November 10, 2020 at 5:58 p.m.
Public spars about JCDC, tourism
Some call for removal, others come to defense of employees
Public spars about JCDC, tourism
The employment future of employees of Jay County Visitors and Tourism Bureau and Jay County Development Corporation drew a crowd to Monday’s Jay County Commissioners meeting.
There were about 40 in attendance at the meeting, some calling for visitors and tourism bureau employee Blake Watson and JCDC director of community development Ami Huffman to be fired for comments made on Facebook regarding the Oct. 25 “American Patriots Day” event and others speaking in their support.
On the day of the event, Watson made a Facebook post that encouraged residents “not to patronize” businesses that were involved in supporting it. (There was contention over whether the event was a political rally — it was advertised for attendees to support “your country … your president … your Constitutional rights … your military … your police, fire and first responders” — but organizers said it was not intended to be political.) In an unrelated post in a private Facebook group, Huffman said she “took note of the local businesses that support this.”
Both posts were removed, and both organizations issued apologies for the comments later that week.
Comments from eight individuals, including several business owners, calling for Watson and Huffman’s removal generally focused on damage to local businesses.
They said there is a loss of trust that Watson and Huffman are looking out for the best interests for all business owners in Jay County.
The six who spoke specifically in support of Huffman noted that she made no call for a “boycott” and referenced the millions in grant dollars she has helped bring to Jay County. They were also critical of commissioner-elect Brian McGalliard for distributing her post that was made in a private group. (McGalliard later clarified that he had not “broken into” the group but rather that a screenshot had been sent to him.)
The comments at times turned contentious.
Others who spoke called for level heads to prevail, with Jay County Republican chair Jenae Blasdel asking to “put yourself in the other shoes” and that the First Amendment doesn’t stop “just where we agree with it.”
Ted Champ, a Democrat Jay County Council member, pleaded for Jay County to pull together.
“What’s going on at the national level, let’s not bring that to Jay County,” he said. “It’s not necessary. …
“There is good people on both sides, people that care about Jay County, that put the time in for Jay County …”
Both the visitors and tourism bureau and JCDC are governed by independent boards. The former is funded via the local innkeepers’ tax, which was put in place specifically for that purpose, while the bulk of the funding for the latter comes from the county commissioners.
Commissioners Chuck Huffman and Chad Aker, absent Mike Leonhard, took no action, saying they are giving the respective boards time to work through the process of investigating the comments.
Commissioners also tabled a vote on approval of JCDC’s five-year plan for economic development income tax dollars. Those funds are separate from the organization’s annual budget.
The plan calls for EDIT funds to be used for spec buildings, the development of industrial land, the acquisition of land for industrial, residential and commercial use, investment in the downtown area, revolving loans for area businesses, blight eradication and as a match for grants such as Indiana Department of Transportation’s Community Crossings program. It was brought to commissioners for final approval after being OK’d by city and town councils in Jay County over the last few months.
Also Monday, commissioners heard a plan from Wayne Burrell of Florida-based Future Energy Solutions about the installation of new lighting at Jay County Jail.
Phillips’ proposal calls for replacing all of the interior light bulbs and exterior bulbs and fixtures with more energy efficient LED bulbs at no cost to the county. The company would also be responsible for maintenance.
Burrell explained that his company would be paid out of the savings realized from using more energy efficient bulbs. He estimated $298,000 in lower energy bills over that period, of which about $158,000 of that to go to Phillips and the rest representing savings for the county.
Commissioners said they plan to review the information and discuss it further when Leonhard is present.
Jay County Sheriff Dwane Ford also presented two quotes for a body scanner for the jail. The scanners would be used to help detect drugs and other objects upon booking someone into the jail. The two options presented Monday had different features. Commissioners requested that Ford return with three quotes on equipment with the same features to allow an “apples-to-apples” comparison.
In other business, commissioners:
•Acting as the drainage board, approved the following: allowing Rex Journay to enclose a section of ditch on his property at his own expense; vacating a tile on the Tony Oswalt property, which sits to the north and west of Loblolly Marsh Nature Preserve.
