January 27, 2011
New police contract includes pay hikes By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Worthington police officers will receive 2.5-percent raises in 2011 and an additional 3-percent in 2012, according to the terms of a three-year contract approved last week. Negotiations have been going on since 2009. The contract covers 2010 through 2012. According to Worthington Lt. Jerry Strait, who was part of the police negotiating team, two issues slowed down
talks. First, the state of the economy and the question of whether voters would approve an increase in the income tax rate kept both sides from the table. The increase from 2 percent to 2.5 percent was approved last spring. Also, police wanted to tighten up language to assure officers that new leadership would not be able to make unfair changes in shift rotations. The wording ensures that seniority is honored when making personnel transfers. Salaries did not officially increase in
2010, but each officer will receive a $1,000 lump sum now that the contract has been ratified by Worthington City Council and the Fraternal Order of Police, Capital City Lodge 9. The salary in 2011 will take a first year officer’s salary from $45,427 to $46,563. In 2012, it will go to $47,960. Officers have four salary steps. They reach the highest step at the end of their third year of service. The highest paid officers’salaries will go from $69,905 to $71,653, to $73,802. Sergeants and lieutenants reach their
second and highest step after only 12 months on the job. Sergeants with a year or more experience made $80,436 last year. That will be $82,447 this year, and $84,921 in 2012. Likewise, lieutenants reach their highest earning potential after one year. The higher lieutenant’s salary will go from $89,448 to $91,796, to $94,550. Officers also receive annual lump sums for years served. This year, officers with five through ten years’ experience receive $1,150, which will increase to $1,200 in 2012.
The amounts increase with experience. The highest pay is for those with more than 21 years with the department. They earn an extra $1,500 this year, which will increase to $1,900 in 2012. Officers are also paid an additional $1.20 an hour if they work second or third shift. The contract describes that as any shift with the majority of its hours between 2 p.m. and 7 a.m. Officers currently pay 8-percent of their health, dental, and vision insurance. That will increase to 9-percent in 2012. www.ThisWeekNews.com
Rockbridge moving to Perry; TRECA, Capital may follow By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Tim Norman/ThisWeek
Twins Tina Rusch, left, and Lindsey Rusch shovel the driveway of a house at the corner of Highgate Avenue and Evening Street on Jan. 22. The two were helping their grandmother, Dolly Mechling, by shoveling the driveways, pathways and sidewalk around the house.
Be a good neighbor, one shovel at a time By CANDY BROOKS
all public sidewalks of snow thington, has sent out dozens Granville Road, or sidewalks
ThisWeek Community Newspapers and ice within 12 hours of day- of warning letters this winter. near schools. Occasionally he
With each new coat of snow or ice comes an additional layer of responsibility for property owners. Shoveling. Blowing. Sweeping. De-icing. It is hard work, and city officials realize that some residents are not physically capable of clearing their sidewalks of snow and ice. Still, it has to be done. City ordinances require that business and homeowners clear
light after any accumulation of snow or ice. If the city receives a complaint that the sidewalks have not been cleared, the city service director is obligated to issue a warning. If the property owner still does not do the job within 24 hours, the city can have the sidewalk cleared and send the bill to the property owner. And yes, it does happen. Dave Groth, director of public service for the city of Wor-
And last year, with its heavy snowfalls, he was forced to have some walks cleared at the property owners’ expense. He doesn’t like being forced into the role of “sidewalk cop,” but he needs to respond to the many e-mails and phone calls he receives about walks that are impassable or treacherous. “My wish is people would understand the need and not have us remind them,” he said. Most of the complaints are about walks on High Street or
gets a complaint about a residential sidewalk, but mostly he deals with business owners. When he gets a complaint, he either calls the property owner, or he sends a letter by registered mail. The letters take a day to get out, then two or three to be delivered. By then, Mother Nature has often taken care of the situation. But Groth keeps at it. “It’s a safety issue, that is what most people complain about,” he said.
