After 22 years, county set to make final payment on jail

Finally paid in full as of this month, the Putnam County Jail is now a landmark on the city’s south side. In October 1995 it remained a work-in-progress under the watchful eye of site manager Doug Fehribach, Jail Commander Merle Dixon, Chief Deputy Tom Helmer, Commissioner Dennis O’Hair, Sheriff Richard Lyon, Commissioner Gene Clodfelter, First Deputy Auditor Kristina Warren, Commissioner Don Walton, Auditor Liz Jensen and County Councilman Mitch Proctor.

Banner Graphic/Courtesy Photo,File Photos

A little more than 22 years after it was completed, the Putnam County Jail will soon be paid in full.

Upon completion of the Putnam County Jail, Commissioner Don Walton cut the ribbon on the new $5 million facility on Dec. 8, 1995.

On Tuesday, Walton (now in his second multi-term stint) was among the three commissioners present when it was announced the jail will be paid off later this month.

County Auditor Lorie Hallett announced that by week’s end, she plans to make the final payment on the jail bond of $230,218.

Pending the possibility of some small fees, that will mark the end of payments after more than two decades.

This marks only a partial payment on the jail, as the 2017 payment was $456,899.

After paying off a bond that spanned 20-plus years and the tenures of five sheriffs, the commissioners now have their eyes toward saving for another building project.

Having already started saving for the project in other ways, the commissioners are hoping to put more toward the Courthouse Annex project.

In presenting the draft of the 2018 Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) Plan on Tuesday, County Attorney Jim Ensley included a line item of $250,000 to go toward the annex.

“The Annex fund is already established,” Commissioner Rick Woodall told the Banner Graphic. “Our intention is to put it in there so it can’t be used for something else.”

The commissioners will consider the 2018 EDIT Plan for passage during their 9 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 15.

In the meantime, some changes were proposed on Tuesday, with Commissioner David Berry requesting additional funds for senior citizens and the hungry of Putnam County.

In light of a recent visit request by the Putnam County Senior Center, Berry proposed increasing the Senior Center support in the EDIT plan from $5,000 to $15,000.

After the meeting, he stressed the importance of supporting the Senior Center, considering the number of people it serves.

“The Senior Center lost a substantial amount of revenue. They lost their renter and will lose the money from preparing meals for the polling places,” Berry said. “It’s a $6,000 to $7,000 deficit and they only asked for $5,000.”

Likewise, Berry suggested that support of the Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry increase from $5,000 to $10,000.

“As for the Food Pantry, that’s just trying to serve those who need it the most,” Berry said.

Both Woodall and Walton agreed to the changes, although the final decision will not come until the next meeting.

As proposed, the $1,029,984 EDIT Plan will include $230,218 for the jail bond, $10,500 for West Central Economic Development, $40,000 for Greencastle/Putnam County Economic Development, $15,000 for the Senior Center, $27,883.75 for the Edgelea Project annual payment, $10,000 for the Edgelea debt contingency, $5,000 to Rural Transit, $10,000 to Beyond Homeless, $10,000 to the Food Pantry, $9,000 to People Pathways, $250,000 to the Annex project and $412,382.25 to the warchest.