Sheriff’s office in need of new softeners

The sheriff’s office is in need of new water softeners.

Jay County Commissioners reviewed bids for the project Monday with Jay County Sheriff Ray Newton.

Newton explained Jay County Jail’s water softeners have been shut down since March. The jail on average uses between 200,000 and 300,000 gallons of water per month. Because of the softeners malfunctioning, last month’s total came to more than 1 million gallons.

“So our water bill’s going to be about $11,000,” he said.

The current units were replaced in 2019. Each of the three companies offering bids — Laux Plumbing of Portland, Patriot Water Solutions of Portland and Don Myers Plumbing & Heating of Berne— have told Newton the facility’s current water softeners are undersized.

Prices varied by as much as $15,000, with each carrying different specifications. Newton suggested paying for the machines using coronavirus relief funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Agreeing with a comment from Newton, commissioner Rex Journay suggested asking representatives from each company to attend a meeting and explain product specifications and their respective prices.

Commissioners took no action on the matter Monday.

Also Monday, commissioners agreed to pay county employees who work at Jay County Youth Law Enforcement Camp this summer. Newton explained that the county in the past has paid deputies working at the camp, which dates back to 2015.







Continued from page 1

Aker noted other county emergency personnel have covered the event and suggested they should also be paid for their time.

Commissioners also approved a $5,500 contract with Choice One Engineering for bidding and grant administration services for two county bridges. Plans are to put new asphalt decks on bridges on county road 200 South between Boundary Pike and U.S. 27 and Blaine Pike between county roads 150 and 250 South. Estimates for the work come to $61,733, with the majority of the cost covered by a Community Crossings grant through Indiana Department of Transportation.

In related business, commissioners approved a resolution to reassign the highway superintendent as the authorized official for signing grant applications for Indiana Department of Transportation. (Aker has been fulfilling the role since former superintendent Donnie Corn’s death almost a year ago. It requires a special certification.)

Commissioners approved a permit application for excavation work under and along county roads 300 South and 1150 West for Comcast cable.

They also awarded a $129,000 contract to Stoops of Fort Wayne for a new dump truck chassis arriving next year and emulsion contracts to Marathon, Asphalt Materials and K-Tech.

Also, commissioners opted not to create a subscription service for Jay Emergency Medical Service. Director John McFarland explained the county could offer a service similar to LifeCare, a membership program offered to citizens in Fort Wayne that helps control out-of-pocket ambulance fees not covered by medical insurance, according to its website. (Medicare and Medicaid users are not legally allowed to opt into the program.)

In other business, commissioners Brian McGalliard, Rex Journay and Chad Aker:

•Signed a proclamation declaring May 1 through May 6 as Respect for Law Enforcement week in the county at the request of Jay County Optimist clubs.

•Approved a contract with SRIServices for a tax sale slated for September. The company’s portion of the funds from the sale jumped from $100 to $125 per parcel compared to the contract from last year’s sale.

•Amended a service agreement with Beacon for the county’s Geographical Information Systems information. The amendment includes an hourly rate for data maintenance, which was previously included at no extra fee. (Beacon, also known as Schneider Geospatial, purchased former provider 39 Degrees North in 2020.) The annual cost for maintenance, which allots four hours each month, comes at $3,968 for the rest of this year and $5,952 for next year.

•Approved a pass-through agreement with LifeStream Services for its operating budget, or approximately $1,349,000. (The cost is split between 12 counties in east central Indiana and the state.)

•Tabled an annual $35,000 permit fee for Jay County Landfill — Aker noted the price hasn’t been updated since 2001, with Journay suggesting they contact landfill operator Waste Management to request an increase — and a $1,000 claim for participation in the Upper Wabash River Basin Commission.

•Agreed to pay several claims, including: $55,867.54 to Milestone Contractors for work along county road 100 North, which was reimbursed by Liberty Mutual insurance; $10,974 for adding a gravel parking lot at the Freeman Scout Complex; $7,696.50 for ammunition out of Jay County Sheriff’s Office firearms budget; about $3,000 for tree trimming and roof repairs at Jay County Country Living; and $1,885 to RQAW of Fishers for a water feasibility study 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.

•Approved applications for two new residents at Jay County Country Living.

•Paid an additional $3,516,183.53 in claims.