New vet clinic planned

A new veterinary practice is planning to open.

Portland City Council referred a tax abatement request from NAC Holdings for $250,000 in renovations to 1609 N. Meridian St. to the city’s tax abatement advisory committee. Plans are to utilize the building for the new Nose-to-Tail Animal Clinic.

CeAnn Bales, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation, presented the application for a three-year tax abatement. It would save the property owners about $14,000. The project is expected to create four to five new jobs.

Scott Kohler of NAC Holdings explained that plans are to convert the site at the north end of the shopping center — it was previously the home of Balloon Elations — into a veterinary clinic with animal boarding. He said plans are to have room to house 8 to 10 dogs, with the possibility of expanding in the future. (The immediate focus will be on the front two-thirds of the building, he explained.)

The goal is for the clinic to be completed late this year.

Council members Kent McClung, Michele Brewster, Matt Goldsworthy, Dave Golden, Mike Aker, Ashley Hilfiker and Ron May agreed to send the request to the city’s tax abatement advisory committee for review.

Also Monday, McClung encouraged his fellow council members to think about where they stand on the county’s effort to create a mixed-use development on 68 acres on the city’s west side. Plans call for commercial space along Votaw Street with housing to the north on property the county purchased in early 2023.

Funding for the project has been on the agenda for several local governmental organizations recently. The county is also awaiting an official decision on funds it requested through the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 2.0.

“I know that this thing came about in the last couple years, maybe kind of under a cloud that we weren’t asked as a city to come into this project early on,” said McClung. “But we’re being asked probably now. …

“So, if housing’s a big part of what we need and if someone came in today and asked us, ‘What would you do?’ or ‘How much would you pay to get this kind of housing project in Portland?’ what would that number be? And I think that’s what we need to be thinking about.

“They’re at a point in the project that in the near future they’re going to be wanting to know where we’re at as a city.”

In other business:

•McClung brought up the city’s sidewalk improvement program, through which the city will provide labor to install a new sidewalk if the property owner pays for materials. He suggested that council think about a way to work with property owners who cannot afford the cost of materials. The suggestions stemmed from a resident expressing concern to McClung regarding the state of some of the sidewalks along Meridian Street on the south side of the city.

•Golden relayed positive comments from constituents regarding recent street paving. He also brought up two issues he has mentioned before — installing a handrail at the Hood Building and vacating the alley adjacent to Jay County Democrat headquarters.

•Approved an additional appropriation of $174,500 for a new trash truck.

•May donated $200 to Jay County Special Olympics. Troy Atkinson of the organization said it serves at least 30 athletes and also accepts donations of equipment.

•Hilfiker asked a question about golf carts not triggering the new traffic lights in downtown Portland. Mayor Jeff Westlake said it is likely that the vehicles are not heavy enough to trigger the system.

•Westlake reported that a manhole on Meridian Street near CVS has been lifted so that it is at the same level as the street.