Down time is good for reflection

COVID-19 has been a news tsunami.

It’s been so overwhelming in its scope and breadth that other issues have tended to fall by the wayside.

But those issues aren’t going to go away, and local leaders would be wise to use this stay-at-home time to do some deep thinking about the post-pandemic future.

What kinds of issues are we talking about?

•Flood control. It’s been chewed on for years, and it’s not a very sexy issue politically. But it’s tremendously important — particularly for downtown Portland businesses — and needs to continue to be near the top of the agenda. Months of back and forth with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have essentially gone nowhere. The only solution that makes sense to the Corps — a huge open ditch across Jay County Fairgrounds to an already overloaded drainage system east of Portland — is one that makes no sense to the city, the fair board or anyone else who has given the issue a moment’s thought.

•Downtown redevelopment. Every small town needs to work on this, and it could be especially challenging after retail businesses have been clobbered by COVID-19 restrictions. Community developer Ami Huffman has been working on this with Redkey, Pennville, Dunkirk and Portland. Those efforts may need to be redoubled in the months ahead.

•Housing. While plans for a new development north of CrownPointe Assisted Living Center are exciting, the fact is that one project is not enough. Every Jay County city and town has too much substandard housing, too many blighted properties and not enough top quality housing opportunities of the sort that will attract new residents and spur growth.

•Workforce development. John Jay Center for Learning and Jay School Corporation have been doing excellent work on this over the past few years. But it’s entirely possible that the post-pandemic work environment will be something very different. Will the same skills be needed? Are there other skills that need to be developed? What will the landscape look like after 2020?

•Internet access. Jay Schools and Watch Communications have been making exciting things happen during the stay-at-home period. But rural communities will continue to be at a significant disadvantage unless and until reliable, fast, affordable internet access is readily available in every corner of the county.

•Drug dependency. The Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition is hammering away at the issue, but one suspects that the pandemic could — in the long run — make matters worse. Despair, alienation and a sense of hopelessness contribute to the problem. Those all could spike in the months to come.

It’s a daunting list.

But maybe a little reflection during this period of “down time” could help come up with innovative and creative solutions.

That’s your homework, Jay County. Get to work. — J.R.