Shrack to take over

The courthouse has a new superintendent.

Jay County Commissioners hired Monte Shrack as Jay County Courthouse superintendent on Monday.

Former courthouse superintendent Bruce Sutton resigned Oct. 28. Commissioners president Chad Aker said Sutton retired from the job. He worked at the courthouse for nearly 11 years, starting as a custodian and moving into the superintendent position approximately eight years ago.

Shrack currently serves as head of courthouse security. He’s worked a few different stints for law enforcement agencies for about 10 years, having spent time at Redkey Police Department as well as Jay County Sheriff’s Office. 

Shrack explained after the meeting Monday that he’s ready for a change of pace and looks forward to starting a different job. He pointed to nearly 35 years of experience in maintenance. Shrack spent 18 years in the heat treat department at Key Fasteners Corporation in Berne before shifting to become a police officer. He also spent about four years as a maintenance worker at Jay County Hospital amid its transition to IU Health Jay.

“I just like being a little more active and just like the hands-on and taking things apart,” Shrack said.

Commissioners Doug Horn and Aker, absent Duane Monroe, formally offered the position to Shrack at the meeting Monday. Shrack accepted and submitted his resignation to Jay County Sheriff’s Office, with plans to begin his new job Nov. 24.

Also Monday, commissioners formally approved a resolution to transfer several properties to Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation.

Commissioners agreed last month to move forward with the process after Jay County Development Corporation executive director Ceann Bales explained 19 properties in Dunkirk were up for tax sale. Those properties, along with 11 others across Jay County, have not sold in the last two tax sales. More than $150,600 in back taxes are owed on those properties. Dunkirk locations makes up the largest portion of the list for a total of just over $96,000 in back taxes owed.

Hopes are to remove any existing structures and seek private developers to build. For lots unsuitable for construction work, they could be offered to adjoining property owners.

County attorney Wes Schemenaur explained the resolution Monday served as the first step in the process.

According to the resolution, commissioners will host a public hearing on the matter at 9 a.m. Nov. 24.

Also, commissioners approved a financial commitment letter to the Federal Highway Administration for reconstructing a bridge along county road 400 North.

Jay County Highway Department is applying for a grant through the federal office to complete the work estimated at $1.97 million. If approved, the county would pay 20% of the cost, or about $394,000. The goal is to begin construction in 2031.

Administrative assistant Stephanie Klarer also talked about the highway department’s work Monday morning amid the season’s first snowfall, starting with trucks taking to the roads to begin spreading salt about 5 a.m. Several workers who had been scheduled for paid time off were called in to help clear the roads, Klarer said.

“We thank them for not using their time off, and we will see what tomorrow brings,” she said. “I thought today would be OK, but I just got another notification that there’s another possible system coming in tonight, so we’ll have to kind of keep an eye out for that and possibly working on holiday tomorrow, so we will see how that goes.”

Additionally, Klarer noted plans for Brice Fox to begin as a highway mechanic starting Nov. 17 as well as to move part-time worker Jack Scott into a full-time truck driver position pending his results on a Commercial Driver’s License test.

Commissioners also:

•Approved the following: a resolution setting health savings account rates for employees next year, with the county to contribute $125 to single-member plans quarterly and $250 to plans with additional members quarterly; a right-of-way agreement with American Electric Power to bore under Brookview Drive at Golf Brook Estates just south of Portland; a $591,797.85 claim from Brumbaugh Construction for work completed on the Seventh Street bridge in Portland, with a majority of the cost covered through a state Community Crossings grant; $42,445.40 in claims for work completed in the owner-occupied rehabilitation program; and a $2,713 agreement with Robert Brelsford for right-of-way work along county road 350 West just north of Indiana 26.

•OK’d handling financial institutions tax and commercial vehicle excise tax distributions in the same manner for November as they were handled in May. County auditor Emily Franks explained recent state legislation gave local legislative bodies the option to change how those dollars are distributed, allowing commissioners to deposit distributions into the county general fund if desired.

•Re-appointed Tracy Carpenter and Carolyn Journay to Jay County Public Library Board of Trustees.

•Accepted a $25 donation from the Mississinewa Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to Jay County Emergency Management Agency.