Contracts addressed

The local economic development organization will approach Portland Board of Works and Portland City Council with concerns about rental contracts and utility responsibilities at Community Resource Center.

It will also present a signed contract to Jay County Commissioners.

Jay County Development Corporation’s meeting Tuesday was dominated by those two topics, with the board unanimously approving addressing rental contract issues with the city and seeking $140,000 in funding from the county via the contract.

Travis Richards, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation (JCDC), again explained the status of a proposed updated contract with the city for rental of its space in Community Resource Center and a dispute over shared utility costs.

Richards noted that traditionally utilities have been in JCDC's name and paid for by JCDC, with the other organizations providing reimbursement. (Jay County Chamber of Commerce, Jay County Visitor and Tourism Bureau, Jay/Portland Building and Planning and the county-contracted community coordinator also have office space in the building.) However, when updated rental contracts were approved by the city late last year, the county's contract with the city for the community coordinator's office eliminated language regarding utilities. That language remains in the proposed contract for the other organizations. (Some have signed, some have not.) JCDC’s current lease is up at the end of the month.

Richards said he talked with Portland Mayor Jeff Westlake regarding the issue and that the mayor suggested JCDC should continue to pay utilities for the time being and revisit the issue in six to 12 months. It doesn’t seem equitable, Richards said, for JCDC to incur utility costs for another organization. He suggested a push for the city to take over utility bills and pass on the costs to each tenant.

In order to move forward, Richards suggested two steps to the board:

•Visit Portland Board of Works regarding the contract disparities and ask that all lease agreements offer the same terms.

•Go to Portland City Council to request repayment for the utility costs 

Board member Bryan Alexander was critical of the board of works as a powerful group that is not being held accountable. (He acknowledged that he has his own dispute with the board.)

“I don’t think they think through things,” he said. “That’s clear to me.”

He said there was a lack of process on the Community Resource Center contracts, questioning the timeline of when the contract was presented and executed.

“It’s like ‘Gilligan’s Island’ over there,” he added. 

“I think if you took this to any rational person and walked them through this thing, this doesn’t make any sense,” he continued. “There’s a lack of institutional control at the city building.”

Board member Mark Leavell said it seems like JCDC is being penalized for having been willing to coordinate the payment of billing for utilities.

“It needs to be fixed, cleared up, before we go into a new lease,” said board president Angela Paxson.

There was also some discussion about the county’s responsibility for paying for utilities for the community coordinator’s office, with county council president and JCDC board member Matt Minnich responding that the approved contract is the city’s problem to deal with.

“If the board of works made that contract on behalf of the city, then the city’s got to pony up their portion,” said Minnich. “I’d push the city, and if they look like an idiot, they look like an idiot, but that’s their problem.”

The JCDC board approved Richards’ suggested process to visit both the board of works and city council regarding the issues.

Sprunger said she would join Richards at those meetings representing the chamber, which has not signed a new lease agreement.

Also Tuesday, Richards noted that JCDC’s proposed service contract with the county was last discussed extensively with Jay County Commissioners in December and that attorneys have since made changes based on discussions at that meeting. 

He referred to the contract in its current state as “probably the best we’re going to get to.”

The lone item the organization has been waiting on, he said, is the amount of money JCDC would receive via the contract. (Commissioners had requested financial information from JCDC, which Richards said he feels has been provided.) He suggested the board decide on a number, write it in, sign the contract and present it to commissioners at their meeting Monday. (He noted that Jay County Council allocated $140,000 for JCDC.)

Board president Angela Paxson suggested that JCDC should write in the full amount allocated — $140,000 — with board members Ron Laux and Joe Johnston agreeing. Tabby Sprunger, a board member and executive director of Jay County Chamber of Commerce, asked commissioner Rex Journay, who is also on the JCDC board, if he feels the proposal will be acceptable to commissioners.

Journay was noncommittal regarding both the contract and the financial aspect, speculating that commissioners might want to hold a meeting to discuss expectations of JCDC.

“We’ve discussed every possibility for responsibility for JCDC. It’s been discussed ad nauseam at all kinds of meetings,” said board member Joe Johnston. “The contract’s been updated. Why it would every be necessary to have another meeting to discuss what the responsibilities of JCDC are is beyond me.”

“I’m not going to argue with you, Joe,” Journay responded.

Board member Mike Medler was again critical of the county’s contract with East Central Indiana Regional Planning District, which includes the community coordinator role, saying he feels the county is getting a great “bang for its buck” at $140,000 with JCDC.

The board unanimously approved writing that amount into the contract, signing it and presenting it to commissioners.