County revisits animal control

Formal countywide animal control plans are in the works.

Jay County Commissioner Brian McGalliard revisited the discussion about animal control in the county at Monday’s commissioners meeting.

McGalliard announced he has been talking with local officials about a countywide animal control ordinance. He said he would like for the entire county to work under the same ordinance.

County attorney Bill Hinkle added work is underway on a proposal to have Jay County Humane Society handle animal control in the county.

Animal control officers Bill and Kathy Fields contracted with the county and City of Portland before they retired at the end of 2020. Both the humane society and Midwest Pet Refuge gave verbal consent at a December meeting to provide animal control for the county for the first quarter of 2021. No formal contract has been drafted yet. Each organization was offered $5,500 for the service, although neither have been paid yet either.

Currently, there are three different animal control ordinances, Hinkle explained, one each for the county, Portland and Dunkirk.

“I think it’s a good idea, but I think this, to me, is a little bit hinged upon whether the humane society is willing to take that responsibility,” he said.

Commissioners plan to invite humane society and Midwest Pet Refuge representatives to their next meeting March 22.

If the humane society agrees and signs a contract, it will be formally responsible for animal control across the county.

Humane society president Mindy Weaver explained in a phone call later the shelter has been taking calls regardless of location.

“Of course we love animals so any calls we get we’re going to respond,” she said, adding she’s not sure if the group will be able to keep up if the volume of calls increases. “Right now it seems like it’s OK.”

She’s not sure everyone in the county understands they’re the place to call for stray dogs or cats.

Still, they were nearly at full dog capacity in the last week, she said, although they have adopted out a lot of animals recently. Midwest Pet Refuge has been working with the humane society to help house animals as needed.

Getting financial compensation for their work would be helpful, Weaver added.

She mentioned the Jay County Animal Control Task Force is still working on proposals for a new animal control facility. The current building has been designated as outdated and too small for regular operations.

Plans for a new shelter have been met with opposition at several county, city and town meetings because of its high price tag — an estimated $1.3 million.

Also, commissioners Mike Leonhard, Chuck Huffman and Chad Aker approved $275,000 in funding for the proposed project Dec. 29. After their term began, new commissioners McGalliard and Rex Journay and returning commissioner Aker rescinded the funds Jan. 12.

Also Monday, Aker mentioned Portland Police Department has a new code enforcement officer who will be patrolling, including ticketing vehicles parked in the spaces surrounding the courthouse for longer than the allotted two hours. Courthouse employees will need to display parking permits in their vehicles. If they do not have tags, they can request those from county auditor Anna Culy. Those serving on jury duty should also receive some sort of identification to hang or place in their vehicles.

Parking is also limited in the northern lot where courthouse employees normally park. McGalliard suggested adding parking space for the courthouse and commissioners discussed what options might be available.

Culy reminded commissioners the deadline for county employees to use comp time for extended hours during the pandemic is March 31. She said as far as she knows, most county employees have used their extra time off although there are a few who have not, including some Jay County Health Department employees who have been focused on the pandemic.

“They’ve been under a lot of stress, if (there’s) anything we can do to help, I’m all for it,” McGalliard said.

Aker proposed extending the deadline a month, and both Journay and McGalliard agreed. They voted to extend the deadline to April 30.

Commissioners also agreed to meet at 5:55 p.m. Wednesday to sign into effect a resolution opening Jay County Courthouse to normal business. Employees will be required to wear facial covers and social distance as possible. (Commissioners and Jay County Council will meet at 6 p.m. that day in a joint-executive session to discuss threatened litigation, with county council’s regular meeting to follow at 7 p.m.)

Also, Todd Titus, government affairs director for the Upstate Alliance of REALTORS, introduced himself to commissioners Monday. He explained he’s from the Fort Wayne-based affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS. His position includes advocating for local property rights, homeowners’ rights and Realtors as well as supporting economic development.

Titus, who started his position in October, explained his predecessor was not actively involved in Jay County, but he would like to be. He said he has spoken with Jay County Development Corporation executive director Travis Richards about working with the local housing task force.

In other business, commissioners:

•Announced a special session for Monday in the council room at the Portland Fire Station about discussing radio equipment upgrades. The time of the meeting has not yet been set.

•Heard from highway superintendent Donnie Corn that U.S. 27 at the intersection with county road 400 North will be switched to one-lane traffic starting in April for a reconstruction project. The Indiana Department of Transportation project will include several new culverts. Construction is expected to last until June 2022, although INDOT anticipates reopening the second lane in October.

•Agreed to terminate plans made in November for a 15-year agreement with Florida-based Future Energy Solutions to install night lighting at the jail. Bryant-based All Circuit Electrical has replaced about half of the lights in the facility so far, Aker said. None of the commissioners or county attorney Bill Hinkle felt comfortable with the long-term contract.

•OK’d a request from Culy to look into fiber-optic internet service for the courthouse. She has been working with Comcast since last year to increase internet speed, but it’s still not fast enough, she said.

•Heard from emergency management director Amy Blakely that her administrative assistant, Jessica Ridenour, will be leaving her position. Blakely will be seeking two new employees, one as the emergency management deputy and the other to fill Ridenour’s current role.

•Discussed having commissioners take part in Jay County Development Corporation’s executive committee meetings. McGalliard said the full board’s meetings, which are held every other month, don’t provide as much insight as the executive committee meetings might offer. Aker agreed, reminding both commissioners the county largely funds JCDC. Journay disagreed, stating it’s an independent entity and should be run as such. (No action was taken.)

•Selected bids for two new chassis ($74,136 apiece from Columbia City based W.A. Jones Truck Bodies and Equipment) and a 2022 Western Star truck from New Haven based Stoops Freightliner-Quality Trailer for Jay County Highway Department.

•Accepted a $950 donation from POET Biorefining of Portland to Jay Emergency Medical Service for its “Stop the Bleed” program training equipment.

•Signed claims for the following: $1,198.49 to Ja-Mar TV and Appliance for a Jay County Retirement Center purchase made in 2019; $8,890.33 to Arms Auto Body of Portland for repairs to a Jay County Sheriff’s Office 2016 Ford Explorer after it hit a pole; and $149,000 for the new body scanner at Jay County Jail, which is covered by CARES Act funds.

•Received a copy of the five-year mitigation plan created by the Jay County Emergency Management department.

•Read a letter from Arts Place thanking commissioners for their annual donation to the Arts in the Parks program.

•Signed the title of a totaled dump truck over to Bliss McKnight Inc. to file an insurance claim.

•Had Aker sign the second page of the annual agreement with Purdue Extension for this year because it was overlooked when previous commissioners signed it in 2020.