Council approves tax abatements

Portland City Council made it official, granting two tax abatements that will bring Berne Ready Mix to its business community.
After hearing a request at its last meeting, council opened 2015 by unanimously approving the abatements for the company on recommendation from the tax abatement advisory committee.
It also heard updates from Mayor Randy Geesaman about the city’s assessed value, tax rate and major construction projects planned for the year.
Council members Bill Gibson, Judy Aker, Kent McClung, Don Gillespie, Kip Robinette, Michael Brewster and Mark Hedges gave the OK for a five-year abatement on $1.55 million in personal property and a 10-year abatement on $225,000 in real estate for Berne Ready Mix. The business, which is part of St. Henry Tile Company in St. Henry, Ohio, and also operates Pennville Sand and Gravel, announced in December its plans to open a pre-cast concrete manufacturing operation in the former Jay Products building at the northeast corner of county road 100 North and U.S. 27.
Berne Ready Mix plans to add 11 jobs over the next five years. It would also like to open a storefront to sell supplies for the concrete and masonry industry.
Jay Products closed its Portland operation in September 2013.
“It’s an exciting time and we’re looking forward to Berne Ready Mix being here,” said Mayor Randy Geesaman.
The mayor also told council he learned from the Indiana Department of Government Finance that the city’s assessed value for 2015 came in at $215.9 million, which is up more than $5 million from 2014. That increase along with reducing the budget by $251,000 led to the city’s tax rate dropping to $1.38 per $100 of assessed value from $1.42 last year.
Geesaman also gave a brief overview of the Indiana 26 East, west side sewer and Portland Water Park projects, which are all scheduled for 2015.
Portland Board of Works will review bids for the west side sewer work at its Jan. 15 meeting, and bidding for Portland Water Park is also expected to begin this month. The mayor said the bid process for the Ind. 26 project has been moved up to March with construction slated to start early in the summer.

In other business, council:
•Elected Bill Gibson as council president on a 6-0 vote with Gibson abstaining. He has held the position since 2008.
•Heard from Geesaman that his next public forum will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the library at General Shanks Elementary. Also, his state of the city address is scheduled for Jay County Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon at noon Jan. 27 at Jay County Hospital.
•Paid claims for December totaling $1.02 million.