July 18, 2019 at 1:53 a.m.
Tax abatements approved
Jay County Council
Tax abatements approved
Two poultry facilities will receive tax abatements on their expansions.
Jay County Council on Wednesday approved tax abatements for projects totaling $5.13 million for Minnich Poultry and $1.02 million for Reier Pullets.
It also appropriated funding for a pair of road projects and approved new pay rates on the recommendation of the county’s personnel committee.
Travis Richards, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation, and Steve Reier of Reier Pullets presented the requests last month for abatements of five and three years, respectively, for the projects.
Minnich is planning to construct four new laying barns at its facility on county road 300 North near the Ohio line. They are expected to result in four new jobs while helping keep 65 jobs.
Reier is planning to construct three pullet barns, with an expectation of adding two new jobs and retaining two jobs.
The facilities will be cage-free.
Council members Jeanne Houchins, Ted Champ, Mike Rockwell, Cindy Newton, Gary Theurer, Amy Runyon-Barrett and Faron Parr approved the requests on the recommendation of the county’s tax abatement advisory committee.
The abatements are projected to save Minnich $263,183 in taxes over five years and Reier $34,942 over the course of three years.
Council also OK’d additional appropriations totaling $300,000 for two road projects.
Two-thirds of that amount will go toward converting three stretches of road from stone to chip-and-seal. The longest of those is just over a mile of county road 200 West between county road 400 South and Mount Pleasant Road. Also on the list is about three-quarters of a mile of county road 300 South extending east from county road 200 West and a half-mile of county road 350 South extending east from county road 200 West.
County road 350 South is already chip-and-seal from county road 100 West to just beyond Bickel’s Equipment Rental, and county road 300 South is already chip-and-seal between county road 100 West and Blaine Pike.
The other $100,000 was the local match for recently completed paving projects in Salamonia, Bryant and Pennville. The other funding for that work came via Community Crossings grants from Indiana Department of Transporation.
On recommendation from the personnel committee — commissioner Chuck Huffman, Houchins and Champ — council approved a new rate of $13.94 per hour for training hours for the coroner’s office. There was no rate for training in place.
Also approved was a rate of $60 per week, plus the regular hourly rate for calls, for highway department employees who are on call.
Council did not take any action on the school resource officer agreement that was approved Monday by Jay School Board. Attorney Bill Hinkle said he had not yet received the final signed agreement from the Jay Schools Indianapolis-based attorney. Council plans to review the agreement at its August meeting, with the position likely to be put in place at the start of 2020.
In other business, council:
•Heard an update from Julie Forcum, who is chairing a countywide committee that is studying animal control. The committee is working on a comprehensive plan that involves ordinance updates, shelter space and staffing. Forcum had previously updated Jay County Commissioners and Portland City Council.
•Talked briefly about the budget process, with auditor Anna Culy noting that money could be tight with the planned addition of positions including courthouse security and a school resource officer. Culy will meet with a representative from Indiana’s Department of Local Government Finance on July 30 to discuss the budget.
•Approved the following additional appropriations: $70,350 in grant funding for Jay County Community Corrections to cover operating costs for the rest of 2020; $40,750 from the general fund for maintenance at Jay County Jail; $30,357.54 from the infrastructure fund to cover the bond for Jay County Regional Sewer District; and $20,204.12 from Jay Superior Court substance abuse fees to pay Meridian Services for administering the program.
•Transferred $1,000 to machinery & equipment from the courthouse in the general fund for the purchase of a new mower.
•Heard Melodi Haley for the new part-time financial position at Jay County Retirement Center.
Jay County Council on Wednesday approved tax abatements for projects totaling $5.13 million for Minnich Poultry and $1.02 million for Reier Pullets.
It also appropriated funding for a pair of road projects and approved new pay rates on the recommendation of the county’s personnel committee.
Travis Richards, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation, and Steve Reier of Reier Pullets presented the requests last month for abatements of five and three years, respectively, for the projects.
Minnich is planning to construct four new laying barns at its facility on county road 300 North near the Ohio line. They are expected to result in four new jobs while helping keep 65 jobs.
Reier is planning to construct three pullet barns, with an expectation of adding two new jobs and retaining two jobs.
The facilities will be cage-free.
Council members Jeanne Houchins, Ted Champ, Mike Rockwell, Cindy Newton, Gary Theurer, Amy Runyon-Barrett and Faron Parr approved the requests on the recommendation of the county’s tax abatement advisory committee.
The abatements are projected to save Minnich $263,183 in taxes over five years and Reier $34,942 over the course of three years.
Council also OK’d additional appropriations totaling $300,000 for two road projects.
Two-thirds of that amount will go toward converting three stretches of road from stone to chip-and-seal. The longest of those is just over a mile of county road 200 West between county road 400 South and Mount Pleasant Road. Also on the list is about three-quarters of a mile of county road 300 South extending east from county road 200 West and a half-mile of county road 350 South extending east from county road 200 West.
County road 350 South is already chip-and-seal from county road 100 West to just beyond Bickel’s Equipment Rental, and county road 300 South is already chip-and-seal between county road 100 West and Blaine Pike.
The other $100,000 was the local match for recently completed paving projects in Salamonia, Bryant and Pennville. The other funding for that work came via Community Crossings grants from Indiana Department of Transporation.
On recommendation from the personnel committee — commissioner Chuck Huffman, Houchins and Champ — council approved a new rate of $13.94 per hour for training hours for the coroner’s office. There was no rate for training in place.
Also approved was a rate of $60 per week, plus the regular hourly rate for calls, for highway department employees who are on call.
Council did not take any action on the school resource officer agreement that was approved Monday by Jay School Board. Attorney Bill Hinkle said he had not yet received the final signed agreement from the Jay Schools Indianapolis-based attorney. Council plans to review the agreement at its August meeting, with the position likely to be put in place at the start of 2020.
In other business, council:
•Heard an update from Julie Forcum, who is chairing a countywide committee that is studying animal control. The committee is working on a comprehensive plan that involves ordinance updates, shelter space and staffing. Forcum had previously updated Jay County Commissioners and Portland City Council.
•Talked briefly about the budget process, with auditor Anna Culy noting that money could be tight with the planned addition of positions including courthouse security and a school resource officer. Culy will meet with a representative from Indiana’s Department of Local Government Finance on July 30 to discuss the budget.
•Approved the following additional appropriations: $70,350 in grant funding for Jay County Community Corrections to cover operating costs for the rest of 2020; $40,750 from the general fund for maintenance at Jay County Jail; $30,357.54 from the infrastructure fund to cover the bond for Jay County Regional Sewer District; and $20,204.12 from Jay Superior Court substance abuse fees to pay Meridian Services for administering the program.
•Transferred $1,000 to machinery & equipment from the courthouse in the general fund for the purchase of a new mower.
•Heard Melodi Haley for the new part-time financial position at Jay County Retirement Center.
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD