County Raises Ditch Assessments by KATHRYNE RUBRIGHT Get Anything Done We’Ve Got to Geesaman About Flooding Prob - the Commercial Review Raise It.” Lems in Portland
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Tuesday, June 23, 2015 The Commercial Review Portland, Indiana 47371 www.thecr.com 75 cents County raises ditch assessments By KATHRYNE RUBRIGHT get anything done we’ve got to Geesaman about flooding prob - The Commercial Review raise it.” lems in Portland. Jay County residents paying Ditch assessment revenue pays “We’ve been flooded downtown ditch assessments will see the for cleaning debris from ditches several times and the Salamonie amount they owe increase. and installing drainage tile. With River hasn’t got out of its banks,” Jay County Commissioners, Increase for some is the exception of the Brooks Geesaman said. acting as the county drainage first in nearly 25 years Creek fund having $1,800, the Flooding such as last week’s board, held hearings and raised fund for every watershed dis - comes from water quickly enter - assessments on the Wehrly, Little cussed had a negative balance. ing the Millers Branch, which Salamonie, Ross Days, Halfway “We’ve got a lot of work to do. originates northeast of Portland and Brooks Creek watersheds That’s the problem, these water - and enters the city’s sewer sys - during their Monday meeting. increases, or would have pre - noted, the Halfway watershed sheds have gotten to the point tem north of E. Votaw Street, dur - They also discussed flooding in ferred smaller increases. The assessment had not been raised where we do a little work, it goes ing heavy rain, Geesaman said. Portland. assessments were raised from $1, since 1991. back in the red,” said county sur - He suggested looking at ways to Commissioners Faron Parr, with the exception of Brooks Dennis Rogers told the com - veyor Brad Daniels. “Every year redirect or slow down that water Jim Zimmerman and Doug Creek, which came up from $1.50. missioners during the Halfway it’s the same thing and they’ve flow. Inman unanimously voted to “I didn’t think it ought to go up hearing that a dollar increase progressively gotten worse, so “I think this is a major con - raise assessments on each to $2 100 percent,” said Jean Bantz was necessary. we’re trying to get them out so we cern. If we could actually come per acre, with a plot minimum of during the Halfway hearing. “I “I agree with it because we’re can do the work and not be in the up with a solution there that we $20. can see a little, but not 100 per - so far behind at $1 an acre. You red at the end of the year.” could all live with, it would help Most residents who spoke at cent.” can’t do any maintenance in this The commissioners also heard out dramatically,” Geesaman the hearings were against However, the commissioners day and age,” he said. “In order to from Portland Mayor Randy said. Dunkirk blight bids are opened By VIRGINIA CLINE The Commercial Review DUNKIRK — Bids were opened Monday to deter - mine who will tear down the blighted homes in the city. Mayor Dan Watson opened envelopes from con - tractors during the Dunkirk City Council meet - ing, with the lowest from Kesler Excavating LLC at $79,000 and the highest from Lawrence Excavating at $144,719. Dunkirk was awarded an Indiana Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination grant of $176,000 to raze the homes. Other bids were Taylor Construction & Excavating at $89,920; TJ’s Concrete Work LLC at $89,225; A. Landon Excavating at $93,447; and Yardberry Landscaping and Excavat - ing Company at $144,500. “I would like to let (Jay The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney County community devel - oper) Ami (Huffman) take these to review them and come back with a recom - Expansion excavation mendation at our next Crews were working this morning to move dirt to the west of the current FCC (Indiana) facility on Industrial Park council meeting,” Watson Drive in Portland in preparation for a plant expansion. FCC is planning a 76,000-square foot expansion and a total said. The next meeting will investment of $15.5 million. It plans to add 55 jobs. be July 13. Huffman also gave an update on the Stellar Com - munities grant application that is due June 30. The application is Dunkirk’s third attempt at a Stellar Corwin resigning as director grant. Dunkirk is asking for $1.5 By RAY COONEY for a new director immediately son,” said district educator Bettie “I know we kind of kid Freda, million from the Indiana The Commercial Review and hopes to one selected by mid- Jacobs while encouraging the and she’s good enough to take Jay County Solid Waste Man - Office of Community and