Housing discussion

The county is working on a plan for how to use its new property.

Its next step is to hear from developers and narrow other projects to be completed with American Rescue Plan Act dollars.

Jay County Council discussed ideas and steps to take during a meeting Wednesday.

Council and Jay County Commissioners met in executive session prior to the meeting, hearing from representatives from RQAW and Kleinpeter Consulting. (RQAW recently conducted a water and wastewater analysis on the 68 acres along Indiana 67.) Commissioners approved a contract Monday with Kleinpeter Consulting for services as a certified grant writer for the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affair’s Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program, which serves as an initiative for communities to plan how to spend at least a third of their American Rescue Plan Act funds.

“The big question on my mind was always, ‘What’s the first starting point?’” asked council president Jeanne Houchins during the public meeting. “What’s the next step?”

Victoria Templeton, project manager at RQAW, explained the next step would be to conduct a market study. Answering a question from council member Cindy Bracy, Templeton said the county completed a market study in 2020. (It’s valid for three to five years.) The study averaged 60 cents per square foot in rent, she added.

“So when they’re looking at building a building, there’s not a lot of return,” explained Templeton. “So, I think that’s going to be your biggest hurdle, is what kind of incentives do they have to build here? Because they’re not getting a lot of profit out of building here.”

Susie Ripley with RQAW interjected that the issue is prevalent throughout the state. Because of an ongoing housing need, she added, developers don’t have to look far for their next project. She highlighted the connections Templeton has with developers as a positive factor for Jay County looking forward.

“The fact that she has those relationships means that you have a chance to get them to come to actually build it,” she said. “Developers are just in such high demand right now. There’s so much money out there.”

Templeton said she plans to start reaching out to developers to gauge interest.

Houchins asked about funding programs available for low-income housing and developers who focus on low-income housing. (Affordable housing was one of the options available for usage of Jay County’s roughly $3.9 million American Rescue Plan Act dollars.)

Templeton noted developers typically seek Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The deadline for the annual program offered through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority is in July. She suggested the credits as an option moving forward.

Developers could install both low-income units and market-rate units in the same building, added Templeton. (Officials pointed out a need for housing available at market rate.)

Also, Mike Kleinpeter of Kleinpeter Consulting noted OCRA wants the county to begin narrowing its options for how to spend at least a third of its American Rescue Plan Act dollars. (As long as the county complies with the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program stipulations, it will be on track to secure another $1 million from OCRA.)

Ideas mentioned at the meeting Wednesday included broadband, trail projects or transitional housing at Jay County Country Living. Ripley pointed out funding may be available through the United States Department of Agriculture to improve broadband access.

Also Wednesday, council transferred $35,000 from health insurance to contractual services in the general fund to pay consulting firm Baker Tilly for accounting support for Jay County Treasurer’s Office.

Council member Harold Towell questioned the purpose.

According to an audit report filed in December, a repeat finding from 2020 showed “there were several deficiencies in the internal control system of the County Treasurer's (Treasurer) office related to financial transactions and reporting.”

Houchins explained the treasurer’s office had not been balancing its books internally or with the auditor’s office, and if it had not resolved the issue, the county would not be able to seek state for federal grants.

The county hired Baker Tilly earlier this year to identify the issue and train employees to avoid balancing errors in the future.

Also Wednesday, council members Matt Minnich, Randy May, Faron Parr, Dave Haines, Houchins, Bracy and Towell:

•Approved a joint resolution authorizing the council president to execute any and all documents necessary to direct First Merchants Bank to release $1,291,955 to IU Health Jay from its escrow fund for completed capital improvement projects. (The resolution was approved by commissioners Monday.)

•Amended the salary ordinance, increasing the Jay County Indiana Data and Communications System (IDACS) assistant coordinator’s hourly pay to $19.53, up from $18.69. The employee had received a 6% pay increase at the beginning of the year, but other employees in her division had received a 12% increase, changing the pay gap. “It was overlooked,” explained Sheriff Ray Newton.

•Made the following additional appropriations: $38,973.73 for new voting machines bought by Jay County Clerk’s Office, a purchase approved by county officials last year; $35,700.18 for new water softeners at Jay County Sheriff’s Office; $2,000 for East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center’s services; $1,747.20 to adjust the IDACS assistant coordinator’s wage; and $710 for pauper counsel at Jay County Public Defender’s Office.