Emergency hub?

Officials have a starting point.

Now they say it’s time to get down to business.

Jay County Council and Jay County Commissioners reviewed sketches Wednesday for a new multi-faceted public safety building in Portland and discussed next steps with department heads. 

County officials have been discussing creating a hub for Jay Emergency Medical Service, Jay County Health Department and Jay County Coroner’s Office for years.

Discussion renewed recently after commissioners agreed on a 2-1 vote in August to move forward with a $119,000 contract with MSS Engineering for designing the project, with plans at that time to build on the county’s 68 acres along Votaw Street on the west side of Portland. Commissioner Duane Monroe suggested instead expanding the current Portland Jay Emergency Medical Service base, which is owned by IU Health Jay.

Recently, the board of directors that oversees IU Health Jay agreed to donate the Jay Emergency Medical Service building and 2 acres of land for the county, according to IU Health chief operating officer and chief nursing officer Christina Schemenaur.

Council members let a transfer request in the commissioners’ budget for the project die for a lack of a motion at two council meetings in September. They voiced concerns at the time about the increased cost in the project’s scope and whether it would require a new request for proposals. 

Travis McDaniel of MSS Engineering said Wednesday it won’t be a large additional cost to amend plans and expand the existing base instead of constructing an entirely new building. He shared a potential design of the facility Wednesday with council and commissioners. 

The proposed plan resembles a sketch created four years ago when commissioners president Chad Aker met with department heads about the topic. It includes a JEMS living quarters with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a shared dayroom and kitchen area and a patio, as well as an exercise room, a training room, a conference room, a break room, a lobby for Jay County Health Department and various offices, restrooms and storage rooms.

If constructed in full, the facility would sit at just under 10,000 square feet. At an estimated $500 per square foot, the building could cost nearly $5 million.

A few council members balked at the price Wednesday, with council member Bryan Alexander saying there isn’t support for the plan among council. He and council member Harold Towell also said the project wouldn’t be popular with the public. 

Council vice president Cindy Bracy said the county wouldn’t be able to afford a $5 million project, indicating cuts would likely need to be made. She suggested potentially focusing instead on expanding the EMS base and leaving the health department and coroner’s offices in their current locations.

Commissioners Duane Monroe and Aker, absent Doug Horn, took tours of both the health department on Arch Street in Portland and the JEMS facility along Creagor Avenue in Portland along with council member Matt Minnich on Wednesday. Health department administrator Heath Butz explained the department would benefit from a different building layout as well as additional parking. Jay Emergency Medical Service directors Kyle Gerlach and Gary Barnett showed the living quarters and offices, noting various spots have been overtaken for storage needs.

Monroe explained Wednesday’s goal was to look into whether the location is feasible for building plans. Several folks pointed to an existing wastewater line underground near the Portland base. (There’s also a walking path to IU Health Jay, although Schemenaur said it could be relocated.)

Discussion circled around whether the county would have enough space to expand the current building or whether it would need to build a new structure, with officials indicating they could negotiate with IU Health Jay to place it on part of the hospital’s land north of the Portland base.

Regarding cuts to the project, Jay Emergency Medical Service officials originally argued against, citing needs for a training room on campus. Butz also questioned whether the health department would still be considered in plans.

Council president Matt Minnich pointed out the main question Wednesday: Where can the building fit, and what all does it need to include? He also expressed frustration with department heads regarding potential cuts.

“It doesn’t sound like there’s any room to give, so this might be dead on arrival, because there’s no room that you guys can work with any deductions,” he said. “I don’t know where we’re going to go.”

Department heads took a step back, saying plans are negotiable. Jay Emergency Medical Service director Jessica Curtis added that any plans would be an upgrade from the current facility.

Towell chided department heads and officials, saying Wednesday’s discussion should’ve happened a month prior. He suggested they get together to begin planning soon.

County officials discussed doing a survey on the land and having Portland wastewater superintendent Brad Dues locate the sewer line.

Schemenaur and council members discussed utilizing the hospital for conference and training rooms, with Alexander suggesting a memorandum of understanding. 

County attorney Wes Schemenaur, Christina Schemenaur’s husband, noted the county’s lease with the hospital for the Portland base expired in April. He advocated for taking some sort of action soon, pointing out that the hospital’s donation was not on the table in previous years. 

Aker also advocated for taking action on the project swiftly, asking officials to keep an open mind as they move through the process.