JCC considering expansion

A new senior citizens’ center may be in Jay County’s future.
If approved by the board of the Jay Community Center on Thursday, an application will be filed with the Office of Community and Rural Affairs for a $400,000 state grant to fund the lion’s share of the cost of a 5,000-square-foot addition to the facility in Portland.
Jay County Commissioners agreed Monday to allow the community center to use one of the county’s “slots” for an OCRA grant application to set the project in motion.
“The senior population is growing in Jay County,” community developer Ami Huffman told commissioners.
By 2023, 32 percent of the county’s population is expected to be 55 or older.
Currently JCC offers more than 14 different senior activities and participation is growing at a rate of 20 percent per year, executive director Kyle Cook said.
The addition would be on the east side of the community center, connecting to the original armory building and occupying a chunk of what is now a parking lot.
Cook said 16 to 18 parking spaces will be lost.
“That is an issue,” he said, while noting that there is additional parking at Freedom Park, East Jay Middle School and John Jay Center for Learning.
Huffman noted that on weekends and evenings the community center is fully occupied with youth-oriented activities.
The additional space would allow the JCC to partner with Jay County Hospital, John Jay and the Purdue Extension Office to offer more programming for seniors.
The estimated cost of the project — which has not yet been approved by the community center’s board — is $450,000 to $460,000. The $400,000 grant being sought is the maximum available from OCRA.
Huffman said the initial application could be submitted in April and the formal application in June, with word on funding coming during the summer.
“We’ll keep you up to date on this,” she said.
In other business, commissioners:
•Extended by another 90 days the timeframe for the commission studying confined animal feeding operation issues in the county. “This obviously needs more time,” said commissioner Doug Inman. The commission will continue its work through April 21.
•Approved hiring Leo Rumschlag of Rumschlag Technical Services, Brownsburg, to do an inventory of the county’s culverts in the four central townships. He has completed an inventory of the four northern townships and is expected to do the four southern townships in 2016. “It’s been real helpful,” county engineer Dan Watson said. “It’s a good tool.” Rumschlag inspects each culvert, then Watson prioritizes them based upon factors such as traffic in order to determine when they should be replaced. Rumschlag’s fee is $145 per culvert.
•Heard an update from Portland Police Officer Michael Brewster on the Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition and its comprehensive community plan. “Keep up the good work,” said commissioner Faron Parr.