July. That would allow the new board to move quickly. “Freda that kidding because she knows Rural Affairs to move the agement District is looking for a employee to train with Corwin has filled in a lot of gaps. She how seriously we really appreci - new director. Dunkirk Public Library for two weeks before taking over helps me immensely.” ate her and the job that she’s and Dunkirk Glass Muse - District board members the job Aug. 1. Corwin took the position in done,” said board member Jim um to the old Stewart learned at their meeting Monday An executive committee made August 2012 after the resignation Zimmerman before leading the Brothers building, $501,360 that Freda Corwin, who has held up of president Jeanne Houch - of previous director Jill Hall. She group in a standing ovation. in tax credits from Indiana the position for about three ins, vice president Doug Inman previously served two terms as Board members also decided Housing and Community years, is resigning effective July and a third board member will Jay County auditor as well as sev - on new sites for two trailers. The Development Authority for 31. evaluate applicants, conduct eral other positions at the county new Dunkirk site will be in a a senior housing complex They also took a first look at interviews and bring a recom - courthouse. parking lot south of West Jay and $574,859 from Indiana their 2016 budget and made some mendation to the board. The job She’s stepping away to focus Community Center, and the new Department of Transporta - adjustments to sites for Saturday includes running the district more on her business — General Redkey site will be at the former tion for lighting and safe recycling trailers. office and managing finances. Store in Pennville — and spend town hall, 20 S. Ash St. routes to school. The board plans to advertise “It’s going to take a special per - more time with family. See Resigning page 2 “We’ve been working from our plan getting all the updated estimates and everything,” Huffman said Jay’s rate is tied for 35th-highest of the 70-page application. Huffman said a consult - By RAY COONEY ment of Workforce Devel - 23rd-lowest as recently as Most of the state’s coun - decrease in unemploy - ant from the Strategic The Commercial Review opment estimates April 2014. ties saw slight increases ment over the past two Development Group was For the second consecu - released Monday. Also in May, Randolph to their unemployment and one-half years are paid from a $10,000 grant to tive month, Jay County’s Jay County unemploy - County surpassed Jay rates in May. Overall, Indi - remarkable,” said com - help with the process. unemployment rate was ment rate went up by 0.1 County as it came in with ana’s number went up 0.2 missioner Steven J. Braun “It’s been a pretty posi - higher than more than percentage points and was a rate of 4.7 percent after percentage points to 4.8 in a press release. “During tive experience, so fingers half of the counties in higher than more than both were at 4.8 percent in percent. the same period private crossed, so far so good,” Indiana. half of the state’s coun - April. Jay County had IDWD officials were still sector jobs have increased Huffman said. The county’s rate ticked ties for the second consistently ranked optimistic about the num - by more than 119,000 and Councilman Tom John - up slightly in May to 4.9 straight month. It had behind Adams and Wells bers. our labor force is consis - son said the leak is fixed at percent, tying it for the been among the lower counties but ahead of “Indiana’s addition of tently participating at a Dunkirk Community Pool 35th-highest rate in the half of unemployment Randolph, Blackford and 64,000 individuals to the rate above the national and the pool should open no state out of 92 counties rates in Indiana for sever - Delaware counties in the Hoosier labor force, as average. later than June 29. based on Indiana Depart - al years, and ranked at area. well as the significant See Tied page 2 See Opened page 5 Deaths Weather In review Coming up The high temperature Mon - day at Portland’s weather sta - The site for the Miss Jay tion was 85 degrees. The Wednesday — Photo cover - Gary McCowan, 40, Albany County Fair Queen Pageant overnight low was 65, and age of the Jay County March - Cletus Niekamp, 92, New has been moved. The event, there was a tenth of an inch of ing Patriots’ first practice. Bremen, Ohio sponsored by Portland Break - rain. Michael Liette, 63, Ver - fast Optimists, will be at 7:30 Tonight’s low will dip to 58 Friday — Jay County Sum - sailles, Ohio p.m. Sunday in the auditorium degrees, and the high Wednes - mer Swim Team visits Adams Details on page 2.