December 12, 2019 at 5:48 p.m.
Requesting consideration
Purdue Extension seeks full-time role, animal control task force developing plan
The Purdue Extension office would like funding to turn a part-time position into a full-time role.
A task force working on animal control issues asked for consideration for funding as it continues to develop its plan.
Jay County Council heard presentations from both Wednesday night and indicated support for the initiatives without yet committing any dollars.
Purdue Extension educator Allison Keen and interim district director Molly Hunt presented a request for a full-time health and human sciences educator. The position, which is now vacant after the recent departure of Cheri Brown, is a part-time role.
Keen explained the employee would administer programs designed to combat substance abuse, smoking, alcohol abuse and obesity, as well as those to help strengthen families, teach life skills and assist those with diabetes.
The additional cost to the county would be just over $30,000. Jay County Commissioners on Monday said they’d be willing to fund that amount for 2020 via economic development income tax (EDIT) dollars if county council would consider adding the money to the budget beginning in 2021.
Council members said they are in support of the position, but because of the nature of the budget cannot promise that funding would be available.
“You have to understand we want to commit to it, but it’s not a 100-percent guarantee,” said council member Gary Theurer.
Council members Jeanne Houchins, Ted Champ, Cindy Newton, Faron Parr, Amy Runyon Barrett, Mike Rockwell and Theurer also heard an update from Julie Forcum of the county’s animal control task force.
Forcum told council that representatives brought in from Community Humane Society of Steuben County and Allen County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to review local animal control found “significant shortfalls with regard to facilities, record-keeping and operations based on ‘best practices.’”
For that reason, the task force is recommending “a countywide, centralized facility be properly staffed with qualified, trained personnel, using ‘best practices’ procedures for facilities combining Jay County Animal Control with Jay County Humane Society.”
The task force is continuing to develop plans for how that could be achieved, including looking at renovating an existing building or constructing a new facility. A subcommittee assigned for that task is meeting at 6 p.m. tonight at John Jay Center for Learning.
“I really want you to keep us in mind,” said Forcum. “Because I know funds, they go fast.”
Auditor Anna Culy earlier in the meeting said the county is likely to end 2019 with about $3 million in its general fund, but also expressed concern about the coming year. She noted the addition of five new positions and said it would not take long to see balances dwindle if spending is not kept under control.
She added that county council made $250,000 in additional appropriations in 2019, a number she said is too high and needs to be brought under control in 2020.
Houchins also took issue with a recent letter to the editor from Melodi Haley about Jay County Retirement Center.
She said she and her fellow council members have no agenda to close the facility, noting that council has spent more than $160,000 in the last few years to make upgrades to both the retirement center and the barn on the property.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a discussion on this council to close the retirement center,” said Houchins. “Our discussions have been held because we’re the fiscal body. We have to make sure that the money is being spent properly.”
Houchins took specific issue with a sentence in the letter that stated that most council members and commissioners had never visited the retirement center. She pointed out that six of the seven current council members were in office when the entire council took a tour of the facility.
In other business, council:
•Heard from Jay County Sheriff Dwane Ford that the population at the county jail, which at one point was about 140, has now dropped below 100 as Indiana Department of Corrections inmates have been moved to prison facilities. He said the county will seek to house inmates from surrounding counties to bring in additional funds.
Ford also said he expects a security guard to be in place for the courthouse by Feb. 1, with additional equipment such as cameras to follow.
•Approved the following additional appropriations: a total of $95,666.60 in grant funds for the Salamonie River Cleanout; $75,000 in local income tax (LIT) economic development related to the application for the Stellar Communities designation; $16,738.03 in multi-hazard mitigation that has been in process since 2016; $30,000 for the retirement center, $10,000 for jail wages and $3,121.12 for school resource officer wages in the county general fund; a total of $8,707.45 in the backhoe fund for excavator maintenance; $2,400 in Jay/Portland Building and Planning for health insurance costs; $8,000 in jury fees for paying jurors; $5,000 in the prosecutor’s deferral fund to be contributed to Jay School Corporation to install stop-arm cameras on buses; and $2,787.27 in the court interpreter fund for translation services.
•Made a series of transfers in various funds to ensure positive balances at the end of the year.
