June 9, 2011
Tucker gets $145K, no health insurance By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Thomas Tucker’s salary will increase by more than 20 percent when he becomes Worthington superintendent, but he will have to pay for his own health care, cell phone and local travel expenses. The four-year contract approved by the Worthington Board of Education on June 1 provides for an annual salary of $145,000. Tucker’s current salary as Licking Heights superintendent is $119,000. Worthington will not pay for his health
district does. Like current Worthington Superintendent Melissa Conrath, TuckA closer look er will receive an annuity in lieu of health insurance. Tucker’s contract provides for a Conrath is retiring after five years in 0.5-percent raise beginning Aug. the district, with a salary of $153,824. 1, 2013, provided the district is She pays for her own insurance but rerated “excellent with distinction” ceives an annuity equal to 19.4 percent on its 2013 state report card or of her salary. that it meets two objectives in its The board will pay $20,000 yearly Ohio Improvement Process plan into Tucker’s annuity. developed in 2010-11. That is less than Conrath but more than the average annuity paid in districts insurance, though the Licking County similar to Worthington, according to the
Educational Service Center of Central Ohio (ESCCO), the consulting firm that assisted in the superintendent search. The average is $14,905. Also like Conrath, Tucker will be expected to pay for his own cell phone and his own local travel expenses. According to ESCCO, five of eight similar districts provide car allowances, with the average cost at $7,600 a year. Three of eight provide a communication allowance, with the average cost at $1,800 a year. The similar districts surveyed by the
search firm are Hilliard, Dublin, Lakota, Westerville, Mason, Strongsville and Olentangy. Tucker’s contract provides for a 0.5percent raise beginning Aug. 1, 2013, provided the district is rated “excellent with distinction” on its 2013 state report card or that it meets two objectives in its Ohio Improvement Process plan developed in 2010-11. The board also will evaluate Tucker prior to each Aug. 1 and could make See TUCKER, page A2
Insight Bank gets council OK to move forward
Class of 2011
along with second-floor corpo-
By SCOTT GERFEN
ThisWeek Community Newspapers rate offices.
By Adam Cairns/ThisWeek
Worthington Kilbourne High School graduating seniors (from right) Charlotte Thrush, Evita Singh, Katie Shaffer, Dave Rahbolt and Bhavana Prasanna laugh after filing into the Greater Columbus Convention Center for their commencement ceremony on June 4.
Plans to convert a former restaurant into a bank and its corporate offices and eventually bring 50-60 jobs with it received approval from Worthington City Council on June 6. Insight Bank expects to transform the long-vacant Dalt’s restaurant and adjacent office building into what would become the first major overhaul at the Shops at Worthington Place, the former Worthington Square. “We’ve really stressed our space in the Polaris area,” said Harvey L. Glick, the bank’s president and CEO. “We look forward to a long-lasting relationship with the community.” The 12,000-square-foot, twostory office building at 150 W. Wilson Bridge Road will provide the bank branch on the first floor,
The city is preparing a corridor plan for Wilson Bridge Road, with another discussion scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at the Worthington Municipal Building. The bank development plan approved by council includes variances for sideyard setback for a drive-up canopy; a frontyard setback for a flagpole and the number and area of freestanding, wall and directional signs. Worthington Municipal Planning Commission member James Sauer expressed some concerns about the removal of trees. “It really was a smooth process,” Worthington development coordinator Lynda Bitar said. “The applicant had a really good team of design professionals, and they really worked hard to make this fit into the community.”
Worthington City Council
$721,478 approved for street projects typical of what we’ve seen in past
By SCOTT GERFEN
ThisWeek Community Newspapers years.”
By Dave Yunker/ThisWeek
Abbey Swihart (right) waves to friends while heading to Thomas Worthington High School’s graduation ceremonies at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on June 4.
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Worthington City Council on June 6 approved a $721,478.18 appropriation to fund the city’s 2011 street-improvement program and allow crews to begin work in July. The contract was awarded to low bidder KMC Paving Inc. Some residential streets will receive new pavement or repairs, and many cracks will be sealed on High Street, Granville Road, Proprietors Road and state Route 315, according to Worthington city engineer Bill Watterson. “At the beginning of the year, we survey all the streets in the city and identify the ones in need of repair,” Watterson said. “We prioritize them and do as many of them as the budget allows. It was
Last year’s appropriation was $1.1 million, Watterson said. Those streets scheduled to get new pavement include Caren Avenue, from High Street to Bowerman Street West; Evening Street, from Highgate Avenue to Longfellow Avenue; Eastworth Court; Emco Place, from Kertess Avenue to the cul-de-sac; Highland Place, from Worthington-Galena Road to Eastworth Court; Kertess Avenue; Pingree Drive, from Franklin Avenue to Dublin-Granville Road; New England Avenue West, from High Street to Oxford Street; Welling Way; Plymouth Street from New England Avenue to DublinGranville Road; and Bellbrook See WORK, page A2
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