John Jay hits stride

As John Jay Center for Learning continues in its 17th year, its executive director thinks the nonprofit has hit its stride. 

Rusty Inman shared updates on the educational center’s progress and a new partnership with Indiana Tech at Portland City Council’s meeting Tuesday. 

Board members also learned that Portland will be revisiting its recent contract with Rumpke for recycling pickup in the city after losing an expected $10,000 subsidy. 

The center’s industrial maintenance class, which launched in January and offers five certifications to bolster careers in manufacturing, has already grown more than expected. Inman anticipated 30 students total for the year; 61 students have enrolled as of this month. 

“It’s taken off better than we ever would have dreamed it would have,” Inman said. 

The program is tailored to what manufacturers want from their employers, from curricula, to the equipment students train on, to the teachers who instruct the classes. 

Sixteen companies, including 10 from Portland, have sent their employees to be trained at the center. Fourteen students have paid their own way, and there is one high school student currently enrolled. He’s a “test student,” as the program will open for a partnership with Jay County High School in January, 

“Four-year college isn’t for everybody,” Inman said. “We offer it (at John Jay), but it’s not necessarily for everyone and you can make a nice living doing this work with these technical certificates.” 

The center’s progress with its manufacturing courses has caught the eye of Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, Inman said. He’s currently working with the school to be able to offer its courses at John Jay.

“By September of next year, Indiana Tech will be offering engineering classes at John Jay based on employer needs,” Inman said.

“Indiana Tech offers associate’s, (bachelor’s), master’s and doctoral degrees that will all be able to do up here.” 

The focus would be on manufacturing engineering to start with, but eventually the school could offer other engineering programs, information technology and entrepreneurship degrees. 

Inman said the center is beginning to realize its full potential as it offers more programming, including its High School Equivalency and Emergency Medical Technician classes. 

“John Jay’s been around since 2001 and I think we’re starting to be all that we can be,” Inman said. “There’s no ceiling to what we’re doing, there’s still a lot more that we want to do.” 

Also Tuesday, Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman told council that the Portland Board of Works will have to revisit its contract with Rumpke for recycling pickup. Last month, the city signed a three-year contract with the company for $398,016. 

While slashing its budget, Jay County Solid Waste Management District cut a $10,000 grant it previously gave the city each year for recycling. That will have an impact on recycling in Portland, Geesaman said, as the city was counting on the subsidy to help pay for the new contract.  

“Now we have to take another look,” Geesaman said.

“We cannot provide services that constantly will end up in the red.” 

In other business, council members Janet Powers, Bill Gibson, Michele Brewster, Kent McClung and Don Gillespie, absent Judy Aker and Judy Hedges: 

•Approved a three-year tax abatement for personal property for MSSL Wiring System Inc. The company is installing $610,000 in new equipment, which will add four new jobs. 

•Were encouraged by Inman and Geesaman to attend Ball State University professor Michael Hicks’ talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at John Jay Center for Learning. Hicks, Director of Ball State's Center for Business and Economic Research and the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Economics in the Miller College of Business, will be speaking about employment and economic activity in Jay County and East Central Indiana. 

•Learned that discussions are continuing with the Army Corp of Engineers, the city and Jay County on flood mitigation. At a recent meeting with Norfolk Southern, the railroad company was hesitant to tear down its bridge over Salamonie River but was open to possibly modify it. The bridge acts as a dam, Geesaman said. 

“The No.1 thing is … you take 3 to 4 feet of water in the downtown area, and if that bridge was out, that alone would take it down to 6 inches,” Geesaman said.  

•Heard from Brewster that several people had asked that Elder Street could be no parking during drop off and pick up at General Shanks Elementary. Geesaman said he would look into the issue. 

•Were told a 9/11 tribute run/walk will be held in Portland on Tuesday commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The event kicks off at 5:15 p.m. at Freedom Park and participants will go through downtown and around Portland before returning to the park. 

•Paid claims of $1,554,737.41.