Clinton County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to support a bid for up to $750,000 in state grant funding that would eventually transfer ownership of the county’s Purdue Extension building to the Learning Network, a local nonprofit, while Extension relocates to the county fairgrounds.
The Learning Network would take ownership of the current building, with the county’s donated building value covering the required $75,000 local match. Additional maintenance is also needed for the basement and other areas of the building that have required repeated stopgap repairs over the past several years. Melinda Grismer, Learning Network director, added that the county would face no financial obligation unless the grant is awarded, at which point it would need to pay a grant administrator.
Grismer also told commissioners that due to growth and expanding programs — including nine English as a Second Language classes, high school equivalency courses and citizenship classes — the organization has outgrown the shared building. And the Purdue Extension will be relocated to the county fairgrounds where it can to be closer to fairgrounds equipment it uses to run the county fair.
The Commissioners moved to pursue this grant request. A public hearing on the project is tentatively planned for mid-September, ahead of an Oct. 4 preliminary grant submission and a Dec. 13 final deadline. The state is expected to announce awards in February.
K9 Officers Lambo and Barry Honored at Retirement
Sheriff Brendon Bight recognized K9 Lambo and K9 Barry for six years of service alongside their handlers, Assistant Jail Commander Sgt. Chase Miller and Sgt. Jared Yoder. “Today we want K9 Lambo and K9 Barry and their handlers to know that we know, we appreciate, and we will not forget,” the sheriff said during the ceremony, which drew applause from the board. The K9s were not in attendance.
Proposed Holiday Change Tabled
Commissioner Bert Weaver introduces a proposal to add a new “flex” employee holiday, partly to address annex office closures during the annual Hot Dog Festival. EMS Director Stephen Deckard asked that EMS staff, who already work a separate holiday schedule, be excluded from any new policy, Commissioners voted to table the proposal for further discussion with department heads.
Other Business
The board also reviewed a $274,000-plus state grant awarded to EMS for a mobile integrated health director, cardiac monitor and vehicle, and heard the health department received a separate grant funding a public health liaison position. Commissioners also approved an $8,000 stop-sign study, a sheriff’s vehicle purchase and trade-in, and roughly $19,467 in server storage upgrades. The board meets next Sept. 1.