MENTONE - Issues surrounding the Indiana Chamber of Commerce grant for the Bell Memorial Public Library were laid out and discussed Monday night by several interested parties.

The Bell Memorial Board of Trustees, the Mentone Daycare Board, the Mentone Town Council, grant writer Bob Murphy of R.P. Murphy & Associates, Larwill, and three representatives of the Indiana Department of Commerce met at the library.

Library Board president Cal Jackson said the reason and intent of the meeting was to bring the parties to the table to ask questions and be informed about the Commerce grant the library received for the day care and senior center so everyone knows what's going on. He said there appears to be issues that "this facility needs to come to grips with to move on."

Murphy said five years ago, he started working with the library to determine the possibility of expanding the library. For planning purposes, a community development grant was applied for by the town on the library's behalf. A survey on what the town wanted was conducted and the town said it wanted a bigger library, a senior center and a day care. An architect was brought in to look at what space would be available at the former Frank Manufacturing building. Grants to the Department of Commerce were sent and the town eventually received a $500,000 grant. With receipt of the grant, the town is obligated to the project for five years with regular reports to the Department of Commerce.

Until the grant requirements are met, the town can't apply for another Commerce grant for a fire station. The day care, in the grant application, said they would serve 48 children and they have until Dec. 31 to meet that requirement. Currently, the day care has 12 children. He said the library could push the day care out and just be a library and senior center but the survey said the town needed a day care. Another stumbling block for the day care was that it had a director but right as it was going to open, that person quit and the day care had to hire another person.

Kelly S. Boe, Chamber controller, said the state doesn't want to see more than $5,000 per beneficiary on its grants. The day care could modify its goals at some point. The Chamber doesn't want 50 percent of its money helping the senior center with 170 people and 50 percent of the money helping the day care with six children.

Jackson asked the day care board what their expectations are. Donna Crill, day care board treasurer, responded they have 12 children right now. They are working with the Kosciusko Community Foundation on an aggressive campaign to get more children. Fairly new to the board, Crill said she was shocked to find out they had to have 48 children in the day care, saying, "It's not possible." The children from the 2000 surveys are too old for the day care now.

Crill said the day care's next project is to get infants, but there are state building restrictions and requirements that have to be met. Megihann Leininger, day care director as of Monday, said if they have infants, the day care will need more space.

Boe said the Chamber wants to see the day care "get those kids in" and the day care has to report to the Chamber for five years, but it doesn't have to have all 48 children the entire five year-period.

Marsha Scott, day care board member, said the senior center is supposed to serve 170 people but it doesn't. The day care needs to serve 48 children, but it can't. What's the difference? The senior center, Boe said, is open to anyone. The day care, meanwhile, may not be used by everyone.

Boe also reminded everyone there that they applied for the grant to the Chamber. The Chamber didn't approach anyone. The Chamber thought it had merit and awarded the grant. Since Mentone got theirs, someone else didn't receive a grant. The grants are competitive.

Jackson then asked the town council members how much time they had before they wanted to build a new fire station and apply for a grant. Mark Hughes, council president, said they're going to build the fire station in March. Boe said if the fire district didn't meet the Chamber's standards of low to moderate income levels, the town applying for a grant was a "moot" point.

Murphy said the fire district includes the four townships in three counties the Mentone Fire Department serves. If he did an income survey of the townships, it would take about 60 days and cost $3,000 to $4,000. Fifty-one percent of the fire district has to be low income.

Jackson asked if the day care was given an extension to June 30 and the day care could expand to 40 children, would that be workable numbers for the state and give the town time to make an application for grant money for a fire station in the fall?

"I think we'd be willing to work with that," Boe said.

"By fall," said Hughes, "we are going to be done" with the fire station.

Leininger said the day care had to be careful how they put the children together as they couldn't put a 5-year-old with a 6-week-old. She said she is meeting with the "state day care person" Dec. 9 so could gather more information then.

Boe said if the town is going to start its fire station project in March, the town probably is not eligible for Commerce grant money because that shows the town already can afford it.

After hearing all the information, town council member Jack Simpson said, "We're out of this except our name in this." The town can't wait for the fire station. [[In-content Ad]]