May 11, 2023 at 6:21 p.m.
Funds OK’d
A month after motion failed to draw a second, $$ for humane society were approved on split vote
Funds OK’d
By Bailey Cline-
Jay County Humane Society is getting its funding.
Jay County Council made a $137,500 additional appropriation Wednesday on a split vote for a contribution toward the renovation of the organization’s new location.
The approval came a month after a motion to appropriate the funds died for lack of a second.
The humane society last year purchased the former Fastenal building along Indiana 67 on the western edge of Portland. It is in the midst of a project to renovate the building as its new headquarters. The total cost, with land acquisition, construction and other fees is about $1.2 million.
Jay County Commissioners and council agreed in March 2022 to pay $275,000 to the organization for the project. Commissioners and council gave half of the amount, $137,500, last year. (Commissioners agreed to give half up front and the remainder after construction started on the building.) Muhlenkamp Construction recently started working on the facility.
Mindy Weaver, treasurer of Jay County Humane Society and co-chair of the organization’s fundraising committee, explained Wednesday the new facility will house at least 40 dogs and roughly 100 or more cats. Its current building only has 12 dog kennels and a small area for cat cages.
Council member Cindy Bracy asked Weaver what will happen if the shelter gets more than 40 dogs. Weaver noted there are other areas in the building that could be used to house dogs. (The building has room for additional cages as well as room to expand in the future if needed.)
“With the location that we have, I don’t think that will be an issue,” she added. “Being on the highway, I think we’re going to get a lot of people coming in, I think adoptions will move along.”
Council member Harold Towell noted he’s fielded several calls about animal control since he took office in August 2021, mostly, he said, from residents against investing in the humane society.
“We’ve got to remember that we’re in a budget deficit from this year,” said Towell. “We’re a million dollars in the hole because we gave raises … because we had to keep people to run this county. And the people that said they don’t want anything to do with it, it’s not because of what it is, it’s the scope of it.”
Council member Matt Minnich said he felt like the contribution was a hand out to Jay County Humane Society, an organization the county doesn’t own. (County officials had discussed taking ownership of the organization before but have not chosen to do so.) He advocated for incorporating it into the animal control contract, which stipulates the organization meet certain criteria.
“While I agree we need to do something, I disagree in the way we chose to do something,” he said.
Council president Jeanne Houchins explained the organization’s current building is constantly overcrowded, and she advocated for having a larger facility to meet expansion needs. She asked council members what they should do if they don’t renew a contract next year with the organization, beckoning Sheriff Ray Newton to the front of the room.
“If we do away with the humane society, who’s going to take care of the problem?” asked Newton. “We’re going to have a big problem, because they’re going to be calling us, telling us (at the sheriff’s office) we need to do something, and we can’t.”
Smaller animals, such as dogs and cats, aren’t the only creatures his office receives calls about. He also referenced larger animals, such as horses, that have caused issues.
“We need someone that’s going to be able to do it,” he said.
Several officials also pointed out the funding had already been approved.
“I think the complaints against it are spilled milk,” said council member Dave Haines, noting that the decision was made prior to him joining county council.
The humane society has been providing animal control to the county since the end of 2020, when former animal control officers Bill and Kathy Field retired. (Midwest Pet Refuge also helped with animal control in the past and subcontracted with the organization.)
Jay County Humane Society is paid $55,000 annually — it’s split into quarterly payments — for its services to the county.
Council member Faron Parr reminded council the animal control issue has been going on for nearly five years. (A task force for animal control was created in 2018. The task force presented options to the county near the end of 2020.) He pointed to his time as a commissioner.
“I never, in my 12 years, going to conference ever met another commissioner at another county in this state that spent less than what we spent on animal control. We got off cheap for years,” he said. “We did it as long as we could, until (the Fields) retired, and nobody else could take it on …”
He added that the county made a commitment toward the project and should honor it.
“We’re setting a bad example I want to be no part of, is promising somebody the money and earmarking it and sitting on it for a few years until you’re ready for it, and then back out on giving it to you, what the heck kind of presence does that say about any of us?” he said.
