Funds OK'd for Hood project

Jay County Development Corporation may put some of its wind farm money toward a building project near downtown Portland.

Jay County Commissioners will also kick in some funding.

At their meeting Monday, Jay County Commissioners approved the use of up to $75,000 in economic development funds from Bluff Point Wind Energy Center to go toward purchasing the Hood Building for a future development.

Forza Commercial Real Estate of Indianapolis has submitted a letter of interest in the property at 309 W. Main St., Portland, which is the home of The Commercial Review.

According to its preliminary plan, the company would renovate building’s upper two floors into a residential space. The CR would continue to occupy the lower two floors and the basement. Forza would likely also build an additional structure to house more apartments.

Community developer Ami Huffman has proposed that several local government entities collaborate to purchase the Hood Building for $300,000 and hold it for future development — either by Forza or another company.

The CR’s publisher, Jack Ronald, is also entertaining an offer to purchase both the newspaper operations and the building itself. But that would take the building and the paper out of local control, Huffman pointed out.

“There’s 22 jobs by our local paper with no guarantee that if that were to be purchased, that those would be retained or how many,” Huffman said.

Huffman has already proposed the project to Portland Economic Development Corporation and Portland Redevelopment Commission, and both boards are considering their involvement.

She asked commissioners Monday if they would allow Jay County Development Corporation to also chip in for the project with economic development money generated by NextEra Energy Resources’ Bluff Point facility.

Last year, commissioners earmarked $200,000 of the wind farm economic development funds for JCDC, with $50,000 for each of JCDC’s four strategic goals. Huffman proposed that JCDC use the full $50,000 from the housing goal fund and $25,000 from infrastructure to contribute $75,000 to the project.

While the development would be Portland-centric, Huffman said keeping the paper locally owned will help Jay County as a whole. The sale of the building would recapitalize the newspaper, allowing it to continue operating under local ownership.

“I believe that by retaining the newspaper in its current state, that does ensure coverage throughout the county more than if someone from outside would have managed that,” she said.

Commissioner Chuck Huffman agreed, adding that the county could contribute another $25,000 in economic development income tax (EDIT) funds. That would bring the county’s total investment in the project to one-third of the initial cost.

“I think that there’s few things more important to any entity, any governmental entity, than having local control of the media,” he said. “To me that’s worth additional investment.”

Commissioners voted to allow JCDC to use its wind farm money for the purchase and to also contribute $25,000 in EDIT funds. Both are contingent on JCDC’s executive board approving the spending and the other funding falling into place.

Commissioners Mike Leonhard, Chad Aker and Huffman also approved purchasing a used Ford F750 and Ford F550 from Moser Motors for $94,950 total. The company gave the city a $2,000 discount for buying the pair together.

The highway department’s current dump trucks date back to the early ’90s, superintendent Donnie Corn said, and need to be replaced. One is facing a $26,000 engine repair bill, while the other’s maximum speed is about 35 mph.

Also OK’d was the purchase of a trailer for $6,400 from I-69 Trailer Center in Markle.

In other business, commissioners:

•Scheduled an executive session for 3 p.m. Wednesday in the commissioners’ room at Jay County Courthouse.

•Heard that mowers purchased from Hoosier Equipment in Plymouth are having problems. Corn told commissioners that he’s had to replace hydraulic hoses and that some of the welding work was sloppy. Also, the highway department has been unable to get ahold of any employees about replacing the mower blades. County attorney Bill Hinkle will send a letter to the company detailing the repairs, which should be covered under warranties, and seek reimbursement.

•Approved payments of $13,856.25 for the Jay County Regional Sewer District’s bond and two payments of $1,430.52 each for debt service.

•Briefly discussed whether employees of Jay County Solid Waste Management District could be incorporated as county employees and receive benefits. Auditor Anna Culy said she would talk with a representative from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance next month about the county’s options.