Tax break asked for roof

A local industry may be getting both a new roof and a tax abatement.

Bill Bradley, Jay County Development Corporation executive director, told members of a local board that Pennville Custom Cabinetry, 600 E. Votaw St., Portland, has asked for a five-year tax abatement for building improvements.

Bradley said at Monday night's Portland City Council meeting that the abatement would be for a new roof, which is expected to cost $117,000. He said a new roof would fall under the category of building improvements, which would be eligible for a tax abatement. Council members voted to send the request to the Portland Tax Abatement Advisory Committee for review.

Normally, tax abatements granted for changes to buildings are for 10 years. Such projects typically cost more than $200,000, Bradley said. However, since the cost of a new roof is lower, Bradley said it made sense to ask for a five-year abatement instead. Five-year abatements are typically granted on the purchase of new equipment.

In other business, council members heard Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, announce that the city has been granted a Certificate of Appropriateness for the installation of solar panels on top of city hall.

Hosier said he did not know before installation began that the solar panels would be sticking up from the roof so high and be visible from the street. The panels have been moved back so they are no longer visible from Meridian Street, he said. "That situation has been put to rest," he told council members.

Hosier said this morning that he has not received a bill or cost estimate from Solartech for the additional cost of moving the solar panels. He said he expects the additional cost will be minimal. The original estimated cost for installing the panels at city hall and the Portland Fire Station was about $48,000.

Members of the Portland Historic Preservation Commission met last week, and the solar panels were brought up at that meeting. City hall is located in the historic preservation district.

While solar panels are not specifically addressed, the preservation ordinance states that nothing should be put on top of a building in the district that would take away from the historic character of the structure. If such addition is added, it should not be visible from the street, the ordinance states.

Also Monday, council members:

•Approved a change to the city's policy on physicals and mental evaluations for new police officers.

The council voted to have the city pay all of the cost for the evaluations, rather than having the officer pay half. Total cost for both physical and psychological evaluations is about $900.

Bob Sours, Portland police chief, asked for the city's policy to be changed after the Institute for Public Safety Personnel Inc., which conducts the evaluations, suggested the change. Sours said he felt it was a good idea to change the policy to prevent possible problems. By changing the policy, the city has all rights to the results.

He said after Monday's meeting that the city has not had any issues with new officers letting city officials review the results, but that has occurred in other cities.

•Heard Hosier report that council president Bill Gibson is reviewing the city's rummage sale ordinance.

Recently, city residents have been posting signs for their sales on trees and utility poles, and not removing the signs after the sales are over. The city's ordinance prohibits such signs from being posted on poles, rights of way, city signs and state-owned signs. The signs can only be posted in the yards where the sales are being held. Those who violate this ordinance can be issued a ticket by the city's code enforcement officer.

Gibson said after the meeting that he is considering the possibility of establishing a central location in the city for yard sale signs to be posted or a map of the city that can be marked with the location of sales.[[In-content Ad]]