•Approved the purchase and “remount” of a new chassis from Braun Ambulances of Van Wert, Ohio, for one of the Jay Emergency Medical Service ambulances at a cost of $124,219. Also approved the purchase of two power cots from Stryker at a cost of $37,470, the bulk of which will be paid for from funds left over from an ambulance insurance claim. John McFarland also shared that JEMS used its new LUCAS chest compression system for the first time, saying it saved seven minutes and that the patient it was used on was resuscitated.
•Heard a recommendation from the county’s personnel committee — made up of Jeanne Houchins, Ted Champ and Huffman — that county engineer Dan Watson’s salary stay as it currently is with the same 1% raise as other employees in the same job classification. It also recommended that 2021 be the last year for a contract with the county engineer as opposed to being a county employee. Jay County Council had previously approved an $18,000 raise for Watson, who made the request because Indiana Department of Transportation provides a $40,000 stipend to counties for employing a full-time, licensed engineer.
•OK’d the purchase of a new bed and other equipment for a highway department dump truck from W.A. Jones of Columbia City at a cost of $68,684. Department superintendent Donnie Corn also said he plans to have bids for new chip and seal equipment at the next commissioners meeting.
•Heard from Watson that road paving following the Bitter Ridge Wind Farm project is complete. He noted that some shoulder work and other clean-up is still being done and should be complete by the end of the year.
•Were updated on a recent discussion about creating an ordinance to lay out procedures for when a road needs to be cut for the purpose of laying drainage tile. County attorney Bill Hinkle found that an ordinance covering that issue was put in place in 2002. Taking such action requires a permit and specifies how the road must be prepared. There is no fee for the permit, but a fine is possible if the requirements are not met.
•Approved the following: a resolution formalizing the county’s responsibility to maintain the roads in Golfbrook Estates; a contract with Jay County Solid Waste Management District to continue to place permanent recycling trailers at Jay County Sheriff’s Office; a $110,040 contract for the county’s Purdue Extension office for 2021; a plan to use the $99,610 insurance “bonus” received for 2019 to increase the county’s contribution to employee insurance; adjusting the 2021 county calendar to observe the Christmas Eve and Christmas holidays on Thursday, Dec. 23, and Friday, Dec. 24, since Christmas falls on a Saturday; payment of claims of $1,595.40 from Verizon Wireless, $722.75 from True Value, $550 from Newsome Tree and Stump Removal and $495.74 from Thyssenkrupp Elevator.
There were about 40 in attendance at the meeting, some calling for visitors and tourism bureau employee Blake Watson and JCDC director of community development Ami Huffman to be fired for comments made on Facebook regarding the Oct. 25 “American Patriots Day” event and others speaking in their support.
On the day of the event, Watson made a Facebook post that encouraged residents “not to patronize” businesses that were involved in supporting it. (There was contention over whether the event was a political rally — it was advertised for attendees to support “your country … your president … your Constitutional rights … your military … your police, fire and first responders” — but organizers said it was not intended to be political.) In an unrelated post in a private Facebook group, Huffman said she “took note of the local businesses that support this.”
Both posts were removed, and both organizations issued apologies for the comments later that week.
Comments from eight individuals, including several business owners, calling for Watson and Huffman’s removal generally focused on damage to local businesses.
They said there is a loss of trust that Watson and Huffman are looking out for the best interests for all business owners in Jay County.
The six who spoke specifically in support of Huffman noted that she made no call for a “boycott” and referenced the millions in grant dollars she has helped bring to Jay County. They were also critical of commissioner-elect Brian McGalliard for distributing her post that was made in a private group. (McGalliard later clarified that he had not “broken into” the group but rather that a screenshot had been sent to him.)
The comments at times turned contentious.
Others who spoke called for level heads to prevail, with Jay County Republican chair Jenae Blasdel asking to “put yourself in the other shoes” and that the First Amendment doesn’t stop “just where we agree with it.”
Ted Champ, a Democrat Jay County Council member, pleaded for Jay County to pull together.
“What’s going on at the national level, let’s not bring that to Jay County,” he said. “It’s not necessary. …
“There is good people on both sides, people that care about Jay County, that put the time in for Jay County …”
Both the visitors and tourism bureau and JCDC are governed by independent boards. The former is funded via the local innkeepers’ tax, which was put in place specifically for that purpose, while the bulk of the funding for the latter comes from the county commissioners.
