HAYDEN J EMRAH
WZBD
It was a busy meeting for the Adams County Council in the month of June.
First to approach the council were representatives of Decatur Diamond–a local manufacturer based near Preble that uses diamonds for high-grade industrial equipment–for the renewal of two tax abatements with the county. These abatements, which are tax deduction agreements for the purpose of promoting industry within the county, including one for their real estate, and the other for equipment, both of which are on a 10-year lease.Â
While the amount in which Decatur Diamond will be provided this year in abatements was not disclosed, Adams County tax abatement reports from 2023 indicate that the agreement last year allotted for $25,910 for their land, an agreement first established in 2016, and $1,151,640 for equipment. While it was believed in the meeting that the equipment abatement was established in 2018, the 2023 report indicates that it was approved in 2021.
The council approved the renewal of the abatement agreements, and asked members of the company on their efforts to promote area 18 CTE–high school career training–to which they commented on a lack of interest for their program offerings, suggesting that it was due to the plethora of industry options in the area.
Next up on the county council’s agenda was Karla Marbach, Preparedness Coordinator of the Adams County Health Department, requesting the approval of a public health emergency preparedness grant. The grant, which has been awarded to Adams County by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) since 2009, will provide the health department with $25,000 in annual funds for the next five years. This money will go towards continued funding for points of dispensary (PODs) across the county, which stores the required equipment and supplies in the event of any public health crisis, such as a pandemic, natural, or biohazard disaster. The council approved the funding after asking if there were specific plans for the funds, in which Marbach added that this year’s funds will go towards the purchase of a badge printer to help identify volunteers during a time of crisis.
Finally, the council spoke with Sheriff Dan Mawhorr, who received approval for the hiring of two new jailers for Adams County Community Corrections, as the facility has been understaffed in recent months.
Also in regards to the corrections facility was a preliminary discussion regarding current funds to maintenance. The fund is drastically low, which started at $120,000 and is now down to $19,000, even after a $25,000 transfer. The issue seems to stem from the fact that when the facility was constructed it did not utilize a water softener system, which has led to the replacement of multiple major piping, major valves, as well as boilers and boiler pumps.
As far as solutions go, Sheriff Mawhorr suggested that the contracts for maintenance work–as the corrections facility no longer employs full-time maintenance staff–could be moved to another budget line item next year so that the maintenance budget goes strictly towards repairs. Councilmember Cory Sprunger suggested that since the issue appears to be a one-time thing, that an appropriation of funding could also work. Discussions concluded with Sheriff Mawhorr stating that he would approach the council next month with a total of the incurred costs, and figure out a solution then as the county will be approving 2025 budgets in the following months.