County OKs plan for ARPA

The county has a plan for the remainder of its American Rescue Plan Act dollars.

After meetings lasting nearly three and a half hours Wednesday, plans are in motion for a few agreements to spend the county’s nearly $2.2 million remaining ARPA dollars.

The largest chunk of funding (approximately $1.24 million) will be contributed toward developing the county’s 68 acres on the west edge of Portland.

Jay County Council and Jay County Commissioners agreed unanimously Wednesday to spend approximately $960,000 on three projects. They include replacing the bridge on county road 600 West north of Indiana 26 with a culvert, upgrading Jay County Auditor’s Office and Jay County Treasurer’s Office financial software, and purchasing police vehicle cameras and officer body cameras for Jay County Sheriff’s Office. 

Also, council and commissioners agreed to enter into an inter-local agreement with Jay County Redevelopment Commission for the remaining approximately $1.24 million funds, with the dollars to be used for the 68 acre project. Redevelopment commission, with member Ted Champ dissenting, agreed to accept the funds and use them toward the project for the 68 acres.

Redevelopment commission member Chuck Huffman questioned why the group is now faced with spending ARPA dollars.

County attorney Wes Schemenaur noted it was one option available to the county for the federal funding, which must be allocated by Dec. 31 — spent, under contract or committed via an inter-local agreement — and spent by the end of 2026. Schemenaur later reminded council and commissioners about a presentation he gave them in July about their options for spending the funds, which must fall under certain guidelines.

Schemenaur indicated Wednesday it’s unlikely any of the ARPA projects that have been proposed will result in a contract before the end of the year. He asked council and commissioners for a decision Wednesday, noting if county officials chose to do an inter-local agreement, he would like to be able to send a draft to Indiana State Board of Accounts to make sure it meets the necessary requirements before the end of the year.

Answering a question from redevelopment commission president Carl Walker, Schemenaur talked about an unofficial announcement shared with county officials regarding Jay County’s allocation of Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 2.0 funds. 

Earlier this month, commissioner Rex Journay told JCDC’s board of directors the county declined a $1 million offer from the program for the 68-acre development, saying the dollars were not enough to launch the project.

On Wednesday, Schemenaur said East Central Indiana Regional Partnership has earmarked $1.2 million in READI 2.0 funds as a potential award for Jay County. (Council member Cindy Bracy pointed out several times during the meeting that the money has yet to be formally approved by the state.)

Cecil Penland of Rundell, Ernstberger and Associates shared a brief overview Wednesday of the 68 acres project — a housing and mixed-use development of the county’s land along Indiana 67. If completed, the $25.5 million project would create 76 single-family homes, eight duplexes and 154 multi-family units. (County officials in favor of it refer to it as a “legacy project” to be worked on for the next several decades.)

Jay County Redevelopment Commission agreed in July to commit up to $1.5 million in TIF dollars toward the development project. Commissioners also agreed at that time to commit $1.3 million toward the project, subject to receiving the grant dollars. Penland noted the county included the first few phases of the project — a total cost of $7 million — in its READI request.

Putting in connections for utilities alone is estimated at $3.6 million. Commissioner Brian McGalliard suggested completing the project with the remaining ARPA dollars.

Penland estimated it would take six to nine months for engineering work and one month to seek bids, saying construction could begin in summer 2025 with the infrastructure completed by the end of 2026.

 Jay County officials purchased the land for about $1.1 million in February 2023. Commissioners and council also approved a $395,000 contract with REA for planning development of the land more than a year ago.

Questions arose throughout discussion regarding Portland’s commitment to the project. Currently, no formal decision or allocation has been made by city officials. 

Later in the meeting, redevelopment commission member Ted Champ questioned why county officials hadn’t met in a public meeting setting with city officials to discuss the project. He also asked why a formal decision hadn’t been made by Portland on the matter.

Council and redevelopment commission member Faron Parr said he has had preliminary talks with city officials outside of meetings but pointed to a lack of hard costs to share.

“Why is it too early to bring a business partner onto a plan that’s going to cost $26 million?” asked Champ. “Again, I’m going to ask the question — why (haven’t) they been in the same room as us making the decisions?”

Parr agreed with Champ’s sentiment and said there will be public discussions before dollars are spent. He also said he won’t approve spending funds on the project if Portland is not on board with it moving forward.

Bracy asked about how plans are developing with Ritter Strategic Services’ work related to joining the Integrated Public Safety Commission's 800 megahertz statewide radio system. Jay Emergency Management Agency director Samantha Rhodehamel explained the company should receive initial pricing for necessary upgrades Dec. 4 and subsequently begin negotiations.

The estimate to put up one new radio tower in Bryant and related infrastructure are $1.8 million. Discussion on Wednesday also highlighted the need to install a new tower in Portland and purchase new radios, which will be required for using the new system.

Bracy suggested spending ARPA funds on constructing one tower and purchasing new radios, pointing to the lack of reliable communications between emergency responders across the county. Schemenaur questioned if the money could be spent by 2026. Commissioner Chad Aker cautioned officials about rushing into the project.

Bracy asked for smaller potential projects that have been proposed to the county to be considered as well. Council and commissioners came up with the following: an estimated $300,000 construction project for replacing the unsafe bridge on 600 West with a culvert, a $256,521 contract with Low Associates for new financial software in the auditor’s and treasurer’s offices, and a $264,626 contract for buying 13 police vehicle cameras and 25 officer body cameras for the sheriff’s office and Jay County Jail.

Council member Jeanne Houchins also suggested paying for an additional two years of maintenance fees ($70,000 annually, or a two-year $140,000 contract) for the financial software.

Commissioners and council agreed unanimously to commit ARPA funds to those smaller projects.

They went back and forth in discussion between the 68 acres development and the new radio system. After several council members shared their preferences, Bracy made a motion to spend the full $2.2 million on the radio project. The motion failed, with Houchins, Faron Parr, Randy May and Dave Haines dissenting and Bracy and Harold Towell in favor.

Council then voted 4-2, with Bracy and Towell dissenting, to enter into an agreement with the redevelopment commission to use the remaining $1.24 million for the 68 acres.

Huffman pointed out he voted against the housing project in July but said he felt it is the only option for the county to spend its ARPA funds by the deadline. 

The redevelopment commission then voted to enter into the agreement with council and commissioners, with Champ dissenting. It also OK’d Walker to sign the agreement on the board’s behalf once completed.

Also Wednesday, the redevelopment commission agreed to amend and approve its annual spending plan for 2025, bumping the plan up by an additional $3 million. The measure — it was approved in redevelopment commission’s meeting prior to council and commissioners’ discussion — served to account for potential American Rescue Plan Act dollars coming into their account that could be spent in 2025. Consultant Ed Curtin of CWC Latitudes noted the plan, a new state requirement, is needed for redevelopment commission to be able to spend dollars, but redevelopment commission is not obligated to make the purchases detailed in the plan.