Commissioners Chuck Huffman and Chad Aker, absent Mike Leonhard, took no action, saying they are giving the respective boards time to work through the process of investigating the comments.
Commissioners also tabled a vote on approval of JCDC’s five-year plan for economic development income tax dollars. Those funds are separate from the organization’s annual budget.
The plan calls for EDIT funds to be used for spec buildings, the development of industrial land, the acquisition of land for industrial, residential and commercial use, investment in the downtown area, revolving loans for area businesses, blight eradication and as a match for grants such as Indiana Department of Transportation’s Community Crossings program. It was brought to commissioners for final approval after being OK’d by city and town councils in Jay County over the last few months.
Also Monday, commissioners heard a plan from Wayne Burrell of Florida-based Future Energy Solutions about the installation of new lighting at Jay County Jail.
Phillips’ proposal calls for replacing all of the interior light bulbs and exterior bulbs and fixtures with more energy efficient LED bulbs at no cost to the county. The company would also be responsible for maintenance.
Burrell explained that his company would be paid out of the savings realized from using more energy efficient bulbs. He estimated $298,000 in lower energy bills over that period, of which about $158,000 of that to go to Phillips and the rest representing savings for the county.
Commissioners said they plan to review the information and discuss it further when Leonhard is present.
Jay County Sheriff Dwane Ford also presented two quotes for a body scanner for the jail. The scanners would be used to help detect drugs and other objects upon booking someone into the jail. The two options presented Monday had different features. Commissioners requested that Ford return with three quotes on equipment with the same features to allow an “apples-to-apples” comparison.
In other business, commissioners:
•Acting as the drainage board, approved the following: allowing Rex Journay to enclose a section of ditch on his property at his own expense; vacating a tile on the Tony Oswalt property, which sits to the north and west of Loblolly Marsh Nature Preserve.
•Approved the purchase and “remount” of a new chassis from Braun Ambulances of Van Wert, Ohio, for one of the Jay Emergency Medical Service ambulances at a cost of $124,219. Also approved the purchase of two power cots from Stryker at a cost of $37,470, the bulk of which will be paid for from funds left over from an ambulance insurance claim. John McFarland also shared that JEMS used its new LUCAS chest compression system for the first time, saying it saved seven minutes and that the patient it was used on was resuscitated.
•Heard a recommendation from the county’s personnel committee — made up of Jeanne Houchins, Ted Champ and Huffman — that county engineer Dan Watson’s salary stay as it currently is with the same 1% raise as other employees in the same job classification. It also recommended that 2021 be the last year for a contract with the county engineer as opposed to being a county employee. Jay County Council had previously approved an $18,000 raise for Watson, who made the request because Indiana Department of Transportation provides a $40,000 stipend to counties for employing a full-time, licensed engineer.
•OK’d the purchase of a new bed and other equipment for a highway department dump truck from W.A. Jones of Columbia City at a cost of $68,684. Department superintendent Donnie Corn also said he plans to have bids for new chip and seal equipment at the next commissioners meeting.
•Heard from Watson that road paving following the Bitter Ridge Wind Farm project is complete. He noted that some shoulder work and other clean-up is still being done and should be complete by the end of the year.
•Were updated on a recent discussion about creating an ordinance to lay out procedures for when a road needs to be cut for the purpose of laying drainage tile. County attorney Bill Hinkle found that an ordinance covering that issue was put in place in 2002. Taking such action requires a permit and specifies how the road must be prepared. There is no fee for the permit, but a fine is possible if the requirements are not met.
•Approved the following: a resolution formalizing the county’s responsibility to maintain the roads in Golfbrook Estates; a contract with Jay County Solid Waste Management District to continue to place permanent recycling trailers at Jay County Sheriff’s Office; a $110,040 contract for the county’s Purdue Extension office for 2021; a plan to use the $99,610 insurance “bonus” received for 2019 to increase the county’s contribution to employee insurance; adjusting the 2021 county calendar to observe the Christmas Eve and Christmas holidays on Thursday, Dec. 23, and Friday, Dec. 24, since Christmas falls on a Saturday; payment of claims of $1,595.40 from Verizon Wireless, $722.75 from True Value, $550 from Newsome Tree and Stump Removal and $495.74 from Thyssenkrupp Elevator.
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