Gibson retained as president

Although Portland City Council welcomed its newcomers, it decided to keep its most experienced member as its leader.
Portland City Council voted 6-0 Monday evening to elect Bill Gibson as president. Gibson abstained from voting.
Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman congratulated Gibson on remaining president, a position he held for six years prior to Monday’s vote. He also acknowledged new council members Michele Brewster and Janet Powers as well as new clerk-treasurer Lori Aker-Ferguson at the meeting.
Council also heard from Jay County Trails Club president Samantha Thomas and vice president Theresa Inman. They came to provide council with information on the club’s plans to create a new trail.
Phase one of the trail will begin from the bridge at Hudson Family Park, Thomas said, and will continue east along the north side of the Salamonie River toward East Elementary School for about a mile. The trail will then turn north toward Jay County Historical Society on east Main Street and continue to Jay County Fairgrounds.
Inman noted the club would like to start paving around summertime.
“We’re just here as a prompt to get the city to move,” said Inman, who also said the project could get finished with help from the community through funds and construction.
Council member Mark Hedges noted because Portland Park Board has so many responsibilities, the trails project may not be a top priority when it comes to funding. Inman noted the club applied for several grants but is trying to get more community involvement.
The club also requested Portland Park Board to update its five-year park plan, which expires this year, to include the club’s trail plan.
In other business, council members Kent McClung, Don Gillespie, Judy Aker, Janet Powers, Michele Brewster, Gibson and Hedges:
•OK’d a tax abatement on $2.75 million for Fort Recovery Industries, a savings of $104,000 over the five-year span. The company expects to add eight jobs.
•Approved a $75,000 grant from Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) funds for Brad and Pat Daniels, the new owners of Jay County Antique Mall. Gessaman said half of the funds would be given immediately, while the other portion goes to the owners after 90 days. Under the agreement, the couple must hire at least six full-time or 12 part-time employees by 2019.
•Learned repairs and updates at city hall will cost more than the original estimate of $49,000. Additional electrical work was needed at a cost of about $8,300.
•Heard from Hedges, who said an alley between Water and Main streets in the 500-block flooded from last week’s storms and asked where the city stands in response to flooding.
Geesaman mentioned areas of Race and North streets on the west side of the city were flooded, but there was no damage reported. Powers also mentioned there was flooding at the intersection of Bridge and Twelfth streets.
Hedges asked if there is a plan to investigate those areas and Geesaman said someone will check out those areas.
•Learned from Geesaman the city will hold a community meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in conference rooms A and B at Jay County Hospital. Portland was selected to be the first city to be featured on a new program being put together by WIPB in Muncie. Geesaman said the station’s staff wants to hear and collect stories from city residents
•Learned the annual State of the City address will be at noon Jan. 26 in conference rooms A and B at Jay County Hospital.
•Paid claims totaling $860,155.34.