July 14, 2011
District may restructure HR position By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers The New Albany-Plain Local School District plans to restructure its position of human-resources director following the departure of Cara Riddel. “I attempted to take this opportunity to have a position or an individual replaced and stepped back and asked if we should replace the individual as the position was currently structured,” Superintendent April Domine said July 11
at the school board’s work session and special meeting. Riddel left the district in June to become superintendent of Westfall Local Schools in Williamsport, Ohio. Domine said she determined the position could be restructured to better serve the district. “I thought this was an opportunity to broaden responsibility and to make this person really a second-in-command,” she said. She suggested the board agree to hire
a “chief of innovation, improvement and human capital.” The person would report directly to her and would be in charge of the principals, the director of teaching and learning, the special-education supervisor, the director of communications and would share administration of the technology coordinator with the director of operations. During the meeting, board member Mike Klein asked if the person in the new position would act in Domine’s place if she were away. Domine said
that was her intention. To begin the process, Domine requested she be permitted to begin advertising immediately for the position. Board members agreed. The board still must vote to change the position’s title and duties and approve a new job description and a new administrative organizational chart. The board is expected to consider those decisions at the July 25 regular board meeting. Domine said the district could help streamline part of the duties of the for-
mer position by using software to help with human-resources duties. The director of operations could take over some of the compliance and regulation that was being done by Riddel, such as workers’ compensation management and reporting for the Family and Medical Leave Act. “That would free up some time to provide a much broader educational focus,” Domine said. See SCHOOL BOARD, page A4
Former secretary of state
‘SEUSSICAL JR.’
Rice to speak at ‘A Remarkable Evening’ in November By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Photos by Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek
(Above) Fiveyear-old Margaret Pelekis and her mother, Rhea, meet the Cat in the Hat, played by Ethan Fox, during a meetand-greet with the cast of “Seussical Jr.” prior to the matinee performance July 10 at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts. (Right) Morgan Pennington, portraying Mrs. Mayor, helps 4year-old Audra Pina make an animal mask.
See RICE TO SPEAK, page A2
Vet clinic removed from zoning-change application By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Former Three Amigos site
City drops objection to liquor-permit renewal By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers New Albany City Council agreed July 5 to rescind its earlier objections to a liquor permit at 9765 Johnstown Road and allow a potential new restaurant at the site. “I think we should consider revoking our objection to a (license) renewal,” city attorney Mitch Banchefsky told council at the July 5 meeting. Council approved a motion 5-0 to revoke its objections to the liquor permit. Mayor Nancy Ferguson and Chris Wolfe were absent. Council had approved a resolution in December to contest the liquor permit for the Three Ami-
The New Albany Community Foundation is trying to raise $600,000 through fundraisers this year to support community programming. The largest of those fundraisers, November’s “A Remarkable Evening,” will feature Condoleezza Rice, the former secretary of state and national security adviser to President George W. Bush. “A Remarkable Evening” is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 17, at the estate of Leslie and Abigail Wexner in New Albany. Proceeds from ticket sales — $1,000 per person or Condoleezza $10,000 for a table of 10 guests — Rice go directly to the foundation. “We have four areas of importance: education, arts, health and environment,” said Craig Mohre, executive director of the foundation. “Primarily, our grants are used for those four areas.” Last year’s “A Remarkable Evening” netted $500,000. It featured James Bradley, author of “Flags of Our Fathers,” the true story of six young soldiers who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II. One of them was Bradley’s father. The funds from the event supported the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts’ series of events,
gos restaurant in the strip center at 9765 Johnstown Road. Three Amigos, owned and operated by Domingos Tios LLC, has since closed after being evicted in June by Capital Square Limited, the property’s leasing agent. At a hearing held June 6 before the Ohio Liquor Commission, the city requested the commission hold its decision, pending negotiations with Capital Square Limited. Banchefsky told council July 5 that Capital Square Limited has agreed not to lease the space to any of the former occupants from Domingos Tios. “We’ve been assured in writing and verbally,” he said.
Banchefsky said if the city had allowed the Ohio Liquor Commission to render a decision, the liquor permit could have been suspended for one year. He said since it appears Capital Square Limited has a potential new tenant for the site, a suspension could have caused a problem. New Albany Police Chief Mark Chaney said the property owners seem to be doing their “due diligence” in finding a new business to operate on the site. A representative from Capital Square Limited declined to comment to ThisWeek and the
The proposed veterinary clinic at the northeast corner of Morse and Reynoldsburg-New Albany roads has been removed from a zoning-change request that twice was tabled by the New Albany Planning Commission. “The applicant has modified the conditional-use application since the last meeting to request only a conditional use for animal boarding facilities for the horse-boarding facility,” said the city’s staff report from June 20. “The conditional-use request for the animal hospitals or clinics has been withdrawn.” The property owner, One New Albany Farms LLC Bella Vista, chose to remove the veterinary use from the zoning application to be a good neighbor, See ZONING CHANGE, page A2
See LIQUOR PERMIT, page A2