Broken Pieces Recovery Center seeks county support to buy Beaver Dam building; court offers limited discretionary help

Presenters for Broken Pieces Recovery Center asked Ohio County Fiscal Court on April 28 to help purchase and renovate the Beaver Dam building they occupy so the nonprofit can secure its mission operations.

James Brown distributed a facilities request report and explained the center’s need to buy the building because rent and building costs continue to rise. "It's imperative that we purchase it because the cost of being a building continues to rise," Brown said. Jackie, a representative working with the presenters, said the report lists a "total ask is 410" for the building and the remodel; the report did not specify units.

Officials discussed potential grant sources and other funding avenues. Magistrate Jason said he would coordinate with county staff to include a $500 allocation from his discretionary/building claim to help get the center started, and he invited the presenters to appear under the new budget in July for further consideration. County staff and the judge executive said direct county appropriations will be more complicated but pledged to explore options and continue to work with the group.

Why it matters: Broken Pieces and the associated mission center provide clothing and low-cost necessities to residents and offer volunteer assistance for some court-related community service needs. Securing a permanent building would stabilize services but likely requires a mix of grants, private donations and careful county budgeting.

Next steps: Presenters were asked to return in July when the new fiscal-year budget is in place; Magistrate Jason will request an initial $500 from discretionary/building funds in the near term.