Commissioners set EDIT deadline

Economic development income tax (EDIT) funding requests for 2026 are due by July 11.

Jay County Commissioners agreed Monday to formally set the deadline for EDIT requests for July 11, with commissioners to preliminarily review the requests at their July 14 meeting before deciding on another date to select funding recipients.

Commissioners had originally asked for requests by June 13, with plans at that time to host a special meeting June 25 to review projects and award dollars.

Jay County Development Corporation board president Angela Paxson asked commissioners in May for an extension, pointing out JCDC hadn’t received notice for the 2026 deadline until recently.

“I think it was just an oversight that we didn't receive ours, because we received our funding in January,” Paxson said at the commissioners’ meeting May 27.

County auditor Emily Franks reminded commissioners at that time that the county’s budget process had been delayed by a month because of various questions with taxes and other finances as a result of newly enacted Senate Enrolled Act 1.  

Commissioners president Chad Aker noted Monday an official date needed to be selected for the deadline. Commissioners then agreed to set the deadline to July 11.

Also Monday, commissioners took two bids under advisement for designing, building and installing a new public safety radio system and related equipment.

Ritter Strategic Services completed a study on the county’s emergency responder radios previously. Commissioners agreed to move forward in recent months with seeking proposals for switching to the Integrated Public Safety Commission’s statewide radio system as well as offers for creating a new standalone system.

Motorola and J&K Communications both submitted proposals for the multi-million dollar project. Barry Ritter of Ritter Strategic Services explained Monday prices attached to their proposals — they appeared to span hundreds of pages — would not be all-inclusive, suggesting commissioners take the bids under advisement before announcing totals. Commissioners then agreed to a motion to that effect.

Also, commissioners tabled decision on proposals to outfit Jay County Highway Department vehicles with cameras and Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment.

Four companies submitted quotes for installing the equipment, which would require annual operational costs. Proposals were as follows: Brigade Electronics, $28,451.90 per year; Samsara, $24,847.10 with a three- to five-year contract; Linxup, $25,800 with a three-year contract; and HD Fleet, $25,990.60 per year. 

Highway department superintendent Bob Howell noted prices are expected to increase soon and recommended Samsara, which provided trial cameras to the highway department last year.

Franks suggested commissioners table the matter, noting she would like to check with the county’s insurance provider on the proposals. (The equipment is now required per the insurance policy.)

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

•Heard from community coordinator Darlesia Lee that the third round of bids in the county’s owner-occupied rehabilitation program are now open, with the county seeking construction projects for 35 remaining homes. The program must be complete by August, per state guidelines for the grant dollars. Officials say the program is on track to meet that deadline.

•Reminded the public that the commissioners’ meeting schedule will change slightly for the rest of the month. Commissioners have a special meeting slated for 4 p.m. June 23 to open owner-occupied rehabilitation program bids, with their regular meeting to follow the next week at 9 a.m. June 30. (Normally, they would meet at 9 a.m. June 23.)

•Learned the county is accepting proposals for constructing a public safety building. Bids may be submitted through July 11 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.

•Approved the following: a memorandum of understanding with Jay School Corporation for school resource officer Cody Jesse’s contract — his current contract is up for renewal Aug. 1 — subject to cost amendments Jan. 1 because of the later budgeting process this year; a $300,389.34 loan agreement for the highway department’s new grader at 5.9% interest annually for the next four years; a $73,613 revised claim from LifeStream Services; a supplemental agreement with engineering firm EGIS for bridge inspection services through 2028, with the cost to increase by about $18,000 per additional services now required by the state; removing employee Heather Weaver from Jay County Country Living’s bank account; and $471,296.08 in other claims, which includes $365,500 for the county’s jail bond.

•Heard Aker and other county representatives met with Gov. Mike Braun and presented information at Indiana Statehouse recently regarding the county’s 68-acre project, which the county submitted in a request for Regional Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 2.0 funds. Aker said an announcement for grant dollars should come in the next two to three weeks.

•Appointed Horn to Jay County Visitors and Tourism Bureau commission.

•OK’d surveyor Brad Daniels to seek quotes for replacing the county’s Kobelco excavator.