Frank Phillips photo. Clay County Commissioners Paul Sinders, Bryan Allender and Marty Heffner meet Wednesday morning in regular session. 

By Frank Phillips / DLC Media News

BRAZIL — Clay County Commissioners began Wednesday’s regular meeting by expressing concern for those who lost loved ones and homes in Friday night’s tornadoes that hit Sullivan and Crawford County, Illinois.

“We in Clay County are very fortunate,” said Paul Sinders.

The tornado that hit Sullivan “lost its punch” before it got here, he said.

During a prayer to open the meeting, Marty Heffner asked for a period of silence and then prayed for the victims.

In business to come before the commissioners, Kim Hyatt, County Health Nurse with the Clay County Health Department, asked County Commissioners to give permission to apply again for a grant to pay for a program helping Clay County children.

Hyatt said last year’s grant paid $110,000 to provide nursing assistance to Clay Community Schools.

Lynn Stoelting worked in the program, helping with dental, vision and hearing screening and is willing to help again. 

Clay County Commissioner Paul Sinders, a retired educator, said it is his understanding many county children do not make regular visits to a dentist and Hyatt agreed that has been her experience.

“I think it’s a great deal and won’t cost us anything,” Sinders said.

The commissioners voted 3-0 to allow Hyatt to pursue the grant for another year.

In other business to come before the commissioners:

• David Peck, CEO of STAR Ambulance, presented a policy designed to improve 911 service in the county. The policy was written after talks with other local medical professionals. The policy involves ” a slight alteration” of the contract the county has with STAR Ambulance, Peck said. The new policy, approved Wednesday 3-0, involves non-emergency use of ambulances. Previously, a set number of ambulances had to remain in the county for emergency calls. Under the new policy, a physician, members of the St. Vincent Clay Hospital staff and STAR Ambulance would review calls that would use an ambulance for non-emergency calls, such as transportation. The policy will be revisited if the commissioners determine ambulances were not available for emergency use. Peck said such questions would be rare, in his estimation.
• Ryan Keller, executive director of Thrive West Central presented three ideas to the commissioners, which he plans to present to the other counties served by Thrive. The first was housing. He said the price of housing is increasing and the availability is decreasing. Thrive has hired a firm that has worked with other Hoosier counties to do a “market potential analysis” that should be available in June. The analysis of west central Indiana is expected to present data about the kinds of housing (single family, apartments, etc.) that the area will need in the next five years as well as how many of those types of homes will be salable. The purpose is to attract builders who will build spec. houses, like some builders are building in the Indianapolis area.
• A second idea Keller presented is to provide transportation in rural areas, like Clay County. Keller said a recent study shows nearly 44 percent of the population is age 50 or older. He said INDOT is ready to cover 50 percent of the cost to develop transportation in rural areas of the state. Both David Peck of STAR Ambulance and Kim Hyatt of the Health Department supported the idea. “It would help” with non-emergency runs currently being done by the ambulance service, Peck said. “I’m really all in on this,” Keller said, but “seed money” is needed to get it started.
• A third idea Keller presented was the Safe Streets for All program that is an 80/20 matching grant program with wide applications for communities. “Anything related to safety,” Keller said. The Clay County Commissioners meet at 9 a.m. on the first Monday of each month in the Clay County Courthouse.