The Blackford County Council voted to approve a $20,000 appropriation to the Jackson Township Regional Sewage District on a roll-call vote after a township representative described urgent repair costs and unpaid bills.

Council member Ryan Goodspeed moved to approve the appropriation, and the motion was seconded. During public comment, a Jackson Township representative said the district had “$748.27” in its account and more than $7,000 in bills outstanding and described recurring pump failures, replacement costs and emergency pumping needs. The representative said continuing failures had forced repeated pump-outs and new hardware purchases and asked the council to approve the requested funds as a cushion until a new centralized system is delivered.

A county official and a consultant present described the larger infrastructure project underway for Jackson Township and said project delays were tied in part to material-cost questions and pending federal (USDA) decisions about coverage of cost differences. Staff estimated construction and transition to the new system would leave the township operating on the existing equipment for roughly a year once the project begins.

Councilors and staff discussed how the future system should be funded once it is operational. A county official said a financial consultant will model operations, maintenance and replacement (O&M&R) costs to set rates after project completion; the official said that consultant’s recommendations will be presented to the district board, which must adopt any rate changes. The council and staff also discussed that USDA and county funds had supported much of the project development and that the project itself should not create direct rate impacts during construction.

Council member Goodspeed made the motion to approve the $20,000; a second was recorded and a roll-call vote followed. The appropriation was approved by the council. Individual recorded votes appear on the official meeting minutes.

The county’s action was presented as a short-term measure to keep the utility operating pending completion of a planned centralized sewer system and a financial consultant’s rate study. The Jackson Township representative told the council the district expects to add customers after the system is in service, which staff said would be factored into the consultant’s rate projection.