May 26, 2011
Severe weather
Warning comes during CodeRED talks By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Gahanna City Council experienced a practical application of the CodeRED system for weather alerts during a May 23 committee meeting, when severe weather threatened the city and notifications were delivered to two officials via their cell phones.
Just minutes before the notification, Mayor Becky Stinchcomb and emergency operations director James R. Williams were explaining the benefits of adding the automatic weather notification option and service that would allow Gahanna residents to receive warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and winter storms on their cell and residential phones.
Council is considering a three-year contract with Emergency Communications Network, operating the CodeRED system, with the first year at a discounted rate of $3,750 and subsequent years at $7,500. Gahanna has used CodeRED for the past four years, but the current system involves the city manually putting out an alert that Gahanna records, said Brian
Hoyt, the city’s public information manager. Williams said the opt-in notification system would allow residents to receive notifications directly from the National Weather Service’s forecast office in Wilmington, near Cincinnati. Stinchcomb and Williams have been testing the weather notification option, and they both received alerts Monday
evening, before local media provided weather warnings to the public. With the nation already experiencing more than 1,000 confirmed tornadoes this year, Williams said, it’s not a question of if a tornado comes but when. “We’ve always said warning is key to notifying residents,” he said. “We See WARNING, page A4
Departmental reorganization poised to save almost $10K
HERB DAY 2011
By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Eric George/ThisWeek
Volunteer Anthony Dickson, 18, waters plants at Gahanna’s annual Herb Day event May 21. For details on the event, see the story on page A6.
Planning commission continues to scrutinize city’s fence code By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The Gahanna Planning Commission had planned to hear advice from police and fire leaders prior to voting May 25 to change any part of the city’s fence code. At the request of city council, the commission has been reviewing section 1171.03(h) of the fence code, which prohibits privacy and/or chain-link fences in side and front yards. The commission and deputy development
director Leah Evans examined the fence codes of various cities during a May 18 workshop. Evans provided codes from Bexley, Dublin, Hilliard, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Whitehall and Worthington. “Generally, no fences are allowed in front yards,” Evans said. “That’s standard. Some don’t define front yard the way we do. A lot of them can have a 6-foot fence in the back and side yard. There are some variations among them.” Commission chair Kristin Rosan said she recently drove through Bexley, where fenc-
ing is around entire properties. “Some were solid stucco and brick,” she said. Rosan requested examples of sideyard fence codes. Evans said Hilliard allows an ornamental or privacy fence in the side or rear yard if the fence isn’t within 10 feet to the right of way where the side or rear yard abuts a street or alley. Rosan asked if the development departSee FENCE, page A3
posed to a grade 38 as assistant city engineer. “This position will create far more efficiency and Kristen better comTreadway munication within the services department,” Treadway said. “In addition, this position will perform approximately 10 percent of the capital improvement-project inspections, which will result in an estimated savings of $19,000 per year currently paid out to inspectors.” Franey said tasks have been redistributed logically. “We did what made sense so everyone could handle what’s on their plates,” she said. Andrako said duties had been duplicated. “We’re rearranging duties so there’s more efficiency,” he said. Council will consider legislation to create the project administrator position, as well as a supplemental appropriation to fund it. Treadway said 75 percent of the funding for the position would come from the stormwater, water and sewer funds (25 percent each), resulting in a total savings to the general fund of $36,675 for the remainder of 2011. “This amount is in addition to the annual savings of $9,873,” she said.
Gahanna is planning a departmental reorganization that would save almost $10,000 following the resignation of service director Terry Emery. Human resources director Kristen Treadway told council May 23 that a lot of time is spent evaluating personnel when an opening becomes available. “We look to see if there’s a better way to do business,” she said. Former deputy service director Dottie Franey has been promoted to service director, and she and Mayor Becky Stinchcomb have chosen assistant city engineer Mike Andrako as the new deputy director of public service. As a result, Treadway said, the administration has determined not to fill the assistantcity-engineer position and instead move the extensive construction project management duties to a project administrator, who would report to the deputy director of public services. “In essence, the current city engineer would perform all design, funding source and consultation of projects, and the new project administrator would take over all communication, coordination and inspection of the projects after ‘the shovels hit the ground,’” Treadway said. She said the change would result in a savings of $9,873 because of the project administra- mkuhlman@thisweeknews.com tor being paid a grade 36, as op- www.ThisWeekNEWS.com
Memorial Day observances abundant in Gahanna World War II vets invited to special brunch at VFW By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
of Freedom,” the theme of programs sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Tri-Community Post 4719, AmerGahanna-area residents have many ican Legion Post 797 and Ladies Auxopportunities on Memorial Day to offer iliary Unit 797 of Gahanna, and Knights “A Salute to Those Who Paid the Price of Columbus Council 10941 of New Al-
bany. Jack Steinhausser, Memorial chairman, said remembrance services would be held at each cemetery stop, where a rifle salute and the playing of “Taps” will be conducted to honor all fallen he-
roes. Post 797 Cmdr. Malcolm Glasgow said the day would start with memorial services at 9 a.m. at Riverside Cemetery on Sunbury Road. The program includes a memorial march, prayer from Legion Chaplain Rusty Lundy and the pledge of alle-
giance. Next, a memorial march will begin at 9:45 a.m. at Maplewood Cemetery in New Albany, with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Knights of Columbus conducting services. See MEMORIAL, page A2
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Annie, a Chihuahua mix, is up for adoption at ADOPT Pet Rescue in Westerville. For information on adopting Annie, visit ADOPT’s website: adoptpetrescue.org. Watch a video of Annie at ThisWeekNEWS.com.
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