Committee tables vote on funding

Another entity has balked on appropriating money toward a proposed million-dollar animal control facility.

The Portland Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) Advisory Committee met Wednesday and tabled a vote on contributing $166,250 over the next two years, citing funding uncertainty days after Jay County Commissioners rescinded their funding commitment.

“Well, I see this as the county’s problem,” Portland Mayor John Boggs said at the meeting. “The county assembled a blue ribbon panel to come up with a blue ribbon solution … now they want a blue collar price tag.”

Commissioners assembled the Jay County Animal Control Task Force in 2018 to create a comprehensive plan for county-wide animal control. The task force returned with a recommendation for a new facility at an estimated cost between $1.14 million and $1.35.

Jay County Commissioners in December approved paying for a quarter of such a facility, up to a maximum of $275,000, but then rescinded that commitment Monday after two new commissioners took office. They said they’re not against such a project, but that all of the governmental units involved should weigh in before funding is approved.

Boggs said the city is willing to contribute to building a new facility, even suggesting at one point during the meeting that Portland come up with its own solution to shelter animals if Jay County and its other municipalities choose not to contribute toward the county-wide initiative.

But without assurance of county money being put toward the project, committee members advised against approving funding for the facility.

Committee member Janet Powers also had the concerns that the project has little prospect of developing the city’s economy, which is the point of the committee, suggesting Portland should look to other funds to put money toward the proposal.

The price of the building proposal, half of which is expected to be paid for through fundraising and the other half to be paid for by local governments, was also discussed at length, with task force members saying that the million-dollar figures represent the minimum requirements needed in an animal control facility to abide by guidelines recommended by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a non-profit organization.

Task force facilities chair Dean Jetter said he received two “pretty close” quotes on the cost from Fort Wayne’s Grinsfelder Associates Architects Inc. and Muncie-based Taylor Architects Inc. The group also looked into overhauling an existing building in Portland, but that would still cost around $1 million, task force members said.

In addition to the request for funds toward the building, Portland was asked to contribute $33,000 annually toward operational costs, which the EDIT committee did not vote on.