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May 5, 2011

Voters reject 1-mill parks levy By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers Local voters rejected Issue 8, a 1-mill permanent replacement levy for New Albany Parks and Recreation that would have provided funding for field maintenance and other park improvements. “We’ll have to regroup and see what the board wants to do,” said Richard Williams, one of the parks board members. “We thought this was necessary for the community.”

According to unofficial results from the Franklin County Board of Elections on May 3, Issue 8 failed 497 votes, or 50.77 percent, to 482 votes, or 49.23 percent, with all 21 Franklin County precincts reporting. According to the Licking County Board of Elections, no eligible voters in two precincts voted. A representative from the board of elections confirmed that there are only 10 voters in Licking County who could vote on Issue 8. According to the parks board, the 1-

mill levy would have cost $122.50 per year for an owner of a home with an assessed value of $400,000, which would have been an increase of $57.18 from the $65.32 per year previously collected by the current 0.75-mill levy. The $122.50 total did not include the amount property owners already pay on two parks bond issues — a $6-million bond issue approved in 2004 and a $5million issue approved in 2003. Issue 8 would have replaced the 0.75mill permanent levy that was approved

when New Albany Parks and Recreation was formed as the New Albany-Plain Local Joint Park District in 1999. According to the group’s website, the organization was formed by New Albany, Plain Township and the New AlbanyPlain Local School District. Each entity appointed a representative to a parks board and the group worked to schedule events and operate facilities within the school district’s boundaries. New Albany Parks and Recreation has grown to include programming for 3,700

participants annually and operates three park complexes in northern Plain Township. Parks director Dave Wharton said the 0.75-mill levy generates $496,000 annually and is being collected at effective rate of 0.53 mill. The increase to 1 mill would have generated $922,000 annually for parks programs and allowed the district to improve field maintenance with the inSee PARKS LEVY, page A6

Council OKs tax incentives for Ella, Janova By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By Tim Norman/ThisWeek

New Albany High School sophomore Robert Harris (left) and freshman Chris Quach work on their robot during their robotics class in the school library May 2. Harris and Quach’s group is making a robotic luggage carrier that will automatically follow its owner.

NAHS robotics course

Class promotes independent learning By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers A remote light-bulb changer, a luggage carrier that automatically follows its owner and a vehicle built to accommodate a driver sitting in a wheelchair are some of the innovative robotics projects being developed by New Albany High School freshmen and sophomores. The students are enrolled in a high school robotics class taught by David Herman.

“A lot of schools have an after-school robotics program or a club that competes like athletes do,” Herman said. “But this is the only (robotics program) that is taught as a course, not a club.” The students work in small groups, first determining an idea for a project and then using the parts provided by the Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools to build their projects. Six groups are working on six different projects that will be presented to a mock venture capital group later this month.

“I like building, exploring different fields and taking apart and putting back together,” said sophomore Alec Lucas, who is a member of the group building the light-bulb changer. “It’s like the best class ever.” Each group keeps a daily journal stating its plans and recording its accomplishments, Herman said. Herman reviews the journals and provides resources for the students as needed. See ROBOTICS CLASS, page A2

Two more businesses have received tax breaks from the city of New Albany: Ella, a new restaurant to open on Johnstown Road, and Janova, a business that got its start in New Albany’s first business-incubator building. New Albany City Council on May 3 approved a 5-year, 40-percent income-tax credit for Ella and a 5-year, 15-percent income-tax credit for Janova. Ella stands for Eat local. Love art. The restaurant is owned by Hayley Savage and Amy Schottenstein and will be located at 266 and 268 Main St., in the strip center with U.S. Bank. Savage, who operates the Hayley Gallery on Second Street, will be moving her gallery to 270 Main St. in August so the restaurant and gallery can be combined. The restaurant will serve “seasonal inspired American cuisine,” using ingredients grown locally, Savage said, and it will adjoin the gallery space. The gallery will feature several tables, as well, and will be available for private functions. Savage said she’s already working with the McCoy center on dinner theater events for next year since the McCoy is only a few blocks from the restaurant’s new location. Community development director Jennifer Chrysler said the restaurant will take up 3,000 square feet and the gallery will occupy 1,500 square feet, which qualifies Ella for the incometax credit. The credit is estimated to save the company $2,400 annually, with the city retaining $3,600 a year. “This is a village center incentive package, See COUNCIL, page A7

Community authority

Funds approved for fiber-optic, water-system projects By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers The New Albany Community Authority’s board of directors agreed May 2 to release $475,000 from the economicdevelopment fund to pay for fiber-optic line extensions and a water system for the business park east.

City manager Joseph Stefanov told the board of directors the fiber-optic system already benefits the city, businesses and schools. The extension to the business park east, which is being called the personal care and beauty campus, will allow the businesses in that area to take advantage of the system, as well. The fiber extension is anticipated to

cost $375,000 and is being done in conjunction with American Electric Power. Council on Feb. 15 agreed to waive the competitive bidding requirements for the fiber-optic extensions and allow the village to use an existing agreement with AEP, which currently maintains New Albany’s fiber lines. The water system will serve the same

business campus and provide fire suppression until the city builds a water tower in the area. Stefanov said the “gray water” system — using water that does not contain sewage, but is still not potable — is anticipated to cost $100,000. It includes a pump station that will pull water from large ponds and run it into a 16inch underground water main. The main