Building lease approved

Jay/Portland Building and Planning has approved an updated lease agreement for its rental space at Community Resource Center.

The department’s inter-local joint board OK’d the agreement Tuesday.

Lease agreements for the building owned by the City of Portland have been in question since the fall because the terms were not the same for all tenants, who include Jay/Portland Building and Planning, Jay County community coordinator Nate Kimball, Jay County Chamber of Commerce, Jay County Development Corporation and Jay County Visitors and Tourism Bureau. Tenants met with Portland Board of Works in May to discuss the issue.

The updated agreement is a one-year contract at no less than $350 per month. (Rent will be divided and charged evenly among the tenants.) It requires Portland to cover maintenance for permanent structures, such the parking lot, heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical fixtures. Tenants are responsible for utilities, small repairs and the cost of shared items such as cleaning supplies.

Portland Board of Works approved agreements for each tenant during its meeting June 12. Jay County Commissioners — they maintain the agreement for Kimball — approved the contract June 10.

Inter-local board member Brian McGalliard noted that Jay/Portland Building and Planning was also granted permission to use a small office adjacent to its current space. Plans are for director John Hemmelgarn to install a doorway between the rooms and move his desk into the new space. The extra space in the original office will be used to store documents more securely. (Currently they are stored in another storage room shared with other tenants.)

Board members Mike Aker, Ron Laux, Jeanne Houchins and McGalliard approved the agreement.

(Board member Jerry Leonhard abstained because he also serves on Portland Board of Works.)

Also Tuesday, the board approved the 2025 budget for Jay/Portland Building and Planning with the addition of raises for Hemmelgarn and assistant director Pati McLaughlin. The decision next moves to Jay County Council, which approves the overall county budget annually.

Before incorporating the raises — roughly 15% for Hemmelgarn and higher for McLaughlin — the department’s budget came out to about $183,858.15.

Discussion began Tuesday about the duties Hemmelgarn and McLaughlin fulfill, which include issuing zoning permits, administering zoning ordinances, performing building and zoning inspections, supporting Portland and Jay County plan commissions and boards of zoning appeals, administering flood control ordinances and responding to citizens’ questions and requests. Hemmelgarn has served in his role for about a decade, and McLaughlin has worked for the department for about 18 years.

McLaughlin incorporated 3% raises into the budget as advised by county officials. Board members also discussed giving both Hemmelgarn and McLaughlin 10% raises, noting similar positions around the state make significantly more.

Houchins, who also serves on Jay County Council, suggested bumping Hemmelgarn’s annual pay to about $72,000 and setting McLaughin’s pay at 75% of Hemmelgarn’s pay, or about $54,000 annually. (First deputies in county departments make 75% of their respective elected official or department head’s pay.)

Board members agreed to proposing the 2025 budget with the higher raises to Jay County Council.