Egg expansion

Minnich Eggs plans to expand.

Jay County Council forwarded requests from the company Wednesday to enact five-year tax abatements on upcoming additions to their business.

Minnich Eggs of rural Portland plans to build a biochar manufacturing and distribution facility and new feed mill in Noble Township. 

Jay County Development Corporation executive director Ceann Bales explained Minnich Eggs is also planning to develop the facility, which will involve converting layer and pullet manure into soil amendment products (biochar).

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, biochar is defined as “black carbon produced from biomass sources … for the purpose of transforming the biomass carbon into a more stable form (carbon sequestration).”

Its website also says biochar is mainly created for carbon sequestration, a topic recently discussed by Jay County Plan Commission. (The plan commission will consider whether to recommend Jay County Commissioners enact a one-year moratorium on carbon sequestration in order to allow time to create an ordinance setting regulations for such facilities.)

Bales also explained Minnich Poultry — it’s a part of the same business — is currently operating a feed mill, but it is running at capacity and nearing the end of its life.

“Unfortunately right now Jay County lacks a feed mill to be able to have the sufficient capacity to meet their needs,” Bales said. “So, to address this, Minnich Eggs is proposing to construct a new, modern feed mill, producing finished feed to support Minnich Poultry’s operations, because this is a project that will help the company be sustainable for years to come.”

The company requested a five-year real property tax abatement and five-year personal property tax abatement, estimating $14.1 million and $15.93 million investments, respectively. (Minnich Eggs will save approximately $699,769 with the real property abatement and $339,427 with the personal property abatement.) The project will result in 10 additional jobs — plans are to have three shifts at the biochar facility — and help retain several employees.

According to tax abatement forms, the estimated start date for construction is Sept. 1, with completion set for Dec. 31, 2027.

County officials previously approved two other tax abatements with Minnich Poultry, along with one tax abatement for Reier Pullets, a sister company.

Council member Cindy Bracy — she lives near the business — voiced concerns about the business’ truck traffic on county road 300 North, saying the road is not safe for semis or school buses. She suggested the county look into road improvements or another solution and voiced support for the business’ expansion.

 Answering a question from council member Michael Brewster, Minnich Poultry chief financial officer Steve Reier said the company has been in business in Jay County since the 1970s.

“I certainly thank you for investing in Jay County and staying in Jay County, I think it’s upon us as the council to make sure that we do anything we can to keep you guys here,” responded Brewster.

Council members Faron Parr, Harold Towell, Randy May, Bryan Alexander, Bracy and Brewster forwarded Minnich Eggs’ request to Jay County tax abatement advisory committee. Council president Matt Minnich, who is involved in the business, abstained.

Council also heard a report from council member Bryan Alexander regarding the proposed 68-acre infrastructure project on the west side of Portland. 

Alexander said the committee made up of county and city representatives at its recent meeting heard from Portland Wastewater Department superintendent Brad Dues that drainage issues on Charles Street will not have an impact with the 68-acre project, saying the problem was not due to capacity at the plant.

He also said the project would cost $1.2 million to install a lift station, $2.4 million for wastewater work and an additional $1 million for water work. 

Currently, the county has committed $1.24 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars for the project. Jay County is still waiting for confirmation of an estimated $1.2 million from the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 2.0 program. (Jay County Redevelopment Commission also agreed to contribute $1.5 million toward the project last year subject to receiving grant dollars and a contribution from Portland, according to president Carl Walker, although questions have popped up on whether the decision is still valid.) Alexander noted discussion about the City of Portland potentially contributing dollars toward the project.

Also on Wednesday, council approved an ordinance allowing Jay County Sheriff’s Office to charge more for furnishing copies of law enforcement recordings.

Sheriff Ray Newton explained previously the department charged $5 per disc. The new ordinance allows the department to charge the direct cost to the department for supplying recordings, which includes time spent by employees searching for, redacting and copying the recording, along with the medium — such as discs or flash drives — on which it is stored. (Newton pointed out that charge may not exceed $150.)

Fees collected will go toward purchasing cameras or other equipment at the sheriff’s office, for training law enforcement recording and to defray expenses of storing, producing and copying recordings, according to the ordinance.

In other business, council:

•Approved an amendment to the salary ordinance, creating a $20.81 an hour part-time position at Jay County Prosecutor’s Office, and made $5,376.47 in related additional appropriations. (Bracy abstained from the vote.) Chief deputy prosecutor Zech Landers explained plans to bring on Jay County native Ashlyn Dow — she’s been attending Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington — as a summer intern.

•Made the following other additional appropriations: $175,000 in economic development income taxes to partially pay for replacing a bridge on county road 600 West just north of Indiana 26 with a culvert, a decision approved by Jay County Commissioners March 31; $47,000 for Jay County Coroner’s Office to replace the department’s current 2019 Ram 1500, with additional funding to cover the cost of installing emergency lighting; $15,000 for water line repairs at Jay County Fairgrounds; $8,100 for Ritter Strategic Services’ work in seeking bids for new radio equipment; $5,200 for office equipment, including a new recording system and scanner, at Jay Circuit Court; $2,059.73 (Bracy and Towell opposed) for work completed by Rundell, Ernstberger and Associates related to the 68-acre project; and $2,000 for location of cornerstones.

•Agreed to hold off on setting the 2026 budget calendar. Jay County auditor Emily Franks noted several financial unknowns because of Senate Enrolled Act 1, with Brewster suggesting council wait until its next meeting to decide.