Council approves abatement, transfers

A company with a production facility in Portland will receive a tax abatement for purchasing new equipment.

Portland City Council on Monday approved a tax abatement on $1.2 million in new equipment for Joyce Dayton.

Council also received disclosures of conflict of interest, approved encumbrances for 2017, and approved a transfer resolution to balance the year-end budget.

The approved abatement will apply to the purchase of new equipment that will allow Joyce Dayton to manufacture its own roller ball screws, one component of the company’s screw jacks. It will create three new jobs and help retain 83 other jobs, and the abatement will save the company $44,000 over the next five years.

Council also received conflict of interest disclosure forms for 2017. Michele Brewster submitted a form identifying the conflict of interest between her position as city council member and her brother-in-law’s business, Brewster Electric, which provides goods and services to the city. Judy Aker identified that her husband’s company, Mark Aker Plumbing, was a conflict. Mayor Randy Geesaman and his wife Carol Geesaman submitted forms identifying the conflict of interest existing in their office, where the mayor is the direct superior of his wife, who is his secretary.

Council members Don Gillespie, Kent McClung, Judy Aker, Bill Gibson, Janet Powers, and Mark Hedges, absent Michele Brewster acknowledged receipt of the conflict of interest disclosures.

Council also approved $651,685.29 of encumbered expenses — those that will be paid from the 2016 budget during the 2017 year. Some of the expenses include the recently completed revitalization plan from Ball State University, street resurfacing by Milestone Contractors and plumbing for Portland Memorial Park restrooms.

To balance the budget for the end of the year, council made one transfer in the city’s parks budget. Members voted to approve a transfer of $2,500 from the city’s park and street materials account and moved it into the park capital outlays account.

In other business, council:

•Heard a question from Powers asking about the policy that governs road salting in times of heavy ice. Geesaman explained that the street department salts all intersections and will salt heavily iced roads if they or the police receive calls about them.

•Addressed an inquiry from Gillespie about the progress on selling the book bindery lot. Geesaman said the city will soon take control of the lot and he hopes to have buyer lined up in the near future.

•Heard from Geesaman that council will need to elect a council president at its next meeting Jan. 3.