County approves $700,000 in funding

A new child care facility may be on its way.

Jay County Council agreed Monday to fund up to $700,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward a project to convert the former Judge Haynes Elementary School building into a facility for child care.

The decision moves next to Jay County Commissioners at their meeting next week.

“There is a much greater demand than there is supply in his community for childhood education (and) child care,” said Doug Inman of The Portland Foundation.

Inman explained plans to council and commissioners in November for purchasing the building, renovating it and developing it is a child care facility. Architect and engineering firm Barton-Coe-Vilamaa determined renovations would cost about $1.2 million, which includes tearing down the west wing, where the roof is failing.

(Muhlenkamp Building Corporation also estimated renovations plus a new sprinkler system to cost just over $1.3 million.)

Jay School Corporation has agreed to donate the building as its contribution toward the project. (There are other interested parties in the building that closed its doors about three years ago.) The Portland Foundation plans to cover up to $500,000 in architectural and engineering costs as well as equipment and supplies.

That leaves Jay County and the City of Portland to pay for renovation costs. Inman proposed in November county officials contribute $975,000 and Portland contribute $325,000.

“This needs to happen sooner rather than later, and I know you have a long time continuum on how you have to spend your ARPA money, but I also know your whole $3.8 million dollars does not have to flow through the HELP grant process,” Inman said. “If you feel like this is important enough, you can carve out some money and still do (the other projects).”

Portland officials also heard the request Monday and will decide at a later date (see related story).

Jay County is receiving nearly $4 million in federal funds allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act. It may also gain another $1 million for being a Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program community. The county was announced in November as one of the first three communities chosen to be involved in the program administered by the state’s Office of Community and Rural Affairs. (HELP, a year-long program designed to help guide communities in their use of federal coronavirus relief funds, begins for Jay County in January.)

County officials have been discussing how to use incoming federal dollars since June. Other projects being considered include new infrastructure for housing — commissioners took a feasibility study under advisement for the land just south and east of Jay County Highway Barn last month — and a new multi-faceted facility for Jay Emergency Medical Service, Jay County Health Department and Jay County Coroner’s Office.

Council president Jeanne Houchins reminded county officials the housing feasibility study will take up to 90 days to complete.

Health department environmentalist and administrator Heath Butz spoke in favor of a new building for his department Monday. He cited current issues with storage, parking and problems with traffic flow through the current building at 504 W. Arch St., Portland.

JEMS director Gary Barnett also mentioned problems with storage and parking, as well as space for crew members.

“(We are) crammed on top of each other,” Barnett said.

They are proposing a new 11,400-square-foot facility near the existing Portland JEMS base with four ambulance bays, additional living quarters for two full-time EMS crews, a shared training room, separate restrooms and shower facilities for EMS crews, secure storage for health department records and vaccines as well as EMS supplies and medications, and office space for all three departments. Proposed locations have included the land just north of the Portland base or the grounds at the corner of Votaw Street and Creagor Avenue. Both properties are currently owned by IU Health Jay.

An initial estimate for the project came in at upwards of $2.26 million, although commissioners president Chad Aker noted that is a rough estimate and that he expects it may drop to as low as $1.7 million. He said Monday he had not yet heard back about how much it would cost to hire an architect to give a final price estimate. Proponents plan to also seek funding from Bitter Ridge Wind Farm economic development funds and the IU Health Jay Hospital Legacy Endowment Fund. (The county’s first application for an OCRA grant was denied recently, but it may reapply next year.)

Houchins inquired about the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning unit at Jay County Sheriff’s Office. Aker noted Core Facilities Inc. president Matthew Stechly will be presenting an analysis of the state of both Jay County Country Living (formerly known as Jay County Retirement Center) and the sheriff’s office next week.

County officials debated Monday whether to commit funds yet toward any projects.

“I think we’re in a little bit of a ‘chicken, or egg,’ which one comes first?” said council member Harold Towell. “Because we need more families in Jay County. We need more jobs in Jay County. When you start looking at that, we need daycare for these people to come here, for our school numbers to go up, our tax dollars to go up, it’s all which step are we going to take first?”

Discussion also ensued about how much to allocate to the child care facility.

“I think we should make at least a verbal commitment to where we’re going to help out with this,” Aker said of the child care facility.

Council member Ted Champ noted that the county has time to decide what to do with the funds.

“We don’t have to spend (this money) tonight, we don’t have to spend it tomorrow,” he said.

Commissioner Rex Journay noted the county would be investing funds into a facility it would not own.

“If there is a way to work this out that the county could do this and own this building, we’ll gladly step aside, we’re just trying to step up and help the community,” Inman said.

Commissioner Brian McGalliard asked if the project could be done without paying the full amount at once. Inman said renovations need to all be done in a single project.

Champ made a motion for council to approve designating up to $700,000 toward the renovations. (He added that the foundation would be able to approach county officials again if more funding is needed.) The decision passed, absent council members Matt Minnich, Ray Newton and Faron Parr.