June 11, 2025 • 7 mins
Allen County Commissioner Brian Winegardner joined the show to discuss the future Administraion Building and the likelihood of the State taking over Public Defenders Offices.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
From the Board of Commissioners Brian Weingardner in studio this morning.
Hey Brian, are you good, Todd? How you doing today?
I'm doing well. You guys continue to have a lot
of plates spinning at one time, and a lot of
it has to do with buildings and moving around, moving
pieces parts and the new administration building. Clearly, folks can
(00:23):
see what's happening there at the corner of Maine and
North Streets. It appears that things are going well, but
I guess give us a status update here.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, everything is going well. Still on schedule for opening
of the building in late summer of twenty six, So
still on schedule there. If you haven't been by it,
I encourage you to drive by and take a look
at the progress that's going on. You'll be quite surprised.
(00:53):
You'll see that actually, rather than just a hole in
the ground, we actually have things coming up out of
the whole now, stairwells and elevator shafts and so forth.
So before long they'll be start placing the metal to
put the floor dex on. So yeah, it's moving along well.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
With that. Of course, you have to make plans now,
since you're I mean roughly a year out or twelve
or fourteen months whatever. At some point. Now the game plan,
the map has to be drawn for the people that
are going to have to move and where we put
them in the introim and this sort of thing. So
a lot of logistics going on.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
There is so it's a never ending plan that is
updated quite often and we talk about it weekly. So
plan is excuse me. Plan is that everyone that's in
the courthouse now will move to the new administration building,
with the exception of the Clerk of Courts. And we're
(01:55):
looking to acquire a property across from the courthouse and
jail to temporarily house the Clerk of Courts. So that's
in the progress. And so yeah, we're looking to we
got everything. Everything's taken care of except for the Clerk
of Courts, which we have options, but that's one of
the options.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
And then once the courthouse is remodeled and you know,
sort of brought up to the times, the Clerk of
Courts will move back in there with all of the courts.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
That's is the plan, Yes, Clerk of Courts, and then
all of the county courts, which would be our two
general divisions and common pleas, our domestic relations judge and
our probate and juvenile.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Judge, and the other I guess entity that is somewhat
in limbo about its permanent location is a child support
enforcement But I think a game plan, an endgame has
come to fruition here.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
We have nothing is signed yet, but we are working
on the final finalization of a move which would put
us in the Cook Tower, the first, second and partial
third floor, basically where a Chase Bank used to be.
(03:16):
We're going to try to renovate that and work with
the owner and try to get child support moved in there.
So that's that's a much needed move as well.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Now that that building where child support is now, which
is I think colloquially called the Savings Save Loan buildings,
right that the county owns.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
That county owns that one, Yes, which you'll move to
the erstwhile Chase Tower, which you do not own.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
That will be a rental, that will be a lease. Yes,
that's correct. So that would lead me to believe you
want to sell the Savings and Loan building since you
don't have anything else in there.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Correct, Well, there's other tenants. There are will be other.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Tenants, but not County tenants, right, you know, nothing's off
the table.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Yet.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
We have some older building, does it does it fit
to move them out of the older county building into
this building and try to refurbish it, or does it
make sense to part ways with that building and sell
it and get it off our inventory? But uh, you know,
there's a lot of different options for that building. We're
(04:18):
not we're not we're not set on selling it at
this point.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
But again, I guess sort of the overarching philosophy of
what's going on is trying to streamline the buildings that
become more efficient and make sure that it fits the
needs and if necessary, a divest of some.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
That that is correct, and that is you know, when
when Juvenile Court and their employees moved to downtown in
the new Court, that's going to leave the building on
Wardhill open. So you know, do we do we look
at doing something there? Do we just sell it and
take it off the inventory?
Speaker 1 (04:57):
So com mister Brian Weinngarner with the Sin Studio also
note recently we've heard about trying to do something for
the Veterans Commission that they need a garage, right yep.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So this has been a much needed thing over the years,
and our plan was to actually build a building for them. Unfortunately,
the budget come in higher than what we anticipated, so
we looked at different options and we found a location
in the downtown area at the corner of North and
(05:31):
Central I'm sorry, North and Union, and we're looking to
make that purchase as well. So what that'll do is
help get their vans in and out of the weather.
It has two bays there, and then the bigger thing
to me is there's no meeting place for our veterans
to meet when they do need a ride to an appointment,
(05:54):
so this allows for that as well. It has an
office area, has a bathroom. You know, there's nowhere for
them to get in out of the inclement weather when
it's winter time or raining, so this new building.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Will allow that to happen. Good deal. Also to talk
about the state budget, of course, could affect county commissioners
of every county, and there are some things that are
starting to come into focus. Even though it's not done yet.
It looks like the issue of the public defenders and
how that's going to be done looks to be settled.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah, it got through the initial phase. Anyway, there's a
pilot program that is commissioner in and worked on, and
it looks like it's going to come to fruition. So
what that means is just a brief synopsis of public
defenders is funded by the county that defends the defendants,
(06:54):
and then we get a reimbursement from the state. And
sometimes a reimbursement could be seventy percent, sometimes it could
be ninety. But this new pilot program, the state will
actually be running the state the Public Defender's office here
in Allen County, but it also includes the counties of
Putnam and Harden. So it's ay. Like I said, it's
(07:16):
a pilot program. We're working with the state to try
to find a office area work area for them, so
that is another thing we're working on as well.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
So would that mean then the state you wouldn't have
to play this little kabooki game of paying for it
getting reimbursed. They would just pay for it from jump.
That's correct, that they does, saving the county ten exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
So they would actually be state employees at that point.
