June 23, 2011
Powell holding meetings on costs By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Powell City Council’s finance committee is holding meetings to look for ways the city can cut operation costs to help pay for capital improvement projects. One session was held June 14 and another is scheduled for 7
p.m. Tuesday, July 12. Committee members are reviewing fiscal and operation details of the engineering, city council and public information departments. The process will continue monthly through Tuesday, Oct. 11. Voters last November defeat-
ed an income tax increase that was slated for capital improvements for 10 years. On June 14, finance director Debra Miller described responsibilities of the department, which has three full-time employees. Those responsibilities include processing Workers’ Compensation premiums and bids for bank
company services, researching to see if city residents or people employed in the city are filing taxes, helping to collect delinquent taxes, managing the city’s various investments, providing monthly reports, tracking inventory, negotiating contracts and processing records requests. It also processes city payroll,
accounts payable, state-required financial reporting and debt management. Miller gave committee members a list of ways they can evaluate the department’s performance. The list includes the turnaround time for accounts payable, and the results and recommendations of state audits. She said
it would be good to evaluate the department on how accessible its information is to the residents. City manager Steve Lutz presented the report for the administration department, which has two full-time employees. Lutz oversees the city’s variSee FINANCE, page A7
Orange Twp. considers fire levy on Nov. 8
PUP-A-PALOOZA
By TOM SHEEHAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Photos by Tessa Bargainnier/ThisWeek
(Above) Audra Miller of Powell takes a photo of her flat-coated retriever, Trucker, and her Saint Bernard mix, Fancy, while they play with other dogs in the beach area during the Alum Creek Dog Park’s annual Pup-A-Palooza June 18. Miller said, from the water, “I have more fun out here than they do.” (Below, left) Nate Archibald of Ostrander is greeted by his Neapolitan mastiff, Maverick, while he pets his Saint Bernard, Goose, near the ice pile at the event. Archibald and his wife, Andrea, visit the park often and said they liked to see people come out to support the park. (Below, right) Larry Rust of Ostrander plays Frisbee with his chocolate Labrador retriever, Graham, at the event. Rust was there with his wife, Sarah, and 17-month-old daughter, Claire.
Orange Township trustees on June 20 took a preliminary step toward placing a fire levy on the Nov. 8 ballot. Trustees Rob Quigley, Jennifer Christian and Nelson Katz decided by consensus to request the Delaware County auditor to determine how much millage would be needed for two levy scenarios. One would raise $7 million a year and the other would generate $7.75 million annually. Assistant Fire Chief Matt Noble told trustees a three-year, five-mill operating levy approved by voters in 2009 will generate about $4.6 million this year. The department has a $7-million budget for 2011 and had a cash carryover from 2010 of about $4 million. “I think it’s a good idea to get started now” on discussing a possible levy, said Quigley, chairman of the board of trustees. Katz provided information showing the fire department has done a good job holding the line on costs during the past few years. The cash carryover, however, continues to dwindle each year and will be less than $1 million by 2014 without any new money. The township has about 22,000 residents. “I think we’ve done well in holding costs down,” said Katz, the trustees’public safety liaison. “We’re going to need a levy at an increased level from what we currently have.” The department has a staff of 67, including 43 full-time firefighters and 17 part-timers, and has delayed for several years buying a new engine and ambulance, and hiring a training officer and three more full-time firefighters, Noble said. “If we put it (a levy) on in November and it does not pass, it will give us time to adjust to put it on in May (2012),” Noble said. Quigley said trustees will have time to discuss the issue after the auditor provides the millage amounts. The deadline to place an issue on the Nov. 8 ballot is Aug. 10. Katz said seeking a levy for five years instead of three would provide more stability for the department and citizens. Collections of the current levy will expire Dec. 31, 2012. Also at the meeting, trustees unanimously approved rezoning nearly 2.9 acres at Rail Timber See ORANGE TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES, page A2
City still working toward opening business incubator By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Powell is taking more steps toward opening a business incubator, a facility designed to assist start-up businesses. The city’s finance committee reviewed contract agreements for the incubator, a city-owned building at 44 N. Liberty St. The agreements still are being developed and must be approved by city council when finalized. According to the current draft, the city would lease the building to the Powell Community Im-
provement Corp. (PCIC) for $10 for three years. The incubator will serve as startup space for four small officebased businesses. City officials have said it is an interim step between an in-home office and a more expensive lease in a commercial building. The PCIC would help ease the costs of opening an office by paying the basic expenses including local phone lines, electricity, gas, sewer, water and trash collection. The businesses would have to
Orange zoning inspector will retire June 30 By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Adam Cairns/ThisWeek
Orange Township zoning inspector Richard Gladman is retiring at the end of June after serving the community for nearly 25 years.
After almost 25 years as Orange Township zoning inspector, Richard “Dick” Gladman is retiring. In 1964, when Gladman, his wife and four children moved to Orange Township, “There was nothing but rusty fence and animals down Route 23.” He owned Gladman Custom Home Builders at the time. In 1986, after Gladman served a year on the township zoning commission, the township trustees See GLADMAN, page A5
See BUSINESS, page A7
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