthouse.

In addition to Clamme, the office provides space for two deputy prosecutors, an investigator and three employees.

After discussing the possibilities Monday afternoon, commissioners began touring the building and searching for ways to deal with his request - including moving some of the smaller offices as well as partitioning a part of the auditorium.

The prosecutor's office opens through a double door to a space on the northwest corner of the first floor that formerly housed the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles license branch.

That space was also considered a possibility. However, it currently is used by the assessor for reassessment functions and contains computer equipment and stored records.

When the tour was completed, Miller had suggested that Clamme tighten up the space he has. "It's a beautiful building, but it's not laid out very well," Miller said.

Clamme expressed concerns about privacy when conducting interviews related to criminal cases.

For several years the prosecutor's office was located in various office spaces near the courthouse.

The prosecutor's office was moved back to the courthouse a few years ago when the annex on West Arch Street was purchased and the health department and Purdue Cooperative Extension Service were moved to that location.

John Knipp, extension agent, also talked to commissioners Monday about space issues at that site. "They definitely need more space," Miller said.

Commissioners have discussed in the past how those problems could be addressed including adding on to that structure, but no decisions have ever been made.

Commissioners were told Monday by courthouse superintendent Roger McBride that plastering repairs have been completed in the Jay Circuit Courtroom and painting those areas should begin this week.

He said that plaster forms for intricate plaster work throughout the building have been saved and are available if needed.

In other business Monday morning, commissioners learned that bids for the construction of its portion of a sewer line to serve Premier Ethanol LLC will be opened May 7 at 9 a.m. in the commissioner's room.

Commonwealth Engineering of Indianapolis is currently accepting bids on the project, which that will install a sewer line roughly halfway between the Premier Ethanol site on county road 200 West and the Portland wastewater treatment plant on Bittersweet Lane. Premier will pay the cost of installing the line from the plant site to the halfway point near the Salmonie River.

Commissioners also signed an emergency claim for $35,000 to M&E Construction for construction of a new storage building at the highway department garage on county road 200 North.

A request from assessor Anita Mills to send her first deputy Lisa Kirby to a five-day reassessment training session in Fishers was approved.

Mills said the state would pay the $350 for the session and her department's operating funds could be used to pay the lodging and book fees.[[In-content Ad]]