County approves transfer of parcel to DIDC

Dunkirk real estate may be changing hands.

Jay County Commissioners approved a resolution Monday to transfer ownership of 303 S. Main St., Dunkirk, to nonprofit Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation.

The nonprofit organization owns the former Stewart Brothers Furniture Store located next door at 304 S. Main St. County attorney Wes Schemenaur explained earlier this month there have been several proposals over the years for developing the building.

Dunkirk mayor Jack Robbins noted Monday that Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation began concentrating on efforts to utilize the former furniture store in 2014.

“It was completely stripped, the floors pulled out of there, we’re ready to do the heating, cooling, going to get ready to get some business in there,” said Robbins.

Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation president Dane Mumbower shared photos with commissioners of the properties and explained how acquiring the building at 303 S. Main St., would help the organization in developing the former furniture store.

“Primarily, my thought is, if nothing else, parking,” Mumbower said.

“That building is in dire need of repair … engineering-wise, I can’t answer those questions, it’s been years and years since I’ve been inside of it, but something needs to be done with that building.”

The building transferred Monday has been through a county tax sale twice. Commissioners currently hold a tax sale certificate for the property. Because the county has the certificate, commissioners may transfer the property to a nonprofit organization. (The roughly $1,800 in taxes owed on the building will be erased with the transfer.)

“If you do transfer it, it does wipe out the $1,800 that the county is owed, but it would hopefully eventually end up back on the tax rolls if you could encourage some development there,” noted Schemenaur.

He added the transfer is not final — Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation will need to go through a redemption process for the building, which takes approximately 120 days. (If the owner redeems the property by paying their back taxes, the property would remain under their ownership.)

The transfer is also subject to reverting back to the county if Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation doesn’t make changes to the building within the next five years.

Following a public hearing, commissioners agreed to move forward with the transfer.

Also Monday, during a nearly three-hour meeting, commissioners opened bids for the next round of projects in Jay County’s owner-occupied rehabilitation program.

The county received offers for various home projects from Mustard Seed Remodeling of Portland (total $353,288), Dave’s Heating and Cooling of Portland (total $146,782) and Fortitude Design and Consulting of Evansville (total $124,100). It also received a total of $62,077 in bids for radon mediation work from Air Xray of New Haven. (Testing for radon is required by Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs before construction projects take place.)

Commissioners took the bids under advisement.

Also Monday, commissioners discussed potentially changing the scope of work in an ongoing study with Barry Ritter of Ritter Strategic Services to include looking into costs for a second stand-alone radio system.

The company is looking into upgrading radio equipment for Jay County emergency responders. Currently, it’s focusing on shifting the county to the Integrated Public Safety  Commission’s statewide system. Commissioners president Chad Aker suggested looking into the stand-alone system for non-public entities. After discussion, commissioners agreed to invite Ritter to a meeting to talk about the project.

Aker also shared plans to hold a work session and discuss economic development income tax (EDIT) funds with groups that applied for EDIT dollars.

Commissioner Duane Monroe suggested re-opening applications for EDIT funding, noting one applicant now needs less money than initially requested.

Schemenaur suggested inviting applicants to the work session in 10- to 15-minute intervals to talk about funding requests. Aker said he will connect with commissioners about potential dates coming up for the meeting.

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

•Approved ordinances amending purchasing procedures, allowing elected officials and department heads to make purchases up to $5,000 without prior approval from commissioners and allowing county officials to enter into contracts less than $5,000 without prior approval, effective Feb. 1.

•Shifted a few regular meetings because of conflicting schedules, with commissioners deciding to hold their second meeting in March on March 31 and their second meeting in June to June 30.

•Approved the following: paying an additional $14,300.35 to Hays and Sons Complete Restoration of Muncie for restoration services at Jay County Courthouse following a water leak; paying $26,870.12 to Mustard Seed Remodeling of Portland for remodeling one of the men’s restrooms at Jay County Country Living, with the approval contingent on an additional appropriation from Jay County Council; a $23,297.08 contract with All Circuit Electrical of Bryant for replacing lights at Jay County Jail; a $13,900 agreement with property owners at 402 W. Seventh St., Portland, in order to grant an easement related to replacing the bridge on Seventh Street, with an additional $7,500 factored in to pay for trees removed in the process; a two-year, $3,405 contract with J.J. Keller and Associates for School of Chemical Sciences data management software at Jay County Highway Department to stay compliant with safety guidelines; a $10,566.62 contract with Matrix Integration of Jasper for upgrading internet equipment and speeds at Jay County Courthouse; paying $7,800 to Four-U Office Supplies of Celina, Ohio, for a new copier in auditor Emily Frank’s office; moving forward with vacating two alleys in New Corydon; allowing highway superintendent Bob Howell to go over the county’s $1,500 credit card spending limit to pay for employees to attend a three-day conference outside of Jay County; a pass-through grant for transportation agency LifeStream Services to purchase four new buses; right-of-way contracts for upcoming construction work on two bridges, one on county road 350 West between 50 North and 200 North and the other on county road 1100 West between Division Road and county road 100 North; and spending an additional $2,350 on a van Jay County Sheriff’s Office is purchasing in order to add three more seats.

•Agreed to pay for three Jay County Prosecutor’s Office employees to attend a three-day child support conference in June in Fort Wayne.

•OK’d closing volunteer emergency service Rescue 19’s bank account intended for donations and moving dollars into a donation account for Jay Emergency Management.

•Appointed Judith Affolder, Diana Stults and Jeff Kiess to the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals.

• Heard Jay Emergency Medical Services' financial breakdown for December from director Gary Barnett. The department had $124,304.70 in expenses and $88,881.21 in income. Barnett also compared annual financial breakdowns between 2023 and 2024, pointing out the county brought in an additional $69,082.35 and spent $44,431.82 less in 2024.

•Paid $1.85 million in claims.