Jay leaves planning district

Copyright 2017, The Commercial Review

All Rights Reserved

Jay County is dropping out of the East Central Indiana Regional Planning District.

And it’s not the only county to do so.

Jay County Commissioner Doug Inman said at Monday’s meeting that Henry County voted last week to terminate its membership.

“I heard Grant County’s considering it,” he added.

Commissioners heard a pitch from the planning organization earlier this month but indicated they were lukewarm about continued participation at a cost of about $6,600 a year.

“We did not budget for it,” said Inman.

The planning district focuses on “setting the stage” for economic development, seeking federal grants for such things as cleaning up brownfield industrial sites. It is not involved in marketing.

“We have our own grant writers we’re already paying,” said commissioner Chuck Huffman, noting that grant applications are currently being prepared by Jay County community developer Ami Huffman and emergency management agency director Ralph Frazee.

“I really don’t think it’s helping Jay County,” agreed commissioner Mike Leonhard. “I think we should drop out of it.”

The City of Portland continues to participate in the planning district.

Courthouse security occupied commissioners for much of Monday’s meeting.

Currently all four doors to the courthouse are open to the public, making it a rarity in today’s security-conscious environment.

Commissioners have in the past weighed closing all but one door to the public and installing some sort of equipment and procedure for checking courthouse visitors. The cost, which would involve additional manpower as well as technology, has been an insurmountable hurdle in past years.

Another option is the installation of security cameras, and on Monday commissioners asked information technology consultant Randy Cleaver to update estimates on what that might cost. Cleaver said 28 to 30 cameras would be needed and installation would be a challenge because of the nature of the courthouse’s construction.

“The walls in the basement are 7 feet thick,” said Cleaver.

He ballparked the labor-intensive project at roughly $30,000 but will bring back more precise figures.

Cleaver will also bring information to the commissioners on upgrading the firewall for the county’s computer system and on county employee training to make them less susceptible to computer viruses. Some counties, he noted, have “phished” their own employees as a way of educating them about computer virus risks.

He estimated the cost of that sort of training at about $1,500.

“It’s something I think we should consider doing,” said Huffman.

County computer databases are backed up off site, said Cleaver, though that doesn’t prevent the threat of “ransomware” hacking.

“Nobody can say they’re totally protected,” he said.

Cleaver will also develop specifications and cost estimates on updating the county’s servers as well as several switches and routers.

In other business, commissioners:

•Debated whether to change their meeting schedule to twice a month rather than weekly. Inman proposed the idea, and Huffman was receptive. Leonhard, however, was opposed, saying that taxpayers expect them to meet every Monday.

“I understand your point, Mike,” responded Inman. “But I feel like we’re getting a lot more done in less time.” Commissioners expect to discuss the change again in April.

•Indicated they hope to act next week on approving the road usage and decommissioning plans for the Bluff Point wind farm project so that it can move ahead with the permitting process.

•Tabled a request from Jay County Fair Board for $20,000 for the fairgrounds grandstand improvement project after Huffman express hesitation about using Economic Development Income Tax funds to make the grant.

•Reviewed a series of changes in Jay Emergency Medical Service fees and directed attorney Bill Hinkle to draft an amendment to a county ordinance to reflect those proposed changes.

•Said a letter will be sent to the hospital board of trustees seeking formal approval to remove three interior walls in the Portland base for JEMS.

•Signed a contract with the Indiana Department of Transportation for 80 percent reimbursement on the latest round of bridge inspections.

•Created the Internal Controls Oversight Committee, which will establish and monitor internal financial controls. The committee will include one commissioner (Huffman), one member of the Jay County Council (Gary Theurer), the county auditor, county treasurer, county clerk, a representative of emergency management and a representative of the health department.