Council OKs repair funding

After tabling the matter at its previous meeting, Jay County Council approved $50,000 in additional appropriations for repairs at the retirement center.
The decision was made Wednesday with little discussion prior to the motion being approved without opposition.
Commissioner Faron Parr and retirement center director Patti Clevenger made a request for the amount of $50,000 in repairs at council’s May meeting.
The appropriation passed includes $23,000 to remove and rebuild the center’s garage on its current foundation. Another $25,000 is for work on the supports, floor and doors in the barn.
The $50,000 total allows some leeway for any possible unforeseen issues or additional expenses.
When making the request in May, Parr asked that at least the garage and barn doors be approved — he estimated the cost at less than $30,000 for that work — for this summer.
Auditor Anna Culy told council prior to Wednesday’s vote that it had the option to partially fund the project instead of allocating the full $50,000 requested.
At its previous meeting, council member Bob Vance, who was absent Wednesday, suggested delaying the decision to appropriate the funds until the budget committee discussed the retirement center at its June 1 meeting. That meeting was canceled.
In-depth discussion about the repairs didn’t come up until the final minutes of Wednesday’s meeting, with council member Ted Champ asking for further explanation on what the repairs include to the barn.
“You’re getting four posts jacked up and the doors fixed,” council president Mike Leonhard explained.
“In the future, I personally would like something detailed on what we are going to get for $25,000,” said Champ. “All I’m hearing is we are fixing barn doors and (jacking) up four posts.”
Council also discussed potential raises for county employees. Culy said the standard growth quotient is 3 percent, which is the number she uses when preparing preliminary budget projections.
Champ said he was curious whether giving raising wages 3 percent across the board is the right thing to do given the county’s fragile budget.
“It makes you look pretty bad I would think if you are giving 3 percent raises and then taking out of rainy day to balance the budget,” he said.
He added, “I’m not saying you don’t give raises to build rainy day … I’m also not saying we want to give raises and take out of rainy day. That really doesn’t make you look like you are taking care of taxpayers’ dollars.”
The conversation also briefly touched on the classification scale for county employees and whether raises could differ based on an employee’s classification.
Jeanne Houchins raised questions about the classification scale, wondering if the labor, trades and crafts classifications match up.
“How can a cook be classified with a truck driver?” she asked.
Council also approved the health department for additional appropriations totaling $27,250. That included $10,000 for vaccine expenses. Additionally, it was approved $5,000 for equipment, which will be used for a vaccine refrigerator, and $12,250 for training and supplies.
In other business, council members Gary Theuer, Cindy Newton, Mike Rockwell, Leonhard, Champ and Houchins:
•Scheduled public budget meetings with department heads for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 6 and 7. Council’s regular meeting will follow on Sept. 7. Council members will meet individually with department heads prior to those two meetings.
•Approved an additional appropriation of $7,200 for Culy to purchase a new plotter. It also appropriated $3,492.44 for the sheriff’s office to purchase bulletproof vests.
•Transferred $1,400 to Jay County Superior Court — $1,000 for anticipated overtime leave and $400 for court appointed doctors. Also transferred $7,300 to the health department.