Paving 400 South proposed

One of the most well-traveled county roads is being considered for paving.

Jay County Commissioners agreed Monday to seek bids for paving county road 400 South from Indiana 67 to Indiana 1.

Jay County Highway Department superintendent Bob Howell proposed paving the section of road that runs from Indiana 67 near Jay County Solid Waste Management District’s building to Indiana 1 just north of Redkey, an approximately three-mile span of road.

“This is a heavily traveled road, and it’s in need of attention, which chip and seal would not be sufficient enough to repair,” explained Howell.

He said the highway department has enough money in its budget to pay for the project, and he asked commissioners for permission to move forward in receiving proposals for the work.

“400 South between (Indiana) 67 and (Indiana) 1 is pretty rough, and I know, a few years back we did 400 South between (Indiana) 1 and Dunkirk,” said commissioners president Chad Aker. “It’s held up really nice. I feel that something probably should be done.”

Commissioners agreed the road is heavily traveled. They OK’d seeking bids for the paving project.

Also Monday, commissioners learned about a delay in rehabilitation efforts on the Seventh Street bridge in Portland.

Howell explained that the bridge’s caps had more erosion than anticipated. Consulting firm EGIS is working with the contractor to put together a plan, he added. Options could be to repair the caps at $33,000, leading to a two-week extension on the project, or to altogether replace the caps, which would take an additional three to five weeks. Howell noted they are still working on an estimate for the latter option.

Commissioners decided to hold off on making a decision on the matter until their next meeting.

Commissioners also OK’d moving forward with drafting a contract with information technology service provider LEAP Managed IT.

Jay County officials formed a cybersecurity task force in the fall to assess cybersecurity risks, plan for incidents and provide recommendations for county cybersecurity and information technology issues.

Recently, longtime information technology provider Randy Cleaver announced he will retire at the end of the year.

The task force recommended a fully managed service with LEAP Managed IT along with a co-managed option for Jay County Security Center, which will keep working with current information technology provider Cameron Clark.

The company will begin transitioning to become the county's information technology provider role Sept. 1. It’s estimated at $14,391.10 per month.

Also Monday, commissioners heard an update from Jay County Development Corporation executive director Ceann Bales. She pointed to goals to redesign the organization’s website and create a new county comprehensive plan. Bales also noted Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative 2.0 should begin to be dispersed soon, pointing to a steering committee meeting slated for August. 

Aker shared hopes for JCDC to take the lead on issuing requests for proposals for the 68-acre infrastructure project on the west side of Portland, with Bales agreeing but saying she’ll want to make sure the executive committee is on board.

Commissioners also took bids under advisement involved in constructing a public safety building.

The county accepted proposals through Friday for the project, which would involve building a new facility to be used by Jay County Health Department, Jay Emergency Medical Service and Jay County Coroner’s Office.

Seven companies — Peterson Architecture, Elevatus Architecture, RQAW, Martin Riley, American Structurepoint, K2M Design and MSS Engineering — submitted proposals for the project.

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

•Reminded the public about their special meeting July 21, as well as shifting their next regular meeting to July 30.

•Noted a ceremony at Jay County Junior-Senior High School at 10 a.m. July 24 to rename the bridge on Indiana 67 over the Salamonie River to Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew F. Whitacre, who died while serving in Afghanistan

•Approved the following: an annual agreement with the City of Portland for community coordinator Darlesia Lee’s office at Community Resource Center; an annual agreement with Jay School Corporation for school resource officer Cody Jesse; and combining Iris Scholar watershed with the Salamonie River watershed.

•Decided to hold off on reviewing economic development income tax (EDIT) requests for 2026. Auditor Emily Franks noted the county won’t receive estimates for how much in EDIT dollars it will receive until August, and she predicts the amount will be significantly lower than last year.

•Tabled a decision on renewing a contract with Jay County Humane Society for animal control. Monroe suggested bringing in the organization to share a report on its work at an upcoming meeting.

•Took bids under advisement for a new excavator for Jay County Surveyor’s Office. Three companies offered quotes as follows: West Side Tractor Sales, $150,000; Southeastern Equipment, $179,000; and MacAllister Machinery, $231,000.

•Heard there were no bids submitted in the latest round for the owner-occupied rehabilitation program.