County selects Jessica Curtis

Jay Emergency Medical Service didn’t need to look too far for its next director.

Jay County Commissioners selected Jessica Curtis as the department’s new shift supervisor, also referred to as a director, and training officer on Monday.

Curtis previously served as director of Jay County Emergency Management Agency before stepping down in January 2021 to take a full-time EMS role.

Over the last four years, she has served as a paramedic at Jay Emergency Medical Service, a deputy coroner for Jay County Coroner’s Office and a firefighter with Portland Fire Department.

She has paramedic and primary instructor certifications through Department of Homeland Security, both of which were requirements for the job. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and emergency management from Ball State University as well as an associate’s degree in paramedic science from Ivy Tech Community College.

Jay Emergency Medical Service Gary Barnett recommended promoting Curtis to the vacant position.

“She’s very qualified for this position,” said Barnett. “When we found ourselves (at the) drop of a hat without an educator, she stepped up without expectation …”

A Portland Fire Department firefighter, commissioner president Chad Aker noted he has worked with Curtis. He also recommended Curtis take over the supervisor role.

“I can’t speak highly enough of her, she’s got the drive, she’s got the knowledge on this stuff, she’s got the ability to do this job,” said Aker. “I can’t recommend her enough.”

Curtis will take over the role previously held by John McFarland, who commissioners fired March 10 after he was arrested on drug charges.

He was formally charged Monday. (See related story.)

Also Monday, commissioners agreed to give $15,000 to Jay County Fair Association for water line repairs and electrical upgrades at the fairgrounds. The decision moves to Jay County Council, which meets next May 14.

Jay County Fair Association requested $26,050 this year in economic development income tax dollars for infrastructure projects. Amid discussion on how to allocate EDIT dollars in February, commissioners recommended the fair board first look into grant opportunities through Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

Trent Paxson of Jay County Fair Board noted that fair board president Aaron Loy has looked into a grant, but its application isn’t due until October.

“Some of these projects we had in mind … we’d like to do a little bit earlier, if possible,” he said.

Paxson shared quotes for replacing water lines around the former restroom building north of the East Arena as well as upgrading nine power boxes in the campground area, shifting from two- to three-prong sockets for campers. (He noted the fair board upgraded other power boxes last year.) Lowest bids for each project came in at $6,671 from D & D Plumbing of Portland and $6,976 from CopperSmith Electric of Portland, respectively.)

He talked about applying for Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs dollars to pay for a larger-scale project that would involve replacing most of the old water lines at the fairgrounds, as well as a 4-H Club project.

Commissioner Duane Monroe suggested allocating $15,000 to the fair board for the water line and electrical work, and commissioners agreed to contribute the funds.

In other business, commissioners:

•OK’d making a request for proposals involved in designing, building and installing a new public safety radio system and related equipment. Barry Ritter of Ritter Strategic Services noted plans to host a pre-bid meeting with contractors May 9, with commissioners to open bids at their meeting June 9.

•Approved the following: paying an additional $55,000 in grant dollars to engineering firm EGIS for work related to repairing the remaining 30 homes involved in the owner-occupied rehabilitation program, with a representative noting the company has logged 128 hours into the project so far; an annual $50,000 lease agreement with Jay County Landfill; a supplemental scope of work agreement with Brumbaugh Construction of Arcanum, Ohio, for reconstructing the 7th Street bridge in Portland, with Aker noting Portland will be contributing 25% of the cost for sidewalk construction added to the project; paying $11,718.19 to Dell Technologies for a new Jay County Courthouse computer server, which should go live June 23; paying $118.23 to bond Jay County Country Living advisory board president Cindy Bracy up to $30,000 and allowing Bracy to access the facility’s bank accounts as needed.

•Heard updates from Jay County Country Living director Stacey Johnson, who noted restroom renovations at the facility begin in the next two weeks. She also expressed interest in hosting a roundtable discussion with providers for partnerships moving forward.

•Met Ceann Bales, new executive director of Jay County Development Corporation. Bales, who has been serving in the role for about three weeks, said she is working on updating the county’s strategic plan.

•Heard Jay Emergency Medical Service’s financial breakdown for March from Barnett. The department had $146,537.58 in expenses and $94,569.51 in income. Barnett also shared a closing balance summary for March with commissioners, noting $235,184.21 in the process of being billed for the county.

•Paid just over $1.99 million in claims.