On 4-2 vote, council approved — Minnich and Towell dissenting — to make the $137,500 additional appropriation. (Council member Randy May was absent from the meeting.) Several Jay County Humane Society members in the crowd applauded following the decision.
Also Wednesday, council approved — Minnich abstaining — a five-year tax abatement with Minnich Poultry of rural Portland. Travis Richards, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation, explained the company plans to add three laying barns to its egg facility. Minnich Poultry will save an estimated $297,279 in taxes with the abatement. The company will pay $196,186 in property taxes and create an estimated five new jobs.
Council also heard from Kimbra Reynolds of Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition. Commissioners previously appointed an Opioid Settlement Task Force to determine how to spend funds received from the lawsuit with Johnson & Johnson addressing the addictiveness of opioids they marketed. The county will get more than $550,000 in unrestricted funds over the course of 18 years to be spent addressing those impacted by the opioid epidemic, and plans are in the works to use those dollars to construct a sober living facility.
In other business, council:
•Heard from county attorney Wes Schemenaur about a resolution he will propose at the next meeting to address a previously agreed capital improvement escrow agreement with IU Health Jay.
•OK’d dates for the 2024 budget process. Plans are to hold a budget review at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 6, a public hearing and first budget reading at 6 p.m. Sept. 27 and a second reading and budget adoption at 6 p.m. Oct. 11.
•Agreed to shift the July meeting to 6 p.m. July 19 in order to avoid conflicting with the Jay County Fair.
•Made the following additional appropriations: $10,974 to Jay County Scout Facility — it is used as a polling center — for expanding its parking lot with Towell opposing; $7,080.09 and $5,000 to Jay County Sheriff’s Office for ammunition and training, respectively; $5,012 to Jay County Prosecutor’s Office for equipment used to extract information from cell phones; $5,000 to Jay County Surveyor’s Office for location of cornerstones; $1,200 to Jay County Country Living for resident activities (the amount came from a donation); $580 for pauper counsel and $500 to Jay County Circuit Court for travel and mileage.
Jay County Council made a $137,500 additional appropriation Wednesday on a split vote for a contribution toward the renovation of the organization’s new location.
The approval came a month after a motion to appropriate the funds died for lack of a second.
The humane society last year purchased the former Fastenal building along Indiana 67 on the western edge of Portland. It is in the midst of a project to renovate the building as its new headquarters. The total cost, with land acquisition, construction and other fees is about $1.2 million.
Jay County Commissioners and council agreed in March 2022 to pay $275,000 to the organization for the project. Commissioners and council gave half of the amount, $137,500, last year. (Commissioners agreed to give half up front and the remainder after construction started on the building.) Muhlenkamp Construction recently started working on the facility.
Mindy Weaver, treasurer of Jay County Humane Society and co-chair of the organization’s fundraising committee, explained Wednesday the new facility will house at least 40 dogs and roughly 100 or more cats. Its current building only has 12 dog kennels and a small area for cat cages.
Council member Cindy Bracy asked Weaver what will happen if the shelter gets more than 40 dogs. Weaver noted there are other areas in the building that could be used to house dogs. (The building has room for additional cages as well as room to expand in the future if needed.)
“With the location that we have, I don’t think that will be an issue,” she added. “Being on the highway, I think we’re going to get a lot of people coming in, I think adoptions will move along.”
Council member Harold Towell noted he’s fielded several calls about animal control since he took office in August 2021, mostly, he said, from residents against investing in the humane society.
“We’ve got to remember that we’re in a budget deficit from this year,” said Towell. “We’re a million dollars in the hole because we gave raises … because we had to keep people to run this county. And the people that said they don’t want anything to do with it, it’s not because of what it is, it’s the scope of it.”
Council member Matt Minnich said he felt like the contribution was a hand out to Jay County Humane Society, an organization the county doesn’t own. (County officials had discussed taking ownership of the organization before but have not chosen to do so.) He advocated for incorporating it into the animal control contract, which stipulates the organization meet certain criteria.
