ThisWeek Community Newspapers Hilliard
Page A2
March 3, 2011
Stivers to constituents: We’re on an ‘unsustainable path’ Continued from page A1 the next seven months. Stivers, who said he is currently sleeping in his congressional office to get more work done, has also tackled the 1099 provision of the health care bill. He is one of the 218 cosponsors of a bill repealing the 1099 provision. “I’ve heard from small business people throughout this district, including right here in Hilliard,” Stivers said. “Kathy Iven from Fabric Farms told me (the 1099 is) going to increase her burden – I told your story on the floor of the House the day we considered repeal of the health care bill. I think we will be able to repeal that, and the President said he’ll sign that part of the repeal. Now I wish he were that way on some other things we want to send him, but we’ll keep working together.” Iven, who was in the audience, said of Stivers after the meeting, “I really do think he’s listening. I’m real excited about having someone who’s going to listen because Mary Jo (Kilroy) didn’t listen.” Republican Stivers, 45, defeated Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy last fall, after losing to her in the previous election. A graduate of Ohio State University, Stivers previously represented the 16th district
in the Ohio Senate. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Ohio National Guard and was a battalion commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom, earning a Bronze Star. Stivers also worked for Bank One, the Franklin County Republican Party and the Ohio Company. He lives in Columbus with his wife and daughter. One of the last questions Stivers answered was from a high school senior who wanted to promote conservative values and free market principles among her peers. “We’ve got to always stand up for our beliefs,” Stivers said. “People won’t always agree with you, but be respectful and try to educate them because we need informed voters. I’d love for government to be able to do everything, but we can only do what we have the resources to do, and it’s not fair to borrow from you and my daughter to live at a certain level today. “The other thing I’ll tell you is after you’ve paid taxes for a few years, it changes your perspective a little bit. It’s great to be for a lot of things when you don’t have to figure out how to pay for them.” Also during the session, Stivers said he wanted to lower taxes, take an “allof-the-above approach” to energy (including nuclear power and offshore
Congressman to open Hilliard office By GARY BUDZAK ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Congressman Steve Stivers is opening a new district office across the street from Hilliard City Hall in the old police department building. Stivers and his staff of eight will lease the building at 3790 Municipal Way from the city. The building has been empty since HPD moved to the new Safety Services Building on Northwest Parkway in 2009. There had been talk of razing the old police building. The 4,285 square feet of office space for Stivers’ office will be located in the newest section of the former police building. The Republican congressman and his staff currently have a district office at 1299 Olentangy River Rd., but that lease will expire in early April. By moving to Hilliard, Stivers is in a more central area for his constituents in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District. The district consists of Union and Madison counties, as well as the downtown and western portions of Columbus, and the cities of Hilliard, Grandview Heights, Grove City, London, Marysville, Plain City and Upper Arlington. “The office move will truly be a win-win for the con-
stituents of the 15th Congressional District and the city of Hilliard,” Stivers said. “I look forward to visiting with local constituents in the new office and my staff also stands ready to serve in the new Hilliard office.” “I am delighted that Congressman Stivers has decided to locate his district office in Hilliard,” Mayor Don Schonhardt said. “Over the years, Hilliard has proven to be a friend of Congressman Stivers, and he has certainly been a good friend to Hilliard. We welcome him and his staff to the city.” The announcement was made Feb. 28, and the matter was brought up at that night’s Finance and Administration Committee meeting. An ordinance authorizing the lease was forwarded to city council with a positive recommendation, and had its first reading at the Feb. 28 city council meeting. The ordinance is expected to be approved by emergency passage at the March 14 Council meeting in order to expedite the move prior to the lease expiration. “I look forward to moving the district office to Hilliard and I thank the mayor and city council for their extra effort to make it possible to move locations,” Stivers said. The lease will run from April 3, 2011 until January 2, 2013. Stivers will pay the city $2,162.76 per month for the space.
drilling), and continue Social Security, Stivers told a reporter he wasn’t sure Medicare and Medicaid for those who what to expect of the listening session. are on a fixed income or close to retire- “I think the ice and snow slowed down ment. a few people, which is too bad because
I think we would have gotten a lot more seniors here. But it is what it is. I can’t change the weather, I’m only in Congress.”
CITY COUNCIL Continued from page A1 Since 2004, Hilliard has received $924,000 in CDBG grants from the county. These have been used to redevelop Old Hilliard. The night began with the finance and administration committee forwarding a number of bond ordinances on to council, where they received their first of three readings. The bonds would cover street improvements ($5,245,000); large trucks and backhoe ($170,000); light trucks and police vehicles ($240,000); computer hardware and software ($160,000); building improvements ($60,000); recreation and parks improvements ($1,865,000); sanitary sewer improvements ($205,000); storm sewer improvements ($245,000); and police department safety equipment ($30,000). Next, a committee of the whole council met to interview candidates for the Economic Development Council and the Board of Zoning Appeals. Council President Brett Sciotto said the interviews were part of an initiative to let the public know about openings on boards and commissions. Council held 10-minute interviews with eight candidates, asking if they could make the time commitment to serve, and what they could offer to the post. Current BZA members Charles Boshane and
Frank Moeller sought reappointment, and former councilwoman Dana Peacock sought appointment to the BZA. Local business people Kelly Darrow, Brett Febus, Buddy Karvois, Todd Lewandoski and economist William Henderson sought appointment to the EDC. At the city council meeting, council unanimously approved: • Establishing an environmental sustainability commission; • Purchasing fuels through the Franklin County Cooperative Purchasing Program; • Agreements with Germain Ford and Hilliard Farm and Fleet for parts and services for the city’s fleet of vehicles; • Increases in contract funding and appropriation cases for the Triangle Project; • Receiving $650,000 in Franklin County Motor Vehicle Permissive Tax funds to be used to realign Roberts Rd.; • Accepting easements in connection with the Anderson Meadows Planned Unit Development; • Accepting a conservation easement along the west side of Alton Darby Creek Road and north of Roberts Rd. in connection with the Hamilton Ditch; • Sponsorship of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s State of the Region Luncheon in April.
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