Council OKs $ for park project

Pennville is one step closer to securing the funds it needs for its park improvement project.

Jay County Council OK’d moving forward with a $30,000 additional appropriation Wednesday for the town’s park revitalization plans.

Council will vote on the final decision in March. If approved as discussed, the dollars will be split equally from economic development income tax (EDIT), American Rescue Plan and wind farm economic development dollars, meaning the claim will return to Jay County Commissioners for approval. (They voiced support for the project Feb. 12.)

Tanner McClain of Pennville Park Board explained the group conducted a park survey last summer, gathering a 44% response rate. Additional soccer fields was cited as a need for the park.

“Our summer soccer program is huge. It grows every year,” said McClain. “It brings at least 130 families to Pennville every Saturday between May and June, which is huge for our town. A lot of people come from Blackford and Wells and then, of course, Jay.”

The first phase of park board’s revitalization plan calls for removing the park’s baseball diamond and converting it into three soccer fields as well as renovating basketball courts on the north side of the park and installing a pump track. Currently, the park’s soccer program can’t accommodate children older than 12. Additional space, noted McClain, would help to expand it to older teens and allow it to host a travel team.

The second phase of park board’s plan includes renovations to the pavilion, establishing pedestrian walks, building picnic shelters, relocating the utility building, renovating concessions and restrooms, developing play areas, connecting Broadway Street to the park and adding street parking.

Phase three of the plan, if pursued, would involve developing a water-related amenity.

McClain noted the park board isn’t looking to install a pool and if it moves forward with phase three it would likely construct something more similar to Berne’s splash pad.

Phase one’s total cost comes to $100,800. Pennville Park Board is looking into an agreement with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and Patronicity, a crowdfunding business that would match up to $50,000 toward the project for a $2,500 administration fee. (The partnership is a part of the CreatINg Places program available through the state for various projects, such as those related to playgrounds, public plaza development, park creation or improvements, bike and pedestrian pathways and public space enhancements.) The park board also plans to apply for a $10,000 grant through Church of Brethren, which hosts a church in the park program throughout the summer, and seek other funding sources.

So far, the park board has raised $35,530.43. McClain asked council to consider a $35,000 match. Patronicity requires funding to be split from various sources, meaning dollars allocated from the county would need to come from “separate pots,” explained McClain. Contributions of more than $10,000 would not count toward the grant match. 

County auditor Emily Franks suggested pulling from the American Rescue Plan Act fund currently at $2.4 million, the economic development income tax (EDIT) fund currently at $1.8 million or the wind farm economic development fund at $965,000. (She also mentioned potential funding from Jay County Redevelopment Commission — county attorney Wes Schemenaur explained the group is still creating a plan for its tax increment financing district dollars and may be slow to commit.)

Council vice president Cindy Bracy noted the EDIT advisory board met last in February 2023. She referenced various projects, including development of the 68 acres and the $3.9 million commitment toward installing nearly 400 miles of fiberoptic internet throughout Jay County. She questioned the county’s long-term plan for its budget.

“We have no big picture,” she said to council before turning to McClain. “I love what you’re doing, and I want to see more of this. This is not to discourage you, you are just bringing to light a super important point that we have a wish list, but we don’t have a plan, and that concerns me.”

Council president Matt Minnich said compared to other projects that have been presented to the board during his term, “it seems, from an outsider’s perspective, that Pennville is the community that’s got it put together.”

He spoke in favor of the project, but also pointed to Bracy’s comments.

“There’s only so many buckets we have to take from, and we are — I think we’ve spent every dollar we have for the next five years about three times, that’s my concern,” he said.

Local resident John Gibson offered to contribute $5,000 toward the project if the county supplied $30,000.

After more discussion, council members Dave Haines, Randy May, Faron Parr, Minnich and Bracy, absent Jeanne Houchins and with Harold Towell dissenting — he requested council speak with commissioners first — OK’d moving forward with the additional appropriation.

Also Wednesday, council approved an economic development agreement with Hodson Energy. The company is planning New Jay Solar, a 220-acre solar facility in Richland Township east of Dunkirk. Commissioners approved the economic development agreement — the company will provide $2.516 million in economic development funds to Jay County over four years — as well as road use and decommissioning agreements with Hodson Energy on Feb. 12.

In other business, council:

•Appointed Chuck Huffman and Faron Parr to Jay County Redevelopment Commission.

•Approved changes to the personnel policy handbook for county employees, which include adding a workplace relationship disclosure, adjusting Jay County Highway Department’s work hours, specifying language related to personal leave  and compensating all Jay County Sheriff’s Office and Jay County Jail employees for eight hours of holiday pay at their standard hourly rate on holidays.

•Made the following additional appropriations: $158,440 for Jay County Community Corrections from grant dollars; $119,144.47 for Jay County Visitors and Tourism Bureau from the innkeepers tax; $52,050.46 for professional services from REA related to planning for the development of the county’s 68 acres, with Towell and Bracy dissenting; $30,000 for firearms at Jay County Sheriff’s Office from state funding; $6,000 for cornerstone location; $5,000 for a Jay Circuit Court appointed doctor; $3,240 for pauper counsel; $2,000 for Jay County Country Living’s resident activities from donations; $1,592.24 for Purdue Extension Office of Jay County; and $815.98 for Jay County Prosecutor’s Office to purchase four new Glocks.

•Transferred $16,000 from the highway department’s employer Public Employees' Retirement Fund to its workers compensation fund and $2,000 from the Jay County Assessor’s travel and mileage fund to its gas, lube and oil fund.