•Approved the 2020 salary ordinance, including minor adjustments to hourly rates that will simplify the payroll process.
A task force working on animal control issues asked for consideration for funding as it continues to develop its plan.
Jay County Council heard presentations from both Wednesday night and indicated support for the initiatives without yet committing any dollars.
Purdue Extension educator Allison Keen and interim district director Molly Hunt presented a request for a full-time health and human sciences educator. The position, which is now vacant after the recent departure of Cheri Brown, is a part-time role.
Keen explained the employee would administer programs designed to combat substance abuse, smoking, alcohol abuse and obesity, as well as those to help strengthen families, teach life skills and assist those with diabetes.
The additional cost to the county would be just over $30,000. Jay County Commissioners on Monday said they’d be willing to fund that amount for 2020 via economic development income tax (EDIT) dollars if county council would consider adding the money to the budget beginning in 2021.
Council members said they are in support of the position, but because of the nature of the budget cannot promise that funding would be available.
“You have to understand we want to commit to it, but it’s not a 100-percent guarantee,” said council member Gary Theurer.
Council members Jeanne Houchins, Ted Champ, Cindy Newton, Faron Parr, Amy Runyon Barrett, Mike Rockwell and Theurer also heard an update from Julie Forcum of the county’s animal control task force.
Forcum told council that representatives brought in from Community Humane Society of Steuben County and Allen County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to review local animal control found “significant shortfalls with regard to facilities, record-keeping and operations based on ‘best practices.’”
For that reason, the task force is recommending “a countywide, centralized facility be properly staffed with qualified, trained personnel, using ‘best practices’ procedures for facilities combining Jay County Animal Control with Jay County Humane Society.”
The task force is continuing to develop plans for how that could be achieved, including looking at renovating an existing building or constructing a new facility. A subcommittee assigned for that task is meeting at 6 p.m. tonight at John Jay Center for Learning.
“I really want you to keep us in mind,” said Forcum. “Because I know funds, they go fast.”
Auditor Anna Culy earlier in the meeting said the county is likely to end 2019 with about $3 million in its general fund, but also expressed concern about the coming year. She noted the addition of five new positions and said it would not take long to see balances dwindle if spending is not kept under control.
She added that county council made $250,000 in additional appropriations in 2019, a number she said is too high and needs to be brought under control in 2020.
Houchins also took issue with a recent letter to the editor from Melodi Haley about Jay County Retirement Center.
She said she and her fellow council members have no agenda to close the facility, noting that council has spent more than $160,000 in the last few years to make upgrades to both the retirement center and the barn on the property.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a discussion on this council to close the retirement center,” said Houchins. “Our discussions have been held because we’re the fiscal body. We have to make sure that the money is being spent properly.”
Houchins took specific issue with a sentence in the letter that stated that most council members and commissioners had never visited the retirement center. She pointed out that six of the seven current council members were in office when the entire council took a tour of the facility.
In other business, council:
•Heard from Jay County Sheriff Dwane Ford that the population at the county jail, which at one point was about 140, has now dropped below 100 as Indiana Department of Corrections inmates have been moved to prison facilities. He said the county will seek to house inmates from surrounding counties to bring in additional funds.
Ford also said he expects a security guard to be in place for the courthouse by Feb. 1, with additional equipment such as cameras to follow.
•Approved the following additional appropriations: a total of $95,666.60 in grant funds for the Salamonie River Cleanout; $75,000 in local income tax (LIT) economic development related to the application for the Stellar Communities designation; $16,738.03 in multi-hazard mitigation that has been in process since 2016; $30,000 for the retirement center, $10,000 for jail wages and $3,121.12 for school resource officer wages in the county general fund; a total of $8,707.45 in the backhoe fund for excavator maintenance; $2,400 in Jay/Portland Building and Planning for health insurance costs; $8,000 in jury fees for paying jurors; $5,000 in the prosecutor’s deferral fund to be contributed to Jay School Corporation to install stop-arm cameras on buses; and $2,787.27 in the court interpreter fund for translation services.
•Made a series of transfers in various funds to ensure positive balances at the end of the year.
•Approved the 2020 salary ordinance, including minor adjustments to hourly rates that will simplify the payroll process.
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