Program targeted to start next month

Jay County’s owner-occupied rehabilitation program is still in the works.

Nate Kimball, Jay County community coordinator, shared an update with Jay County Council about the program during its meeting Wednesday.

Jay County is receiving $1 million from Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs from its Community Development Block Grant program. Offered as an incentive for communities allocating their American Rescue Plan Act dollars through OCRA’s Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP), the funding will be available for low to moderate income Jay County residents to make home improvements.

Jay County’s application is back in OCRA’s hands for a second time, explained Kimball, and the county is waiting for approval or further feedback. Consultant Mike Kleinpeter told Kimball the county should have its application back within two weeks.

So far, Kimball said, 52 residents have expressed interest in the program, which will allot up to $25,000 for each household. Available projects under the program include replacing a roof, water heater or heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit, doing electrical work or making a home more accessible.

To be qualified, applicants must make at or below a salary threshold.

 Those amounts are as follows: one-person household, $44,200; two-person household, $50,500; three-person household, $56,800; four-person household, $63,100; five-person household, $68,150; six-person household, $73,200; seven-person household, $78,250; eight-person household, $83,300.

The program will help a minimum of 40 households.

Kimball has been gathering a list of potential contractors for the work. He pointed out he’s also planning to establish his office hours at Community Resource Center — Portland Board of Works approved a rental agreement with Jay County Commissioners for the Portland office space Nov. 3 — to allow the public to speak with him in person.

Applications should be available before December.

Council members heard from Ashley Drees, the health and human sciences educator with Jay County Purdue Extension Office. Drees shared news about a program Jan. 9 teaching community members how to run for elected office.

“So we’re trying to reduce a barrier to the people who may not understand the process,” she explained.

The program will be held in the auditorium at Jay County Courthouse. For more information, reach out to the extension office at (260) 726-4707.

Drees also noted Purdue University is surveying the state’s broadband access. She asked community members to visit broadbandmap.fcc.gov and confirm or deny which broadband is available at their home. To learn more about the process, visit the Purdue Extension Jay County Facebook page. 

Council also made a $220,000 additional appropriation in wind farm economic development funds for Jay County Baseball Club. (Although council decided in October to give the group $220,000, it will receive $175,000 as approved by Jay County Commissioners.)

In other business, council members Harold Towell, Matt Minnich, Faron Parr, Jeanne Houchins, Randy May, Dave Haines and Cindy Bracy:

•Agreed to keep Virginia Burke on Jay County Health Board next year.

•Made the following additional appropriations: $66,500.26 from an Indiana Department Environmental Management grant for Jay County Solid Waste District, $50,000 for a new excavator for Jay County Surveyor’s Office, $42,562.50 from a Community Crossings grant for paving roads through Milestone Contractors, $8,900 for other equipment at Jay County Solid Waste District, $7,500 for section cornerstones in Jefferson Township through Jay County Surveyor’s Office, $2,832.39 for firearms using donations to Jay County Sheriff’s Office, $2,000 for backhoe parts and service at Jay County Surveyor’s Office, $1,580 for pauper counsel and $1,452 for postage from Jay Circuit Court.

•Made several transfers, including: $20,000 from the employer health insurance fund to the juvenile secure detention fund in Jay County Community Corrections’ budget; $15,583.55 from the full-time maintenance wages fund to the utilities fund and $15,253.85 from the cooks wages fund to the utilities fund in Jay County Jail’s budget.