New target

March 1 is the new target date for heightened security at Jay County Courthouse.

“The camera thing is the only thing we’re not ready to go forward with yet,” Sheriff Dwane Ford told county commissioners Monday morning.

On Ford’s recommendation, commissioners Chuck Huffman, Mike Leonhard and Chad Aker approved spending $14,787 with Stylus Technologies, Bluffton, for a door security system and $6,000 with Fullenkamp Machine Inc., Portland, to repair and beef-up the ramp walkway at the south entrance to the building.

“It’s going to make it a lot more solid,” the sheriff said.

Ford is still seeking a second quote for a walk-through metal detector for the same entrance.

Once the system is in place, the south entrance will be the only public entrance to the building. Courthouse employees will have electronic key fobs that will allow them to open the other three doors.

All foot traffic from the south entrance will make use of the ramp, with the stairs at that location roped off.

County officials have been grappling with courthouse security issues for the past several months, urged on by the judges of Jay Circuit Court and Jay Superior Court.

Work to rebuild the current ramp is expected to take two days, during which the courthouse will not meet handicapped accessibility standards. That work will be announced in advance to minimize any inconvenience.

Commissioners fielded another request for county financial assistance Monday, this one from Jay County 4-H. Jay County Fair Board and Jay County Historical Society have both asked for help on capital projects over the past several weeks.

Beth Stephen and Dru Mercer of the Jay County 4-H Council asked commissioners to consider approving $20,000 to help repair livestock barns at the fairgrounds. The cattle barn is in particular need of major work, they said.

“No money has been put into these buildings in years,” said Mercer. “We’ve gotten behind, so now we’re addressing immediate needs.”

Some of the problems pose a safety hazard, he said.

“We don’t want anybody hurt,” he added.

Huffman and Aker urged the group to take a comprehensive look at all of the 4-H livestock barns and get at least three quotes for the cost of the work before returning to the commissioners.

“It would be a good idea to look at all the buildings,” said Aker.

The 4-H program is supported by fundraisers, donations, rental income and $6,000 annually from the county. Mercer also asked commissioners to consider increasing that annual support to $10,000 when developing the 2021 budget.

“We are constantly trying new things to increase our income,” said Mercer. “We’re running on a very, very tight rope.”

In other business, commissioners:

•Learned that the Jay County High School emergency medical technician class will graduate 19 this spring. “It’s panning out better than we anticipated,” said John McFarland of Jay Emergency Medical Service. “Jay Schools has just bent over backwards to help us out.”

•Acted as the county board of finance to approve the list of depositories and the county’s investment policy. At the request of county treasurer Paula Miller, no changes were made in the investment policy.

She noted interest income of $249,000 in 2019 and said she expects that number to decline in 2020.

•Heard county clerk Jon Eads discuss the best ways to accommodate new computer cables and wiring as his office adjusts to the state’s move to electronic filing of court documents. One option, said Eads, would be to lower the ceiling in the office. That drew a skeptical response from Leonhard. “I just don’t want to take away the beautiful look of the building,” Leonhard said.

•Signed a letter of financial commitment for matching funds to accompany the county’s latest Community Crossings grant request.

•Approved the following: the purchase of two snow plows for two new highway department dump trucks at a cost of $19,519 from MacAllister Machinery, Indianapolis; a one-year animal control contract with the Fields family for $44,000, the same amount as in 2019; the purchase of a new ventilator for JEMS at a cost of $5,095 and approved a Firehouse Subs grant application for $14,400 to purchase an automated CPR machine.

•Authorized Leonhard and Hope Confer to interview candidates for the financial adviser position at Jay County Retirement Center.

•Appointed Leonhard, Travis Richards, Barry Hudson, Carl Walker and Phil Ford to Jay County Redevelopment Commission.

•Received an annual report from Jay/Portland Building and Planning that showed 351 building permits were issued, including 15 new homes and 53 wind turbines for Bitter Ridge Wind Farm. Permit fees from the Bitter Ridge project totaled $130,000.