County tables $ for child care

County officials agree child care is a problem in Jay County.

The question is how they’re going to go about solving the issue.

Jay County Commissioners tabled a decision Monday about whether to contribute up to $700,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward a project to convert the former Judge Haynes Elementary School into a facility for child care. Commissioners plan to tour the proposed building before potentially committing funds toward renovations.

Doug Inman, executive director of The Portland Foundation, shared plans in November with Jay County Council and commissioners for purchasing the building, renovating it and developing it into a child care facility. Renovations are estimated at about $1.15 million, which includes tearing down the west wing, where the roof is failing. (Muhlenkamp Building Corporation estimated putting in a new sprinkler system would move the cost to $1.3 million.)

Jay School Corporation has agreed to donate the building as its contribution toward the project. (There are other interested parties in the building that closed its doors about three years ago.) The Portland Foundation also plans to cover up to $500,000 in architectural and engineering costs as well as equipment and supplies.

Inman proposed in November that the county contribute $975,000 and Portland contribute $325,000 to the project from federal coronavirus relief funds. Jay County Council agreed Dec. 6 to fund up to $700,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the project.

Portland City Council tabled the issue Dec. 6.

On Monday, commissioner Brian McGalliard voiced opposition to converting the former elementary school into a daycare.

“In my opinion, I don’t feel comfortable investing public funds into a 70-year-old building,” McGalliard said.

According to figures presented in November by Inman, Muhlenkamp Building Corporation estimated it would cost $7.5 million to build a new 30,000 foot facility similar to Judge Haynes. McGalliard expressed discomfort with one large facility, instead suggesting smaller daycares spread around the county.

“This doesn’t solve the whole countywide daycare problem,” he said.

Commissioner Rex Journay responded, saying the countywide daycare problem isn’t going to be solved all at once.

(According to a June report from Early Learning Indiana’s Closing the Gap program, about 753 children — infants through 5-year-olds — in Jay County are unserved. The proposed facility would serve a maximum of just over 200 children.)

Darren Saiin, who attended the meeting, also advocated for smaller facilities instead of a centralized location.

“You don’t have to make this thing enormous,” he said. “Place them around the county, other than Portland, because there’s a hell of a lot of people out here that aren’t in Portland that need help that you guys never do anything for.”

He advocated for a child care facility in Dunkirk or Redkey instead of in Portland. Saiin noted there is a higher percentage of children needing care in the southwestern part of the county. Inman explained the foundation chose Portland because it is where the majority of employers and employees work in the county.

Saiin also suggested divvying up funds to give to local businesses to expand their services instead of building a large-scale daycare.

(Neither the foundation or the county will be running the facility. Instead, a not-for-profit organization — several have expressed interest — would be tasked with its operation.)

Jay County Building and Planning director John Hemmelgarn suggested commissioners hold off on contributing funds based on potential zoning issues.

County attorney Bill Hinkle said the foundation will need an initial commitment and that it will likely hire an architect and submit plans to the state. The county’s contribution would be contingent on meeting building requirements before construction starts, he added.

Hemmelgarn suggested commissioners visit the building before making any decisions, and they agreed to do so.

Brenda Beaty of Redkey requested commissioners host the meeting during the evening so more community members are able to attend. (Council and commissioners have already held several joint sessions in the evening during which the issue has been discussed.) A date will be set after commissioners have toured the facility, possibly in January.

In related news, commissioners also signed a contract with civil engineering firm Butler, Fairman and Seufert to conduct a $14,500 feasibility study on the land south and east of Jay County Highway Department. If American Rescue Plan Act funds are committed toward housing, and if the land is found feasible for it, the county would consider constructing infrastructure in the area for housing development.

Commissioners also approved a $23,500 contract with Core Facilities president Matthew Stechly to oversee installation of two boilers at Jay County Jail.

One of the boilers at the jail is cracked, Stechly noted. Both units from Havel are just over 10 years old, and their warranty has expired. It would cost about $86,000 to purchase a new boiler from the company, noted Jay County Sheriff Dwane Ford.

 Stechly will seek bids and supervise installation on the boilers in the next few months. He proposed a contract as opposed to his previous agreements with commissioners paying him for his time and materials.

Stechly, who has been supervising projects at county buildings for almost a year, also requested the county commit to an annual contract with a flat rate.

Commissioners Journay and Aker both expressed interest in a long-term contract with Stechly.

“When you pay for this, you’re paying for the knowledge,” Aker said.

McGalliard expressed he was not comfortable with a flat rate fee and would rather stick to time and materials agreements.

“Whatever we do, we need to do it quickly,” noted Ford in reference to the boilers and upcoming winter weather.

Commissioners Aker and Journay, with McGalliard dissenting, then voted to accept a contract with Stechly for the boiler project subject to the addition that Stechly receives three payments spread out through the project (he initially requested 80% upon start and 20% upon completion).

Commissioners also adopted an ordinance to redraw county council districts. County clerk Jon Eads suggested a change in November to account for fluctuating population. Commissioners agreed to move Knox Township from District 2 to District 1, Pike Township from District 4 to District 2 and moving Wabash Township from District 3 to District 4.

The districts were previously as follows:

•District 1 — Richland and Jefferson townships

•District 2 — Knox, Penn, Jackson and Greene townships as well as the Wayne 2 precinct

•District 3 — Bearcreek and Wabash townships and the Wayne 1 and Wayne 3 precincts

•District 4 — Noble, Madison and Pike townships as well as the Wayne 4 and Wayne 7 precincts

In other news, commissioners:

•Approved vacating bridge 134, which crosses the Salamonie River on county road 200 West just north of U.S. Aggregates, following a public hearing. The decision is subject to drafting of the ordinance. (U.S. Aggregates plans to repair the bridge and use it to transport material from its new site rather than using Indiana 67.)

•Selected several bids, including: a $231,984 bid for two Western Star 47 Series dump trucks from Stoops Automotive, a $80,767 bid for leasing 258 acres near Jay County Country Living, a $3,500 bid for leasing 23 acres near the same area, a $1,394.98 bid for a tablet from Progressive Office for Jay County Assessor’s Office, a fuel bid at $2.44 per gallon from Johnson Oil. (No bids were submitted for the remaining 11.93 acres near Jay County Country Living.)

•Signed a form to participate in the national opioid settlement.

•Asked county attorney Hinkle to look into policies about bringing canines into Jay County Courthouse.

•Heard from county auditor Anna Culy that in order to maintain the current insurance policy, county employees will be required to change their passwords regularly and have multi-factor authentication set up on devices.

•Appointed Journay as a representative to Upper Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission.