County to assist with $$ shortfall

There’s a budget shortfall for community corrections.

Local officials are helping to cover it.

Jay County Commissioners agreed Monday to contribute up to $10,000 toward Jay County Community Corrections for rent and health insurance fees through the remainder of the year.

Gary Hendershot, deputy director of Jay County Community Corrections, brought up his department’s funding shortfall at a joint Jay County Council and commissioners meeting July 31. He asked county officials at that time if they were still taking requests for potential usages of federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, noting that one of the legally allowed uses is for lost revenue resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

“Community corrections is looking for pennies to try to help us out,” he said, referring to a drop in participation from offenders. “COVID killed us because of numbers. We’re a self-revenue only agency.”

Indiana’s Community Corrections Act was established in 1979, according to Indiana Department of Correction’s website, to “encourage counties to develop a coordinated local criminal justice system in order to divert from imprisonment which would be funded, at least in part, by the state.” The community-based agency provides sentencing alternatives for felony offenders and serves a role in rehabilitation through transitional programming, according to the website.

Jay County Community Corrections director Yvette Weiland addressed Hendershot’s concerns again Monday, explaining to the commissioners that the department had been supervising about 80 individuals prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participation has shrunk to half that amount, with the agency supervising about 40 individuals this year. 

She added the agency’s allocation is largely based on participation.

“Our income has dropped, but our bills continue to be there,” she said, asking commissioners to contribute funding toward the agency.

Currently, the agency pays about $500 monthly to rent the first floor of the building at 120 N. Commerce St., Portland, across from Jay County Courthouse. It also pays approximately $763 per employee each month for health insurance.

Weiland, who has been community corrections director for nearly 17 years, said this is the first time she has asked for financial assistance from the county.

Commissioners president Chad Aker noted the county has been looking into constructing a new multi-faceted public health building for Jay County Health Department, Jay Emergency Medical Service and Jay County Coroner’s Office. He suggested the agency could then move into one of the buildings left vacant after the project is completed. (No final decisions have been made for funding the project.)

He also voiced support for aiding community corrections’ budget shortfall.

“I see no issue with going in and paying that out of the commissioners’ budget, we have some excess funds in there,” he said.

Commissioner Brian McGalliard suggested contributing $1,500 for rent and $7,630 for health insurance for the remainder of the year. Commissioner Rex Journay then made a motion to allocate up to $10,000 to the agency. It passed unanimously.

Also Monday, at a meeting that lasted approximately half an hour, commissioners approved a memorandum of agreement for Jay County Health Department’s public health preparedness coordinator Amy Blakely. The $16,200 agreement, which runs through the end of June 2025, is covered by an annual bioterrorism grant received from the state.

Commissioners Journay, McGalliard and Aker also:

•Were updated about a July 30 police pursuit that resulted in damage to two county vehicles and a Portland police vehicle. Newton explained Monday that a 2021 Dodge Durango was destroyed in the accident, and a 2020 Ram 1500 sustained approximately $4,300 in damage. He noted there are warrants out for the individual — Matthew E. Waters — who allegedly was driving away from police in the pursuit.

•Heard from community coordinator Nate Kimball about companies offering their services for radon testing and engineering related to the owner-occupied rehabilitation program. Kimball shared hopes to have information about radon testing available for commissioners by the end of Monday and engineering by the end of the week.

•Learned from Jay/Portland Building and Planning director John Hemmelgarn that approximately 112 permits were issued between January and June, with 79 of those issued in rural parts of the county. Eight new home permits were issued, and 17 commercial use permits were issued.

•Accepted a $100 donation to Jay County Country Living.