Redkey, Dunkirk to have single precincts (11/15/05)

Voters in Redkey and Dunkirk will no longer have to wonder which precinct they live in for voting purposes.

Jay County Commissioners voted Monday to combine what is now two separate precincts in both Redkey and Dunkirk into one each.

Voters in Dunkirk 1 and Dunkirk 3 precincts will be combined, as will the North Redkey and South Redkey precints.

The move was made at the recommendation of Jay County Clerk Jane Ann Runyon.

The impact will be neglible in Dunkirk, where both precincts already vote at the West Jay Community Center. A single polling site would be established for the Redkey Precinct at Redkey Town Hall.

Runyon also presented proposals for the State Election Division’s mandate that all polling places be brought up to federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, including paved parking areas and entry ramps.

“Let’s wait a week to study this,” commissioner Gary Theurer recommended before taking final action on the proposal. “Let it be out in the open then we can hear the repercussions.”

Sites must be compliant by the May primary, Runyon said about the decision.

While changes were planned for voters in Pike and Greene township, officials at those polling sites have indicated they would bring the sites up to federal standards, and voters will continue to cast their votes at the Bluff Point Community Center in Pike Township, and at the Greene Township Community Building for the present time.

Recommended changes by Runyon include:

•Continuing to have the Dunkirk polling site as the West Jay Community Center. Knox Township voters would also vote at the center.

•Bearcreek and Jackson precinct voters going to the Bryant Community Center. Voters in Wabash Township would continue to vote at the Holy Trinity school.

•Wayne 5 and Noble Township would vote at the Women’s Building at the Jay County Fairgrounds.

•Wayne 3 and Wayne 4 voters would cast their ballots at the Jay County Community Center.

•Jefferson Township voters would vote at the Freeman Scout Complex.

•Wayne 1 and Wayne 6 would vote at the Portland National Guard Armory.

Other county precincts and polling sites would not change.

All of the polling sites meet ADA requirements, Runyon explained, and now must be approved by the State Election Division.

“It’s not a done deal,” Theurer emphasized.

“It’s just that change,” he continued about residents’ concerns with the changes, “but it (voting) should be that important” that voters would use the new sites.

In other action Monday, Jay County Highway Superintendent Ken Wellman recommended the purchase of a new dump truck from Kinstle Sterling Truck of Wapakoneta, Ohio, for $65,854.

Although it was not the low bid — a bid from International of Muncie was about $700 lower at $65,152 — Wellman recommended the Kinstle bid since the International truck did not provide the additional torque power needed for hauling heavy loads.

In another matter, Wellman told commissioners a quote to repair and pave county road 200 West from Ind. 26 north to county road 300 North would be about $80,000 per mile.

Commissioners also signed a contract with Atlas Building Services Inc., Wabash, to do tuck pointing on the exterior of the courthouse at a cost $14,097, and seal the exterior for $9,966.[[In-content Ad]]