“While I agree we need to do something, I disagree in the way we chose to do something,” he said.
Council president Jeanne Houchins explained the organization’s current building is constantly overcrowded, and she advocated for having a larger facility to meet expansion needs. She asked council members what they should do if they don’t renew a contract next year with the organization, beckoning Sheriff Ray Newton to the front of the room.
“If we do away with the humane society, who’s going to take care of the problem?” asked Newton. “We’re going to have a big problem, because they’re going to be calling us, telling us (at the sheriff’s office) we need to do something, and we can’t.”
Smaller animals, such as dogs and cats, aren’t the only creatures his office receives calls about. He also referenced larger animals, such as horses, that have caused issues.
“We need someone that’s going to be able to do it,” he said.
Several officials also pointed out the funding had already been approved.
“I think the complaints against it are spilled milk,” said council member Dave Haines, noting that the decision was made prior to him joining county council.
The humane society has been providing animal control to the county since the end of 2020, when former animal control officers Bill and Kathy Field retired. (Midwest Pet Refuge also helped with animal control in the past and subcontracted with the organization.)
Jay County Humane Society is paid $55,000 annually — it’s split into quarterly payments — for its services to the county.
Council member Faron Parr reminded council the animal control issue has been going on for nearly five years. (A task force for animal control was created in 2018. The task force presented options to the county near the end of 2020.) He pointed to his time as a commissioner.
“I never, in my 12 years, going to conference ever met another commissioner at another county in this state that spent less than what we spent on animal control. We got off cheap for years,” he said. “We did it as long as we could, until (the Fields) retired, and nobody else could take it on …”
He added that the county made a commitment toward the project and should honor it.
“We’re setting a bad example I want to be no part of, is promising somebody the money and earmarking it and sitting on it for a few years until you’re ready for it, and then back out on giving it to you, what the heck kind of presence does that say about any of us?” he said.
On 4-2 vote, council approved — Minnich and Towell dissenting — to make the $137,500 additional appropriation. (Council member Randy May was absent from the meeting.) Several Jay County Humane Society members in the crowd applauded following the decision.
Also Wednesday, council approved — Minnich abstaining — a five-year tax abatement with Minnich Poultry of rural Portland. Travis Richards, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation, explained the company plans to add three laying barns to its egg facility. Minnich Poultry will save an estimated $297,279 in taxes with the abatement. The company will pay $196,186 in property taxes and create an estimated five new jobs.
Council also heard from Kimbra Reynolds of Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition. Commissioners previously appointed an Opioid Settlement Task Force to determine how to spend funds received from the lawsuit with Johnson & Johnson addressing the addictiveness of opioids they marketed. The county will get more than $550,000 in unrestricted funds over the course of 18 years to be spent addressing those impacted by the opioid epidemic, and plans are in the works to use those dollars to construct a sober living facility.
In other business, council:
•Heard from county attorney Wes Schemenaur about a resolution he will propose at the next meeting to address a previously agreed capital improvement escrow agreement with IU Health Jay.
•OK’d dates for the 2024 budget process. Plans are to hold a budget review at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 6, a public hearing and first budget reading at 6 p.m. Sept. 27 and a second reading and budget adoption at 6 p.m. Oct. 11.
•Agreed to shift the July meeting to 6 p.m. July 19 in order to avoid conflicting with the Jay County Fair.
•Made the following additional appropriations: $10,974 to Jay County Scout Facility — it is used as a polling center — for expanding its parking lot with Towell opposing; $7,080.09 and $5,000 to Jay County Sheriff’s Office for ammunition and training, respectively; $5,012 to Jay County Prosecutor’s Office for equipment used to extract information from cell phones; $5,000 to Jay County Surveyor’s Office for location of cornerstones; $1,200 to Jay County Country Living for resident activities (the amount came from a donation); $580 for pauper counsel and $500 to Jay County Circuit Court for travel and mileage.
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