City gives funds

With help from city council, the bicentennial committee was able to get a head start on their project fundraising.
Portland City Council approved Monday night to contribute $1,500 requested by the Jay County Bicentennial Committee to raise money for the area legacy and signature projects.
Mayor Randy Geesaman said the money will come from the city’s general fund.
Sandy Bubp, facilitator of the committee said the Bicentennial Finance Committee set her group budget at about $18,000 to help fund the various events.
There are several other municipalities the committee plans to ask for funds to help with the project, including Dunkirk ($750), Redkey ($500) and Pennville ($500).
Committee member Vicki Tague said the money will primarily go toward the statewide torch relay and a hog roast that will be held at the end of the event. The hog roast is planned to be free.
Toward the end of the event, Bubp said the committee wants to have a memorial for each community involved that will have something to take back to each city to commemorate the bicentennial.
“That’s why we’re asking each of the communities to participate with us to help foresee that we can have that (memorial) in place to actually give to each of these communities,” she said.
Tague noted that Jay County will get the torch around 3 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Jay-Randolph county line, and will take two and a half hours to reach the arch bridge on Meridian Street, where a parade will start. The relay will end at Jay County Fairgrounds.
“We’re just really excited about this,” said Tague.
Tague and Bubp also presented council with a plaque signed by the Jay County Commissioners to commemorate the official kick-off date to the Indiana Bicentennial Celebration, which was Dec. 11.
Bubp and Tague also showed a presentation to council on the progress of Jay County’s part in the celebration. Bubp showed there are currently eight legacy projects the county will participate in, and more could be added in the future.
The projects include Portland American Legion’s Beard Contest, bicentennial quilts and a county calendar.
Those interested in volunteering for the project can contact (260) 726-3366.
In other business, council members Michele Brewster, Janet Powers, Don Gillespie, Mark Hedges, Judy Aker, Kent McClung and Bill Gibson:
•Heard from Portland Redevelopment Commission president Mark Clemens who came to relay to council the progress of the redevelopment commission and projects it would like to tackle in the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. Clemens said there is currently about $541,584 in the TIF allocation fund, $46,491 in the construction fund, $191,267 in the debt service reserve fund, $315,148 in the bond and interest fund — which is enough to cover bond payments for 2016 and 2017 — and $2.13 million as of 2015 in bonds owed.
Clemens said there are private individuals coming to discuss possible projects involving the McClurg Building on Main Street and the Boys and Girls Club at Jay County Community Center. He welcomed council to attend the next redevelopment commission meeting March 8.
Hedges voiced his concern over the lack of forward momentum in the downtown area. He said deterioration of some of these buildings occurs faster than the city can catch up. Clemens agreed and said for several of the downtown buildings a study was conducted by Ratio Architects to determine how much it would take to bring them up to par. For now, the commission is waiting and looking for private entities to create a redevelopment plan for the properties.
•Heard Geesaman plans to apply for three grants, including a $600,000 Brownfield Site grant to help renovate 11 possible locations in Portland that may be an environmental risk, a $1 million revolving loan to help redevelop the area after the Brownfield cleanup and a $70,000 Economic Development Planning grant for city redevelopment. He said he will travel June 14 to 17 for Washington, D.C., to meet with the representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Economic Development Administration for these grants as well as U.S. Sens. Joe Donnelly and Dan Coats and Reps. Marlin Stutzman and Luke Messer for their help to lobby for those funds.
•Approved the appointment of Milo Miller Jr. to Portland Redevelopment Commission to replace former member Tom Young.
•Appointed Powers to fill one of two positions on Portland Plan Commission. She will take former city council member Michael Brewster’s position.
•Heard thanks from Gillespie to the street and parks department for continually laying salt on the Arch Bridge on Meridian Street east of Freedom Park.
•Heard from Brewster that she likes the updates on the city’s website — thecityofportland.net — made since the last meeting.