Turbines have affected signal

An unexpected public safety issue has popped up around the county’s new wind farm.

Southern Jay County resident Tom Warren told Jay County Commissioners on Monday that when Bluff Point Wind Energy Center is generating power it knocks out his television reception.

Warren, who lives on county road 100 East between county roads 800 South and 900 South, relies on UHF and VHF television signals in times of bad weather and was cut off from weather warnings when storms and a tornado swept through the county Nov. 5.

“Storms like we just had, you need to have as much warning as possible,” said Warren, whose home is virtually surrounded by electricity-generating wind turbines.

Warren said he has contacted NextEra Energy about the problem and received indication that others in the area had also been affected.

“Apparently, I’m not alone,” he said.

County engineer Dan Watson said he’d follow up with NextEra to try to learn the extent of the problem and what might be done to resolve it.

“I was not aware there was an issue down there,” said Watson.

“I hope you can come up with an answer for us,” said Warren. “These TV stations are my main source of early communication” in bad weather.

Watson also told commissioners Monday that mild weather in the next several days should allow additional paving and reconstruction of roads affected by the wind farm’s construction. He had earlier expected there would be no more paving done until spring, but now hopes it could extend into next week.

After discussion with Watson and among themselves, commissioners agreed to include an extra $5,000 stipend in the engineer’s contract with the county in 2018 for work related to the wind farm.

NextEra paid the county in excess of $60,000 to cover the cost of engineering inspections during construction, and from that amount Watson and county surveyor Brad Daniels each received a $5,000 stipend in 2017. But with the reconstruction work not yet completed and approved by the county,

Watson’s stipend was continued into next year’s contract.

“I probably should have asked for more than $5,000. … It probably should have been $25,000,” said Watson.

“I’m comfortable with it,” commissioner Mike Leonhard said of the 2018 stipend. “Just because the windmills are up doesn’t mean the work’s done.”

Commissioners Barry Hudson and Chuck Huffman initially hesitated on the 2018 stipend, saying that former commissioners believed the stipend to be a one-year deal.

“It looks like there’s a lot of work to be done down there,” said Hudson. But he added that he had spoken with two former commissioners. “They’re both saying you got pre-paid.”

County attorney Bill Hinkle pointed out that adding the stipend for a second year in no way violates the original agreement but simply reflects that the work is ongoing.

Watson noted, “The county still ends up making 40-some thousand dollars profit on the deal.”

Commissioners revisited the 2018 health insurance plan for county employees, expressing sympathy with families being hit with a big jump in premiums.

“I think it’s extremely expensive,” said Hudson. “I think everyone’s insurance is expensive.”

“It’s employees that suffer the increase,” added Huffman.

In an effort to mitigate some of the impact, commissioners agreed to a plan to help cover the cost of deductibles for employees who opt for the high-deductible plan. Next year, after an employee in the high-deductible plan reaches $1,500 in out-of-pocket expenses, the county will pick up the next $2,500 until the $4,000 deductible is met. Currently the high-deductible is set at $3,000 instead of $4,000.

Commissioners spent much of their morning reviewing quotes for equipment purchases to be paid for via the cumulative capital development fund.

Commissioners insisted upon at least two price quotes and in nearly every case approved going with the lower price.

Purchases approved included:

•A $4,916 copying machine from Ricoh, Muncie, for the Jay County prosecutor’s office.

•A $1,170 computer tower and monitor for the prosecutor’s office from Cleaver Cabling and Consulting, Martinsville, the county’s information technology consultant.

•Six computers from Cleaver at a cost of $6,768 for the clerk’s office.

•Three computers from Cleaver at a cost of $800 each for Jay Circuit Court.

•A $1,600 copier from Allen Business Machines, Fort Wayne, for the assessor’s office.

•A new water softener system for the kitchen at Jay County Jail for $1,128 from Summit Water Treatment.

•A computer for the sheriff’s office in the courthouse for $498 from Progressive Office Products, Portland.

•A new phone system for the Jay County Extension Service from Tailored Systems, Noblesville, at a cost of $4,090.

•A copier for the extension office from Perry ProTech, Fort Wayne, for $6,252.89.

•Three computers and two monitors for the Jay County Emergency Management office at $2,533.50 from Progressive Office Products.

•A computer for the recorder’s office for $989 from Cleaver.

•A laptop for the auditor’s office for $599 from Progressive.

•Three scanners for the prosecutor’s office at $999 each from Progressive. Cleaver had the low quote at $900 each. Leonhard was hesitant, saying, “We’re talking about spending taxpayers’ money.”

Hudson countered: “That’s a taxpayer. I would move to go local.”

In other business, commissioners:

•Reviewed maintenance contract options from Havel, Fort Wayne, for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at Jay County Jail. Two other firms have been contacted for quotes, and a decision is expected in December.

•Approved a contract with Purdue Extension for 2018 at the budgeted amount of $73,685.

•Appointed Tracy Carpenter to another four-year term on the Jay County Public Library Board of Trustees.

•Approved renewing a contract with Cleaver at $75 an hour and 50 cents per mile.

•Agreed to a three-year contract with KnowBe4 software, an anti-phishing program, at a cost of $4,989.60.

•Heard Leonhard say he would like to see the county’s relationship with financial consultant Greg Guerretaz come to an end, preferring to work with the accounting firm of Umbaugh and Associates.