1-27 ThisWeek Pickerington

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January 27, 2011

Board details $13-million in cuts 87 teachers will lose jobs, school hours will change in 2011-12 By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Pickerington Board of Education on Jan. 24 approved $13-million in cuts officials say are needed to balance the district’s budget for the 2011-12 school year. Some 87 teachers — 52 from kindergarten through sixth-grade and 35 seventh-grade through high school instructors — will lose their jobs as a result. Additionally, school hours will be changed, seven district administrators’ positions will be eliminated and 11 other administrative employees will have their hours reduced. The action comes as the board and school officials attempt to stopgap a hole in the district’s 2011-12 school year budget they said is being brought on by an estimated 13-percent decline in state funding, as well as recent drops in local property tax collections and a lack of job growth. “We aren’t here to reduce people who aren’t doing a great job,” said Lisa Reade, PLSD school board president. “These are our friends and our neighbors and people who are doing a great job. But in the end, we need to balance the budget.” The board unanimously approved recommendations made by PLSD Superintendent Karen Mantia, treasurer Dan Griscom and other administrators. As a result, there See SCHOOL BOARD, page A2

By Tim Revell/ThisWeek

Superintendent Karen Mantia reviews her notes before talking about cuts for the Pickerington Local School District on Jan. 24.

City to conduct new resident survey City police Telephone survey to gauge residents’ expectations, willingness to pay more By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Less than two years after polling residents about their willingness to pay more in taxes and their satisfaction with city services, Pickerington will commission a new survey to see if expectations or positions have changed. Pickerington City Council’s finance committee, which consists of the entire council, voted 4-2 on Jan. 18 to spend $12,000 for a new citizen survey. Councilman Brian Wisniewski was out of town and didn’t vote on the matter. As it did in May 2009, the city will hire Governing Dynamic LLC, a Columbus-based public policy consulting firm, to conduct the survey. It will be financed with money that was set aside for contracts with Governing Dynamic in 2010, but which was never spent. Company officials said they need at least 300 fully completed surveys and they expect to place more than 1,000 random telephone calls in order to find the

A closer look Pickerington City Council’s finance committee voted 4-2 on Jan. 18 to spend $12,000 for a new citizen survey.

needed number of residents who will answer all the questions. “This is all about intelligence-gathering,” said Brett Sciotto, Governing Dynamic president and chief executive officer and a Hilliard City Council member. “It’s about public expectations and plotting where you want to go.” The survey is expected to be conducted within the next month. As was the case in 2009, when the city spent $18,500 for Governing Dynamic to conduct the survey and lead a day-and-a-half planning session based on its results, city officials hope to determine what level of city services residents expect.

Once again, the survey also is expected to gauge residents’ willingness to support an increase in taxes to maintain or enhance services, as well as police department personnel and vehicles. “My goal … would be to instill confidence in our constituents that we are good at managing money,” Mayor Mitch O’Brien said. Council members Cristie Hammond and Gavin Blair opposed contracting with Governing Dynamic for the new survey. “I think we could probably find other ways to find the same information,” Hammond said. Blair said he believes the new survey won’t yield different results from the 2009 survey, and spending $12,000 for it is a “misuse” of public funds. He also opposed the move because the city didn’t bid out the project to see if it could get a lower price or better range of services. “We never once bid this out,” Blair said. “I

department will be audited By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Pickerington will enlist a state agency to audit the city’s police department to identify options for enhancing operations, as well as determining appropriate funding. Pickerington City Council members agreed unanimously Jan. 18 to have the Ohio Auditor’s Office conduct a “performance audit” of the Pickerington Police Department. According to city officials, the $24,500 audit will examine the efficiency and effectiveness of operations within the department, which accounts for the city’s largest budget expense. See CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, page A3

See SURVEY, page A4

Business owner wants to advertise on water tower By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

Yes, sensei

Robert Meadows instructs Pickerington residents Manasa Uanguri (left), 12, and Katie Dyer, 14, during the karate class offered by the Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department on Jan. 20 at Heritage Elementary School.

Could Pickerington’s newest water tower become a beacon for local business promotion? If Don Smith, owner of the popular Rule (3) entertainment and bowling center, gets his way, then yes. Smith, who operates Rule (3) at 650 Windmiller Drive, told the Pickerington City Council finance committee Jan. 18 that he’d rather advertise on the city’s new 750,000-gallon water tower just west of Windmiller Drive near Refugee Road, than spend up to $5,000 a year to promote his business on a nearby, privately owned billboard. “(The water tower) is a good signage location for our facility,” Smith said. “I would think other businesses would feel the same. “That could be renewable income for the city. … If it possibly helps the city out, it’s a winwin for everybody.” Smith’s request came during a meeting at which the finance committee, which includes all seven council members, spent more than an hour discussing various plans to educate resi-

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dents about the city’s need to generate new revenue. Those plans include spending $12,000 to conduct a citizen survey to —among other things — gauge the public’s willingness to support an income tax or police levy. The committee also supported spending $24,500 to conduct a performance audit of the police department. That project’s goals include comparing Pickerington’s police resources and budget to other communities’ and possibly establishing that more revenue is needed to support increases in personnel and services within the department. “(The water tower) belongs to Pickerington,” Smith said. “Why not rent out that space with a yearly renewal? It would pay for some of these studies.” City engineer Greg Bachman said he’s never been involved in projects to advertise on public water towers, and some questions remain as to feasibility. They would include determining the best way to paint or apply advertisements on a structure that typically is painted just once every 15 to 25 years.

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