County votes to pull ARPA $ from project

The county continued the process of stepping away from a proposed housing development project.

Jay County Commissioners approved a resolution Monday to terminate the interlocal agreement with Jay County Development Corporation for using the county’s $1.2 million remaining coronavirus relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act for the project proposed for 68 acres of county-owned land along Votaw Street on the west side of Portland.

The resolution still needs to be approved by the redevelopment commission.

Monroe explained last month that consulting firm Baker Tilly has indicated the county could reallocate American Rescue Plan Act dollars aimed at the project. (County officials had discussed using the money to help pay for new radios for emergency responders, a project estimated at a total of nearly $7 million.) Initially, funds had to be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.

County officials have withdrawn support for the project over the course of the last month, beginning with Jay County Council voting to “pull the plug” — inform consulting firm Rundell, Ernstberger and Associates to cease work on the project — at its Dec. 10 meeting.

“Yes, do we need housing? Absolutely,” said Jay County Council member Cindy Bracy at that meeting. “Is that the right place and the right way to make it happen? No. We need radios."

Jay County Redevelopment Commission followed suit on Dec. 18 and also voted to send a letter to Jay County Commissioners and Jay County Council declaring intent to rescind an interlocal agreement allocating American Rescue Plan Act dollars toward the project. Four days later, commissioners Duane Monroe and Doug Horn also voted to notify Rundell Entsberger and Associates to stop development work while commissioner Chad Aker voted against.

Monday’s action, which passed unanimously, formally approved rescinding the interlocal agreement regarding the federal funds.

County attorney Wes Schemenaur said after the meeting that the county council does not need to approve the resolution because it was not a party to the interlocal agreement.

The long-term project called for commercial space along Votaw Street, 210 multi-family housing units, 76 single-family homes and 53 townhomes/duplexes. The first phase of the project that the American Rescue Plan Act funds would have helped cover involved installing utilities at a cost of $2.65 million. The county purchased the 68-acre property for $1.1 million in March 2023. There was no developer tied to the project before the county started the process of pulling back.

Commissioners also signed an agreement to rent the 68-acre property for farming this year to Chris Muhlenkamp at $420 an acre, a total of $28,560.

In other business, commissioners:

•Elected Monroe as president of commissioners and Aker as vice president. Aker, who has announced that he will not run for re-election this year, had served as president since 2021. They also elected Horn as president and Monroe as vice president of the county drainage board.

•Approved the following: renewing a contract with Quality Correctional Care for nursing and other medical services at Jay County Jail; spending $8,000 to take part in an Indiana Sheriff’s Association program that will write standard operating procedures for jail staff and provide regular training and testing (plans are to utilize the same program for deputies beginning next year); shifting inventory of some equipment from Jay County Country Living to the county highway department; a $1,750 claim from Jim and Kristen Schoenlein for right-of-way work; all existing department heads and Wes Schemenaur as county attorney to continue serving; a $5,308 claim for a right-of-way on property owned by Donald and Christine Whitenack; a quarterly claim of $17,078.75 from Jay County Humane Society for animal control services; and $1,125 for attendance at an Indiana Assessor’s Association conference.

•Learned from highway department superintendent Bob Howell that a culvert is being replaced on county road 300 North this week between county roads 400 East and 450 East. The department is also getting two new plows delivered this week.

•Heard a report from Cambria Sparks of the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs regarding the county’s veterans services department. She told commissioners that the department meets state and federal standards with the exception of utilizing a Personal Identification Verification card reader. The department is in the process of obtaining that equipment. Aker praised Moser county veterans affairs officer Cliff Moser for his services to local veterans.

•Received a recap from Bill Walters of East Central Indiana Regional Planning District, which assists local governments in Jay, Blackford, Delaware and Grant counties with economic development. The district has applied or is in the process of applying for various grants, including for an INDOT culvert program, Safe Streets for All and Community Crossings. It also received 18 corporate and community grants totaling $45,200.

•Heard from county surveyor Brad Daniels that his department’s wide-format copier is currently out of service and will need to be replaced. He said he will get quotes. The current copier cost $10,000 when it was purchased in 2017.

•OK’d the following appointments to local boards: Todd Penrod to the public defender’s board; Jane Ann Runyon to the Jay County Visitors & Tourism Board; Aker to Jay County Plan Commission; Chuck Denney to Portland Plan Commission; Monroe to Jay County Regional Sewer District, Derek Rodgers, Carl Walker and Horn to Jay County Redevelopment Commission; Cindy Shepherd to Jay County Economic Development Income Tax Advisory Committee; Kaleb Hemmelgarn to the Jay County Board of Zoning Appeals; and Terry Hanks to the Alcohol and Beverage Commission.

•Approved claims of $6,000 for East Central Indiana Regional Planning District’s general services and $3,000 for work related to Community Crossings grant eligibility for Pennville, Bryant and Salamonia. Monroe expressed concern that he could not find a record of commissioners approving that work. He said he would prefer that such work be handled by Jay County Development Corporation.