So yeah, they would be off our payroll and there
would be no reimbursement needed because the state would be
paying all the bills.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Good stuff. Brian, appreciate you coming in all right.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Thank you
From the Board of Commissioners Brian Weingardner in studio this morning.
Hey Brian, are you good, Todd? How you doing today?
I'm doing well. You guys continue to have a lot
of plates spinning at one time, and a lot of
it has to do with buildings and moving around, moving
pieces parts and the new administration building. Clearly, folks can
(00:23):
see what's happening there at the corner of Maine and
North Streets. It appears that things are going well, but
I guess give us a status update here.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, everything is going well. Still on schedule for opening
of the building in late summer of twenty six, So
still on schedule there. If you haven't been by it,
I encourage you to drive by and take a look
at the progress that's going on. You'll be quite surprised.
(00:53):
You'll see that actually, rather than just a hole in
the ground, we actually have things coming up out of
the whole now, stairwells and elevator shafts and so forth.
So before long they'll be start placing the metal to
put the floor dex on. So yeah, it's moving along well.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
With that. Of course, you have to make plans now,
since you're I mean roughly a year out or twelve
or fourteen months whatever. At some point. Now the game plan,
the map has to be drawn for the people that
are going to have to move and where we put
them in the introim and this sort of thing. So
a lot of logistics going on.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
There is so it's a never ending plan that is
updated quite often and we talk about it weekly. So
plan is excuse me. Plan is that everyone that's in
the courthouse now will move to the new administration building,
with the exception of the Clerk of Courts. And we're
(01:55):
looking to acquire a property across from the courthouse and
jail to temporarily house the Clerk of Courts. So that's
in the progress. And so yeah, we're looking to we
got everything. Everything's taken care of except for the Clerk
of Courts, which we have options, but that's one of
the options.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
And then once the courthouse is remodeled and you know,
sort of brought up to the times, the Clerk of
Courts will move back in there with all of the courts.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
That's is the plan, Yes, Clerk of Courts, and then
all of the county courts, which would be our two
general divisions and common pleas, our domestic relations judge and
our probate and juvenile.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Judge, and the other I guess entity that is somewhat
in limbo about its permanent location is a child support
enforcement But I think a game plan, an endgame has
come to fruition here.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
We have nothing is signed yet, but we are working
on the final finalization of a move which would put
us in the Cook Tower, the first, second and partial
third floor, basically where a Chase Bank used to be.
(03:16):
We're going to try to renovate that and work with
the owner and try to get child support moved in there.
So that's that's a much needed move as well.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Now that that building where child support is now, which
is I think colloquially called the Savings Save Loan buildings,
right that the county owns.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
That county owns that one, Yes, which you'll move to
the erstwhile Chase Tower, which you do not own.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
That will be a rental, that will be a lease. Yes,
that's correct. So that would lead me to believe you
want to sell the Savings and Loan building since you
don't have anything else in there.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Correct, Well, there's other tenants. There are will be other.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Tenants, but not County tenants, right, you know, nothing's off
the table.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Yet.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
We have some older building, does it does it fit
to move them out of the older county building into
this building and try to refurbish it, or does it
make sense to part ways with that building and sell
it and get it off our inventory? But uh, you know,
there's a lot of different options for that building. We're
(04:18):
not we're not we're not set on selling it at
this point.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
But again, I guess sort of the overarching philosophy of
what's going on is trying to streamline the buildings that
become more efficient and make sure that it fits the
needs and if necessary, a divest of some.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
That that is correct, and that is you know, when
when Juvenile Court and their employees moved to downtown in
the new Court, that's going to leave the building on
Wardhill open. So you know, do we do we look
at doing something there? Do we just sell it and
take it off the inventory?
Speaker 1 (04:57):
So com mister Brian Weinngarner with the Sin Studio also
note recently we've heard about trying to do something for
the Veterans Commission that they need a garage, right yep.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So this has been a much needed thing over the years,
and our plan was to actually build a building for them. Unfortunately,
the budget come in higher than what we anticipated, so
we looked at different options and we found a location
in the downtown area at the corner of North and
(05:31):
Central I'm sorry, North and Union, and we're looking to
make that purchase as well. So what that'll do is
help get their vans in and out of the weather.
It has two bays there, and then the bigger thing
to me is there's no meeting place for our veterans
to meet when they do need a ride to an appointment,
(05:54):
so this allows for that as well. It has an
office area, has a bathroom. You know, there's nowhere for
them to get in out of the inclement weather when
it's winter time or raining, so this new building.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Will allow that to happen. Good deal. Also to talk
about the state budget, of course, could affect county commissioners
of every county, and there are some things that are
starting to come into focus. Even though it's not done yet.
It looks like the issue of the public defenders and
how that's going to be done looks to be settled.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah, it got through the initial phase. Anyway, there's a
pilot program that is commissioner in and worked on, and
it looks like it's going to come to fruition. So
what that means is just a brief synopsis of public
defenders is funded by the county that defends the defendants,
(06:54):
and then we get a reimbursement from the state. And
sometimes a reimbursement could be seventy percent, sometimes it could
be ninety. But this new pilot program, the state will
actually be running the state the Public Defender's office here
in Allen County, but it also includes the counties of
Putnam and Harden. So it's ay. Like I said, it's
(07:16):
a pilot program. We're working with the state to try
to find a office area work area for them, so
that is another thing we're working on as well.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
So would that mean then the state you wouldn't have
to play this little kabooki game of paying for it
getting reimbursed. They would just pay for it from jump.
That's correct, that they does, saving the county ten exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
So they would actually be state employees at that point.
So yeah, they would be off our payroll and there
would be no reimbursement needed because the state would be
paying all the bills.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Good stuff. Brian, appreciate you coming in all right.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Thank you
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