Conrath, Duffey expect state to rescue Kindergarten-plus program on Monday night she convinced if the bill is not passed, the waiv-
By CANDY BROOKS
ThisWeek Community Newspapers the Worthington Board of Edu- er can be brought back before
School superintendent Melissa Conrath believes that the new Ohio legislature will save Worthington’s all-day kindergarten program. She believes it so strongly that
cation to table a resolution to seek a waiver that would give the district options if the lawmakers do not come through with House Bill 30. Applying for the waiver would take up valuable staff time and,
the board later, she said. HB 30 would repeal many of the educational reforms approved under former Gov. Ted Strickland. Among those is a requireMelissa
See PROGRAM, page A2 Conrath
Rep. Mike Duffey
An educational technology company, Capital University classes and Rockbridge Academy may take over some of the empty classrooms at Perry Middle School. After moving Perry students to McCord Middle School this year as a cost-saving measure, educators are now considering ways to make the vacant space pay off. The Phoenix program, which is the district’s alternative middle school, is housed at Perry. But it has only 165 students, and educators have at least temporarily abandoned the idea of expanding the program. A year ago, administrators said they were considering either adding more seventh- and eighth-graders to the Phoenix program, or expanding it to include fifth- and sixth-graders. But any expansion would mean hiring new staff, and that is something the district cannot afford right now, said administrator Mark Glasbrenner. Until this school year, Phoenix had shared the building with the regular Perry Middle School program. With many parents objecting, the board decided a year ago to move the approximately 150 Perry students to McCord. According to a recently completed facilities study, the capacity of the Perry building is either 653 or 720 students. Both numbers are cited in the report. Moving Rockbridge Academy into Perry would allow the district to continue the program, which enables students who have been suspended or expelled to continue to attemd school. The district pays $30,000 a year to lease classroom space for Rockbridge at the Ohio State University/Harding Hospital campus.
A closer look The district pays $30,000 a year to lease classroom space for Rockbridge at the Ohio State University/Harding Hospital campus.
Grandview Heights, Upper Arlington, Olentangy and Delaware pay for a total of 30 available seats. That money is used to pay staff, Glasbrenner said. Another possible Perry tenant is the Tri-Rivers Educational Computer Association (TRECA), a company that provides technology support, online courses and other computer-related services to school districts. Located in Marion, the company employs 64, according to its website. One possibility is providing space for TRECA in exchange for in-kind services. With the district planning to rely more on programs that allow students to work independently, the need for such services will be growing, Glasbrenner said. Local educators have had one discussion with the company, and a second is planned, he said. Capital is considering using the Perry classrooms for undergraduate and graduate-level courses, Glasbrenner said. If a deal is made, it could also include in-kind services, such as providing courses for Worthington teachers or programs for Worthington students. Glasbrenner emphasized that no leases have been signed, that negotiations with both TRECA and Capital are in early stages. “We’re very confident we’ll find a good partner, but we’re not there yet,” he said. cbrooks@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekNews.com
Worthington wants to keep estate tax alive By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Worthington intends to join other central Ohio communities tossing a life raft to the death tax. At the urging of Worthington City Council, city manager Matt Greeson plans to reach out to a coalition of local governments fighting to save the es-
tate tax, which provides Worthington a fluctuating amount of revenue. In 2010, Worthington’s estate tax revenue was $383,545, but that was the lowest it had been since 2002. In 2005, the city received $972,263 from taxes levied on the estates of residents who died that year. But combine the loss of estate tax with the pro-
jected loss of state’s local government funds next year and Worthington is expected to lose approximately $1.1-million.Worthington’s 2010 general fund budget was $22.4-million. Services will have to be cut to make up that size of loss, Greeson said. The actual reduction in the local government fund will not be known until Gov. John Kasich
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announces his biennial budget in March. After that, it could still be changed until it is voted on next summer. “We will have to monitor it closely,” Greeson said. Council member Scott Myers said he will draft
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