Jerome Township officials are prioritizing upgrades to the Township Hall as they consider how to spend more than $500,000 in federal COVID relief dollars.
Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell told the Board of Trustees Tuesday that the township has a total of $524,101.01 in American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) dollars that must be “committed” by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.
Trustee Megan Sloat said she feels expanding and upgrading the Township Hall is a “huge priority.”
Following the meeting, Zoning Inspector Eric Snowden said the building was constructed in 1983, before the township had any full-time employees.
The Township Hall currently has a front office area, with a desk each for Office Manager Debbie Bollinger, Administrative Assistant Michelle Carter and Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell.
Of two offices within the building, one is split between Snowden and Zoning Clerk Shelby Christian.
The second office was previously Snowden’s private office but he volunteered to split an office with Christian so that the township administrator, once hired, will have a private office.
Beyond the current space constraints, Sloat explained that Jerome Township has a vacant assistant zoning inspector position, but does not have any available office space if an individual is hired.
Sloat added that the Township Hall does not have a conference space that can be used for meetings.
Sloat said she and Bollinger feel another, smaller meeting space would be more appropriate than using the larger rental space for all staff meetings.
The process would likely need to begin with posting a Request for Qualifications, Sloat said, “so we know what we could get for what amount of money.”
Trustee Chair Wezlynn Davis agreed with Sloat in that the top priority for ARPA dollars should be the expansion or possible renovation of the Township Hall.
“This township building – we are outgrowing it,” Davis said.
Aside from its role in general township operations, Davis added that the Township Hall is a revenue generator.
She said the Township Hall is regularly rented by local residents. If the hall was renovated to include larger rental spaces with a better “ambiance,” Davis said she feels it would be a better resource to the community and bring in more funding for the township.
Beyond that, she said an improved space could also allow the township to host more community events.
Davis, who acts as a liaison to the Roads Division, said the township is also in need of a larger snow plow. However, she said Caldwell told her that the Roads Division budget can take care of that purchase without ARPA funds.
Adler said he agrees that the Township Hall needs to be renovated to meet the current needs.
He also posed using some of the funding to complete a review of the Jerome Township Division of Fire Station 210. Like the Township Hall, he said the fire station does not meet the needs of the Division of Fire.
Davis asked Caldwell if the Division of Fire budget could handle hiring an architect to complete a study of Station 210. He said it could, adding that it could be something that IAP Government Services Group, the construction administrator guiding the construction of Station 211, could assist with.
Adler said he understands that the current comprehensive plan rewrite will include details surrounding parks and trails, but said some ARPA funding could potentially act as “seed money” for projects laid out in the plans.
Davis told Adler that she did not “disagree at all” with his two suggestions, but feels the best use of ARPA funds would be toward things that do not have funding otherwise.
If the Roads Division can handle the purchase of a snow plow and the Division of Fire can budget for an architect’s study, that would allow for more funding to go toward Township Hall needs.
Additionally, she said there are plenty of grant dollars available specifically for outdoor recreational improvements. Once a township administrator is hired, Davis said she feels that individual could garner parks and trails funding through those means.
Sloat reiterated that the board is still unsure how much changes to the Township Hall will cost. Once that is established, she said the trustees will know if there will be leftover ARPA dollars, then discuss where they should be allocated.
The board discussed how much should be allocated toward a planning study for the Township Hall, but Caldwell noted that the township still has almost two years to formally commit the ARPA funding.
In the meantime, Sloat agreed to take the lead by contacting architecture firms in an effort to narrow down the cost of a planning study, and options for the township.
Adler noted that an RFQ has to be posted for 30 days, so a township administrator could be in place and offer their opinions by time a planning study is underway.
“The timing is good to just explore this,” he said.