Sheriff's vehicles OK'd

The sheriff’s office will be buying three more vehicles this year.

It may also start requiring its new deputies to stay with the department for three years or pay the county back a portion of their training fees.

Jay County Council OK’d a request Wednesday from Jay County Sheriff’s Office for three new patrol cars and made an additional appropriation of $90,000 for the vehicle purchases.

Sheriff Dwane Ford and chief deputy Patrick Wells explained their deputies average about 24,000 miles per year in their vehicles, and they cited a need to trade some of their older cars. (The sheriff’s office has already made its annual two-vehicle purchase for 2021.)

Ford offered to cover about half of the cost of one vehicle out of the sheriff’s commissary fund, along with adorning each patrol car with the necessary equipment. (The equipment which includes lights and radios can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000, Wells noted.)

Council member Ray Newton spoke against purchasing more vehicles this year.

“I’m not against (it), I think right now is just not the time,” Newton said, noting the county employee raises of between 2% and 6% across the board in store for next year.

Ford noted vehicle prices could rise higher if the county holds off on the purchase. His request passed 6-1, with Newton dissenting.

Council members also OK’d the decision to start requiring new deputies to enter a reimbursement agreement with the county for academy costs. The agreement is pending approval from Jay County Commissioners.

New deputies attend Indiana Law Enforcement Academy for about 16 weeks of training. The county covers those fees and, in the last few years, has not required deputies to reimburse those expenses if they subsequently leave the department.

 As drafted in the new agreement, new deputies can either stay with the county for three years or pay back a portion of their training fees (based on longevity of service).

Council also approved a revision to school resource officer Cody Jessee’s contract, which is shared between Jay School Corporation and the county. (It is subject to commissioners’ approval Sept. 27.) The main change to agreement includes the addition of a “therapy dog” for tracking and searching purposes, such as sniffing out gun powder. As stated in the agreement, costs incurred by and for the canine –– he is a 9-month-old black labrador named Jack — will be covered by Jay Schools.

Council members agreed to the revision but said they were not pleased that the animal started on the force prior to discussion with the county.

County attorney Bill Hinkle noted either party may terminate Jack’s role at any time if cause arises.

Also, council approved usage of Bluff Point Wind Energy Center economic development funds designated to Jay municipalities. It previously asked each municipality to submit letters requesting the funds allocated to them in 2017. As described by officials, Bryant will receive $13,412 for removing railroad tracks and paving Main Street, Salamonia will receive $6,014.39 for playground equipment placement, lighting repairs and a Schoolhouse Community Center window project, and Pennville will receive $5,507.37 for the Penn Township Public Library.

Council will meet at 6 p.m. Sept. 15 for its first public reading of the 2022 budget. Currently, the budget is set at approximately $20.17 million. A final reading and budget adoption date is scheduled for Oct. 13.

In other business, council members Jeanne Houchins, Ted Champ, Mike Rockwell, Matt Minnich, Faron Parr, Ray Newton and Harold Towell:

•Made the following additional appropriations: $2,500 for Jay County court transcripts; $2,000 for cornerstone perpetuation, $1,500 from a donation made to the sheriff’s office for equipment repair, $1,100 in donations to Jay Emergency Medical Service and $600 for Jay County Health Department health insurance.

•Transferred $36,785.32 in the Jay County Public Defender’s budget for the full-time public defender, $4,000 in the sheriff office’s budget to its telephone fund and $3,000 in the highway department budget for part-time clerical wages.