June 30, 2011
Little change expected in school budget By TOM SHEEHAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers The South-Western City school board on June 27 approved a temporary fiscal year 2012 general fund budget of $195.7 million, an amount district treasurer Hugh Garside doesn’t expect to change much once a permanent budget is OK’d in October. Garside told the board that two fac-
tors could affect the budget later this year — any change in enrollment in the 20,000-student district and how much real estate tax collections could fall as a result of the continued downturn in the housing market and dropping home market values. However, he told the board he is confident there won’t be any major surprises with the district’s budget. “It (fiscal year 2012 budget) pretty
much matches the five-year financial forecast,” the treasurer said. Board president Mindy Garverick and members Randy Reisling and Karen Dover attended the meeting and unanimously approved the budget. Members Jo Ellen Myers and Cathy Johnson were absent. A district spokeswoman said they apparently are on vacation. Superintendent Bill Wise also was out of town.
The fiscal year 2012 budget is about $2.4 million larger than last year’s budget. Garside said after the meeting that both employee base-pay and step-pay increases account for most of the increase in the budget. All three unions in the district negotiated new contracts this year. Several other factors also pushed the fiscal year 2012 budget higher. “Our fuel budget is up about
$300,000” over last year,” Garside noted. The district does not expect any further significant state funding cuts, the treasurer said after the meeting. South-Western should get about $90 million in state aid next year. In other business at the June 27 meeting, the three board members approved two administrative hirings. See BUDGET, page A2
City to add fourth post in systems department By LISA AURAND ThisWeek Community Newspapers Grove City’s information systems department is growing. City Hall will add a fourth position to current three-person department. “Our city’s technology has really grown and the addition of this position is really to keep up with that growth,” information systems manager Todd Hurley said. The departOur city’s ment currently technology has really includes Hurley and two other ingrown and the addition formation sysof this position is really tems coordinators. Pay for the to keep up with that new job will be growth. a minimum of $25.07/hour to a TODD HURLEY maximum of $38.91/hour. —Information systems manager The department has needed additional labor for several years Hurley said. “The discussion about this has gone back three to four years,” he said. “This person will address those concerns and allow us to do a better job with the rather large projects that we’re attending to.” City council president Ted Berry asked why the position was not included in the year’s budget, as most new positions are. “I made a request for the position, but in order to better maintain the budget and be fiscally responsible, it was removed,” Hurley said. City council voted to OK the new job. A study conducted by the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission four years ago recommended the city have a four-person information systems department, Hurley said. “We’ve done what was necessary to make things Photos by Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek work and keep things operating,” Hurley said. “I can honestly tell you that our footprint has definitely grown since then. The needs have become more apparent.” Grove City’s information systems department is in charge of the city’s internal network, as well as he is generally opposed to using the computers for all the other city departments, inloan program for refinancing and asked cluding the police department. Candidates for the post should have a bachelor’s the couple why they thought they dedegree in engineering or computer science and at served an exemption. “We’re restarting a brand new busi- least three years experience in planning, impleness in a building that has been aban- mentation and maintenance of information systems. The job is a full-time position with regular hours doned,” Dennison said. “We’re rehabbing the entire building and we’re from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information and a civil service application hiring new employees. It’s going to bring a lot of business (to the area), for the position can be found online at grovecityohio.gov or at City Hall, 4035 Broadway. ApplicaSee CITY, page A2 tions are due by 5 p.m. Friday, July 1.
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SPECIAL OLYMPICS (Above) The Grove City Special Olympics team, including Rebecca Eberle, Chrissy Scales and Kevin Wemlinger, is congratulated by members of the Freemasons as they enter Ohio Stadium for the opening ceremony of the 2011 Special OIympic Ohio Summer Games on June 24. (Right) Grove City Olympian Zach Welminger makes his way into the stadium. Approximately 2,700 athletes from throughout Ohio participated in the event. To view a multimedia presentation of opening day please visit ThisWeekNews.com.
City OKs second town center loan By LISA AURAND ThisWeek Community Newspapers Grove City Council on June 20 awarded its second loan to a town center business. Council members voted 4-1 to award a $110,000, 15-year loan with 3-percent interest to Tossed-N-Grilled, 3985 Broadway. The Town Center Loan Review Committee recommended approval of
the loan. The program was established last year. The loan technically is a refinancing of a loan Tossed-N-Grilled owners Abdallah Bahij and Natalie Dennison secured before buying the building. Bahij and Dennison told council they didn’t have time to finish the town center loan paperwork before they purchased the building because someone else was ready to make an offer on the
property. “I didn’t want to go somewhere else to buy,” Bahij said. “I just jumped on the opportunity. We couldn’t wait.” Bahij and Dennison, who are married, put $45,000 down on the property and are using their home as collateral. The town center loan program allows council to make an exemption to refinance existing loans. Council president Ted Berry said
Blast at Beulah to celebrate Fourth of July By LISA AURAND ThisWeek Community Newspapers Fireworks will be at full strength for this year’s Blast at Beulah. The annual Grove City Independence Day celebration, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 2, again will feature $30,000 worth of fireworks. That’s the
same budget the festival has had for the last two years, recreation superintendent Ed Merritt said. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. at Beulah Park, 3811 Southwest Blvd., for the event. “We are having Wally and the Beavs perform and we’re having children’s activities, including face painting from 6
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to 9:15 p.m.,” Merritt said. “We’re trying to accommodate and have something for everyone.” TWIG 184, the fundraising arm of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, will run the face-painting station in the paddock area of Beulah Park in exchange for donations. Those attending should bring a lawn
chair. They can bring a picnic or purchase food and beverages at the site. Blast at Beulah is an alcohol-free event; coolers are subject to searches and tailgating is not permitted. Pets, other than service dogs, are not permitted in the venue. Fireworks also are prohibited. Food vendors expected to attend include Donatos, Flyers Pizza and Subs,
See BLAST, page A2
Arts, eats and fun in central Ohio
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The 2011 Special Olympics Ohio Summer Games were held June 24-26 at various locations in the Columbus area. To view a multimedia presentation on opening day, visit ThisWeekNEWS.com.
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Chik-fil-A, a roasted-corn vendor, Good Humor and possibly the local Kiwanis Club, which might sell popcorn. In addition, vendors will sell “glow sticks and novelty items for the little ones,” Merritt said. Music by Wally and the Beavs will
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