February 10, 2011
City pays $752,179 on debt to IRS By TOM SHEEHAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Grove City has paid $752,179 of its debt to the Internal Revenue Service as an investigation continues into possible theft within the city’s finance department. City law director Stephen J. Smith on Feb. 7 told city council the debt had been paid last week and that another $5,000 in interest is owed, as well as possible IRS penalties. The city hopes to have any penalties abated, he said. The money to pay the IRS is coming
from Grove City’s general fund. “After that (payment of the $5,000 and any penalties) we will be completely caught up,” Smith said. He said city officials also have made a public records request for documents from the IRS going back as far as 1999. The IRS has not yet responded to that request. City officials said they were surprised in December when IRS officials visited the city, bringing documents saying the city owed about $685,905 in unpaid withholding taxes. Subsequent examination of city records showed more
money was owed. Police Chief Joseph Wise told council members and about 60 people in the audience that some subpoenas had been filed as part of the investigation. He did not elaborate and cautioned, “The fact we asked for some information on individuals is not (an indication) they have done anything wrong.” Wise did not name those subpoenaed. He had said on Jan. 13 that investigators uncovered evidence of theft within the finance department. No charges have been filed. The police department, the Ohio Bu-
reau of Criminal Investigation and a special unit from the state auditor’s office are sifting through the city’s financial records after officials found out last year that federal payroll withholding taxes had been underpaid, apparently for a number of years. Also taking a look at Grove City’s books is GBQ Consulting, an independent consulting firm retained by the city in January. The city is paying GBQ up to $20,000 to investigate causes behind the tax errors. Smith said after the Feb. 7 meeting that GBQ has not yet completed its audit
of the books. While the company has never audited a governmental body, GBQ representatives have said it has worked with other agencies with similar types of issues. The firm also is reviewing city policies and procedures. The city placed payroll specialist Jackie Kincaid on paid leave on Dec. 10. She retired effective Jan. 7 and has denied any wrongdoing. Grove City resident Bill Ferguson addressed council on Feb. 7 and presented some documents he said he obtained through public records requests See CITY, page A2
Council hears town center plan
THE STEAL
By TOM SHEEHAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers A public library, a small park and up to 80 housing units could We want to make become the focal point of Grove the old town center City’s town center plan, a consultant told city council at its the nostalgic center of Feb. 7 meeting. the community where Frank Elmer of Lincoln Street people live, work and Studio architectural and planning firm provided a variety of play. recommendations to the council in a 29-page document on FRANK ELMER what to do with the vacant 3.2—Lincoln Street Studio acre lumberyard site behind City Hall in the downtown. Specifics on how to use that site were not explored in a 2008 town center plan drawn up by the architectural firm and approved by the city in 2009. The city wants to revitalize Grove City’s downtown by attracting new businesses and making other improvements. Elmer and his associates envision a building trade between City Hall, 4035 Broadway, and Grove City Library 3359 Park St. The library draws 1,100 patrons daily, he said. If the library was in the town center, it would draw more potential shoppers to the area. The estimated cost to swapping the buildings, if approved by the various city and library officials, would be about $15.9-million, Elmer said. City Hall would have to have a 10,000-square-foot addition and other renovations would be made to both buildings. City Hall now has 15,215 square feet and the library 34,800. A park and 80 moderately priced housing units or condos could be built on the lumberyard site. “The town center planning area lacks a strong identity,” Elmer told council members. “We want to make the old town center the nostalgic center of the community where people live, work and play,” Elmer said. The economy must improve before the entire plan could be put into effect, he said. “The current economy will not support a major mixed-use development project,” Elmer said. A temporary park or community gardens could be established on the lumberyard until development can occur. Other possible uses include housing, a health club, a city building, commercial and residential, or a civic square. Council president Ted Berry told council and the audience a lot
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By Tim Norman/ThisWeek
The Suns’ Tyler Ball (right) steals the ball from the Magic’s Gavin Justice during their game at Buckeye Woods Elementary School in the third-grade boys basketball Grove City Parks and Recreation league on Feb. 5. The Magic won the game.
City launches businesses survey By LISA AURAND
of the city’s businesses — your
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After months of tweaking, the Grove City business survey is under way. A letter from mayor Richard “Ike” Stage sent to the city’s 1,600 businesses this week asks for their participation and directs business representatives to a website to take the survey. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete, according to the letter, and asks the businesses to rank various city services, as well as answer a few multiple-choice questions. “The goal of this research is to better understand the needs
participation will help us better serve our business community,” Stage said in the letter. Grove City leaders survey residents every two years. The business survey is the first in recent memory. In mid-2010, Grove City hired the Columbus-based research company Saperstein Associates to help develop the questions and administer the survey at a cost of $22,000. City officials spent several months refining the questions before launching the survey, said city spokesman Don Walters. “It’s not really time-critical,
fully just make it better.” Interspersed among the stanThe goal of this dard survey questions are a handresearch is to better ful of questions relating to the understand the needs Grove City Center for Higher of the city’s business- Education. Questions address employees’ es. ... We are confieducational needs and whether dent your participation employers would be willing to provide tuition reimbursement will help us ...” or flexible work schedules, so workers could attend relevant RICHARD “IKE” STAGE classes. — Mayor “It’s a great vehicle for talking to our corporate citizens,” so we really took our time get- Walters said of the survey. In addition, the online questing everybody’s input and massaging it and tweaking typos,” tionnaire will provide a critical he said. “We did get a lot of input See SURVEY, page A2 from people, which will hope-
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See COUNCIL, page A2
Plan would give schools extra calamity days By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers Ohio public school districts may get a reprieve on snow days from the Ohio General Assembly. The Ohio Legislature is considering a bill to allow schools five canceled, or calamity, days, said state Rep. Casey Kozlowski, of the 99th district. He represents the 99th House District. For the 2010-11 school year, schools
are allowed to have three canceled school days. Any school days canceled after that number must be made up. Two buildings in South-Western City Schools have used three calamity days. Two buildings have used four. One is Darbydale Elementary School, which closed on Nov. 11 when a boiler room fire was caused by what was called naturally occurring methane. Darbydale will make up its fourth day on Feb. 21, Presidents Day.
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Finland Elementary School had to close on Oct. 7 when a burned-out electric motor sent smoke into the building. Its makeup day is not yet scheduled, said district spokesperson Sandy Nekoloff. House Bill 36, if approved, would increase the number of calamity days from three to five. It also has an emergency clause that would make it effective immediately, said Kozlowski, whose constituents are in
northeast Ohio. “I have a few school districts that have used six calamity days. We’ve had a long harsh winter and we still have the rest of February and March to get through,” Kozlowski said. Local districts have also used the maximum of allowable canceled school days. Though the Ohio Department of Education does not have an official count, spokesperson Patrick Gallaway said
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that the majority of school districts have used their allotment of three calamity days because of the extreme winter Ohio is having. During Gov. Ted Strickland’s administration, the number of allotted calamity days was gradually decreased, with 2010-11 receiving three. “One thing to remember is the safety of our children. This bill will allow See PLAN, page A2
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