County revisits solar proposal

Dunkirk may be getting solar panels.

Commissioners heard a proposal from Ryan Hurt of All Circuit Electrical of Bryant Monday about installing solar panels at the Dunkirk Fire Department and Jay County Emergency Medical Service Dunkirk base. He said he had approval to move ahead per Dunkirk Board of Works member Dan Watson.

(Former commissioner Chuck Huffman requested Hurt get the city’s approval because the building is shared with Dunkirk.)

The approximately $20,500 system Hurt proposed is smaller, meaning it’s likely the county will not be reimbursed by the electric company for its power usage. It is, however, less than his original proposal to commissioners Dec. 15, when he estimated between $30,000 and $40,000.

He figured the county pays about $3,000 for electricity per year at the 24-hour base. An average of $1,572 would be saved with the system each year, meaning it would likely take about 13 years for the unit to pay for itself.

Current commissioners Brian McGalliard and Rex Journay were not in office when Hurt originally proposed the project. They agreed to review the information packets given to former commissioners (Mike Leonhard and Huffman) and current commissioner Chad Aker before making a decision.

Hurt also briefly discussed installing lights at Jay County Jail –– commissioners Huffman, Leonhard and Aker debated going through Hurt’s business for light installation instead of another company.

In November, commissioners agreed to move forward with drafting a 15-year contract for installing new lighting at the jail. The agreement with Florida based-Future Energy Solutions would replace all of the interior and exterior light bulbs and fixtures with efficient LED bulbs and provide regular maintenance.

Commissioners agreed to wait for Future Energy Solutions to visit the next meeting until taking action.

Also Monday, Sheriff Duane Ford, deputy Patrick Wells and 911 director Bill Baldwin requested about $26,327 for a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit to be installed by Jay County Jail’s service provider, Havel. All three officials noted the system software is created by Havel, making it difficult to contract through anyone else, and that the current system is no longer factory supported.

Commissioners approved moving forward with the project.

Ford, Wells and Baldwin also mentioned they will soon need to invest in a new camera system. The current cameras installed by Wisconsin-based Accurate Controls is 12 years old and need replaced, Ford explained. He said replacing the system and cameras will come with a price tag near $260,000.

Five analog DVRs currently run the jail system, Wells added, and they will need to update to a digital system. It’s not the camera that’s expensive, Ford explained, but the programming itself. Ford has requested the same business that installed the courthouse cameras, Digital Video Solutions, attempt installing new cameras and wiring into the current Accurate Controls’ system.

“If we can, that’s gonna bring that (cost) way down,” Ford said.

Wells noted that the company often does maintenance over the phone, but for a representative to come in-person and do repairs or maintenance costs the jail about $3,000. Commissioners asked jail officials to look for more quotes, and Ford agreed and said they just wanted to keep commissioners informed.

Commissioners also heard from courthouse superintendent Bruce Sutton about quotes for six new boilers in the building. They came from Building Temperature Solutions of Logansport ($78,980), Allied Mechanical Incorporated of New Haven ($77,093) and All Weather Heating and Air Conditioning of Portland ($64,755.04). County auditor Anna Culy estimated it has been at least 20 years since the current boilers were installed, and four of eight are not currently working. Sutton warned that if the courthouse fell down to three boilers, it likely wouldn’t be able to keep any warmer than 50-some degrees in the building.

Answering a question from Journay, Sutton explained that the new boilers are more efficient and thus only six will be needed instead of eight.

McGalliard pushed for the local bid because of its lower price and proximity. Commissioners questioned if each proposal included a warranty and wondered about how long the installation would take for each.

“(Hopefully) before spring so I could sleep at night,” Sutton remarked.

Sutton agreed to contact each company to learn more. Commissioners agreed to meet before the next meeting after Sutton learns more so the process can move swiftly.

Also, commissioners heard from highway superintendent Donnie Corn that the department had seven dump trunks not working last week. (At least three were working again Monday, and Corn hoped to have another two or three working by today.) One dump truck needs a new part that is no longer manufactured.

Commissioners gave the OK for Corn to seek quotes for a new dump truck and four new snow plows for highway salt trucks –– the current plows are more than 30 years old, he explained.

Corn then proposed two bids for a new salt spreader, and commissioners chose a bid for $23,285 from Meyer Truck Equipment of Zionsville.

He noted local residents and Jay Schools bus drivers have requested the intersections of county road 200 South with county roads 700 East and 600 East be changed to a four-way stop. Corn said there have been at least four deaths resulting from accidents in those areas.

“My opinion is, if we can save one life, it’s worth it,” he said.

Commissioners agreed to take action at the next meeting.

Corn mentioned that he, new emergency management director Amy Blakely, Ford and Jay Schools met Friday and have been keeping in touch about ongoing weather and emergency events. They hope to continue “staying on the same page” in the future, he added.

Culy later presented quotes to commissioners for the county to receive an actuarial report. A full package would cost about $6,500, and an interim report –– Culy noted that would need to be done more often –– would cost about $3,000. She added that although an actuarial report is technically required, there are no penalties for not investing in one. Commissioners asked her to check with county attorney Bill Hinkle, who was not present at the meeting, and learn more information before they decide.

In other business, commissioners:

•Signed claims for a $5,500 cot for Jay County Emergency Medical Service, the annual $24,192 payment for the Geographic Information System and a $10,000 commitment toward the Jay County Development Corporation’s use of the Hoosier Opportunity local jobs website, a partnership between Jay, Randolph and Wayne counties.

•Signed a one-year lease agreement with Enos Schwartz of Bryant for the pasture west of Jay County Retirement Center for $180 per acre and agreed to set the payment date for April 1, 2021.

•Accepted two donations totaling about $1,405 for the retirement center.

•Heard from retirement center director Hope Confer that the resident who has refused to leave despite being evicted is still living at the facility, although he will be moving to Portland Place Apartments at the end of the month.

•Approved a bid from Progressive Office Products for two laptop computers at total of $4,898 for Jay County Prosecutor’s Office.

•Enacted an ordinance to update the JEMS fee schedule.

•Scheduled an executive session for 3 p.m. Thursday in the commissioners’ room.