County plans to meet with POET, Minnich

Two local companies are planning large-scale projects in Jay County.

Commissioners hope to meet with them soon.

Jay County Commissioners agreed Monday to invite officials from the POET Bioprocessing ethanol plant to their next meeting Aug. 25. They also discussed hopes to establish a road use agreement with Minnich Poultry in the near future.

POET Bioprocessing is pursuing a geological carbon sequestration project. It would involve drilling a nearly 4,000-foot well and injecting carbon dioxide — it's a byproduct from creating ethanol — into the well for 12 years.

Commissioners decided not to establish a moratorium on geological carbon sequestration projects in July. Jay/Portland Building and Planning is in the midst of creating an ordinance to regulate such facilities, with hopes to have something for Jay County Plan Commission to approve by the end of the year. 

Commissioners president Chad Aker noted he recently discussed the project with building and planning director John Hemmelgarn, who voiced a few concerns Monday.

Hemmelgarn said POET plans to pump 175,000 tons of carbon dioxide below the surface annually. The government will pay the company $85 per ton of carbon dioxide injected, or $14,875,000 annually, he continued.

Hemmelgarn said POET has proposed paying the county $2 per ton of carbon dioxide injected into the ground and roughly $100 per acre to landowners. He argued the company should allot more money to the county, suggesting the company instead pay $5 or $10 per ton of carbon dioxide injected.

“They’re going to gain a lot of money from this, and that’s OK, I don’t have a problem with people making money, but what’s in it for the county?” he said. “They should be paying more to the county. And granted, they may be good for the community, but there’s a lot of people that are being affected that have nothing to do with POET …”

Hemmelgarn called on commissioners to meet with POET representatives to request a higher payment per ton. (He asked that potential funds from the project go to local emergency responders.) He also asked that the conversation with POET officials take place at a public meeting.

 While Aker acknowledged that he’s not an expert on the topic, he said he believes the project will have a minimal environmental impact on Jay County.

“But again, we should be able to profit a little bit off of this a lot more,” said Aker.

In related business, Aker and highway department superintendent Bob Howell agreed to meet with Minnich Poultry representatives to discuss a potential road use agreement for the company’s upcoming construction of a new feed mill and biochar manufacturing and distribution plant in Noble Township.

Minnich Poultry will need a special exemption from Jay County Board of Zoning Appeals before moving forward with the project. Hemmelgarn suggested commissioners negotiate a road use agreement prior to the zoning board meeting to help facilitate the process.

Commissioner Duane Monroe asked Hemmelgarn about the status of the agreement, which commissioners agreed to pursue June 30. Hemmelgarn suggested commissioners meet with Minnich representatives to discuss terms, with county attorney Wes Schemenaur noting Aker and Howell could meet with representatives and report back to commissioners later. Aker agreed to share his findings at the next meeting.

Hemmelgarn also shared a quarterly update from his department. So far this year, 157 permits have been issued with 93 of those located in rural areas of Jay County. There have also been 13 new home permits issued, 10 of which are in rural areas of the county, and 20 commercial use permits, five of which are in rural portions of Jay County.

Commissioners also approved a $23,000 contract with engineering firm USI Consultants in order to apply for Community Crossings grant funding for paving county road 400 South.

Commissioners agreed to seek bids in July for the project, which would involve paving the road between Indiana 67 and Indiana 1, an approximately 3-mile span.

 This year’s round of Community Crossings funding — previously open twice a year, the Indiana Department of Transportation program now accepts call for projects once annually — opens on Oct. 1. The program would pay for up to $1 million of the cost.

Also, commissioners approved a $177,000 contract with masonry contractor Millwright Solutions of Wabash for masonry work — sealants, tuck-pointing and damp-proofing — at Jay County Courthouse. Masonry maintenance work is conducted about every five years on the courthouse. A portion of the work should help significantly decrease maintenance costs in the future, according to courthouse superintendent Bruce Sutton. (Commissioners earlier in the meeting approved spending $150,000 on the contract and later amended their motion to account for additional work required.)

In other business, commissioners Doug Horn, Aker and Monroe:

•Scheduled a special meeting for 4 p.m. Aug. 20 to review economic development income tax (EDIT) fund requests.

•Approved the following: hosting a public hearing Sept. 22 to discuss raising the assessment on the Darst watershed — it’s located along Indiana 26 near the state line — to $1 an acre or a minimum of $10 a plot; a contract with Christopher Burke Engineering for the county’s multi-hazard mitigation plan; and placing a 1996 Badger excavator up for sale on auction website Purple Wave.

•OK’d Jay County surveyor Brad Daniels’ request to raise rates for using machinery in watersheds. Rates would increase to $23 for small backhoe usage and $25 for excavator or bulldozer usage per hour and will go into the backhoe repair and replacement fund. (They are currently $18 and $20, respectively.)

•Discussed projects moving forward amid the transition from a contract East Central Indiana Regional Planning District, which expires this week. Monroe asked community coordinator Darlesia Lee if she would connect with Jay County Development Corporation employees about projects, with Lee confirming she has shared information with them via email. Aker thanked the organization for its work over the past two years, specifically its aid for municipalities to apply for Community Crossings funding. Regional planning district director Bill Walters noted the company will continue to help interested Jay County municipalities through the October round of funding.