HELP takes next step

Commissioners have approved a strategic investment plan.

If approved and adopted by county council, it will spell out how to spend a portion of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Jay County Commissioners approved the plan Monday.

They also agreed to grant several requests for funding from local organizations, including almost $11,000 for a new gravel parking lot at the Freeman Scout Complex.

Jay County Development Corporation executive director Travis Richards confirmed he made some minor revisions to the plan per commissioners’ request and received the final version from Purdue University last week.

Adopting the strategic investment plan is another step in the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP), an effort conducted by Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) for communities to plan how they spend at least a third of incoming American Rescue Plan Act dollars. The plan highlights potential uses of the funding separated into four categories: advancing e-connectivity, enhancing quality of place, promoting community wellness and strengthening local economies. It includes projects currently being discussed by county officials, such as housing development — the county purchased about 68 acres within Portland city limits recently — and creating a public safety building. (The facility would house Jay Emergency Medical Service, Jay County Health Department and Jay County Coroner’s Office.)

After adopting the plan, the county’s next steps will be to begin allocating funds for proposed projects. Communities must allocate American Rescue Plan Act dollars by Dec. 31, 2024, per federal guidelines, and have spent the money by Dec. 31, 2026.

Commissioners also agreed to approve the following Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) funding requests: $15,000 to Arts Place, $5,000 to Jay County Chamber of Commerce and $2,000 to Jay County Historical Society.

Commissioners rescinded the county’s five-year EDIT capital improvement plan in February, which set guidelines for how EDIT dollars were allocated. Several local organizations previously set to receive funding have filled out funding requests for the money they planned to receive this year. Commissioners are currently in the midst of creating a new capital improvement plan.

McGalliard suggested officials set application submission deadlines for local organizations requesting EDIT funding in 2024. Aker said that decision would fall under council’s jurisdiction, with McGalliard noting that commissioners are working on the capital improvement plan and that both entities should work together on the matter.

Also Monday, commissioners heard from Gary Maitlen, who requested funding for construction work at Jay County’s scouting facility. He explained the group has been looking into expanding its parking space at 5363 W. 450 South. Hopes are to add an additional 20 parking spaces in front of the building.

They would also like to designate the space as an emergency shelter, meaning the building needs a generator and some interior changes — adding more urinals, partitions and a handicap-accessible shower to the upstairs restroom.

In total, the work will come to a little more than $33,000. Commissioners recommended contributing $10,974 for the parking expansion with the caveat that Jay County Scouts apply for another round of funding through The Portland Foundation. (The decision moves next to council.)

Also, commissioners approved a contract for a water feasibility study by RQAW of Fishers regarding the possibility of running a looped water system to the Beacon Heights addition and a proposed condominium development off of county road 75 South. Commissioners’ contribution will be $2,225, with Portland paying the other half. Plans are to use Jay County EDIT funds for the work.

In other business, commissioners:

•Learned Indiana Department of Transportation will be replacing a small structure on Indiana 67/Indiana 18 at its intersection with U.S. 27 north of Bryant in spring 2024. An unofficial detour will reroute westbound traffic along the highway to county road 200 East, county road 600 North, U.S. 27 and onto Indiana 18.

•Signed a contract with Patriot Vending to supply snacks to the vending machine in Jay County Courthouse. (Drinks will be purchased by courthouse superintendent Bruce Sutton, a procedure that has been in place for at least five years.)

•Agreed to pay $18,400 to NuFlow Indy for the sewer repair company to reline a pipe on the northeast corner of the courthouse.

•Approved an ordinance raising the burial and headstone allowance for veterans by $200.

•Per Jay County Visitor and Tourism Bureau’s contract, approved allocating innkeeper’s tax totaling $120,346.67 to the organization. The bureau had not previously claimed some of its tax in 2019, ’20 or ’21.

•Heard the intersection of county road 200 South and Blaine Pike did not meet Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) criteria in order to be converted to a four-way stop.

•Told residents from along county road 800 East they would ask Newton to add extra patrols to the area near its intersection with Indiana 26.

•Approved claims, including the following: $21,634.31 and $18,457.50 to consulting firm Baker Tilly for accounting and reporting support at Jay County Treasurer’s Office; $17,858 to Five Star Commercial Roofing of Hartford City for a roofing project at Dunkirk Fire Department, which also houses Jay Emergency Medical Service, with commissioners noting they have been reimbursed the city’s half of the cost; $17,625.60 to Matrix Integration, which operates the county’s email server; $14,750 to Jay County Humane Society for animal control services; $1,123.05 to Indiana Bond Bank for administration fees.