July 14, 2011
Orange trims planned fire-levy request By TOM SHEEHAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Orange Township trustees on July 5 decided to ask the Delaware County auditor to certify how much millage is needed to raise $7 million a year with a fire levy on the November ballot. Trustees Rob Quigley, Jennifer Christian and Nelson Katz also rescinded a June 29 resolution that set the levy amount
at $7.75 million annually. Katz, who is the liaison with the fire department, recommended that trustees go with the $7 million amount to allow the department to maintain current services. He also suggested that any levy be for three years. Trustees previously discussed a five-year levy. Collections on the current 5-mill, threeyear fire levy, which was renewed in 2009, will expire on Dec. 31, 2012. That
levy currently raises about $4.6 million a year. The department has a $7-million budget this year and officials said the 2010 cash carryover totaled $4 million. At the current level of expenses, the carryover would fall to less than $1 million by 2014. Katz said he has been told informally a 7.2-mill levy could be needed. “I don’t like increased taxes any more than anybody ... but we must maintain
the fire department,” Katz said. The department has a staff of 67, including 43 full-time firefighters and 17 part-timers. Some major purchases, such as a $450,000 engine truck, have been delayed in recent years. Quigley said he is dismayed that previous trustees didn’t recognize dwindling revenue for the department and seek higher millage amounts in previous levies.
“That’s a big jump, from 5 to 7 mills,” he said. “I’ve only been in this position (as a trustee) for less than two years. I don’t know how we got to this point. It’s unfortunate. It’s a huge jump. It’s unfortunate we’re stuck in this position.” However, he and Christian agreed with Katz that a larger levy is needed. Aug. 10 is the deadline to place an issue on See ORANGE, page A2
Powell engineer: Maintain existing infrastructure
ENDLESS RECESS
By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Powell city engineer Rob Rice on July 5 told city council’s development committee that maintaining and repairing existing infrastructure should be a priority. Rice’s comments came during a discussion of how to spend money from the city’s downtown tax increment financing (TIF) district. The funds must be spent on projects in the TIF area or that benefit it. “We have infrastructure here in the city and it’s not glamorous and not sexy to Let’s try to take spend money to care of the stuff we fix those things, but we’re at the have. As city engineer, point where though it’s for you to some of these decide, a high priority are in need of reconstruction,” is things that are Rice said. falling apart and “Let’s try to are past the need take care of the stuff we have. for attention. As city engineer, though it’s ROB RICE for you to de— city engineer cide, a high priority is things that are falling apart and are past the need for attention.” Rice and development director Dave Betz said constructing streetscapes and sidewalks in areas that need road or sewer improvements in coming years would be a waste of money, because they would need to be torn out when the larger projects occurred. “Something to think about is sequencing of the See CITY ENGINEER:, page A2
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By Tess Bargainnier/ThisWeek
Eight-year-old Sophia Whitesell, left, of Sunbury and Ashlyn Kelly, 9, of Mount Vernon, spin around while listening to the band, Endless Recess, during the Powell summer music program, Lolli-Pops! Kids Concert series at the Village Green Park Amphitheater July 11.
Liberty Lakes
Residents ask for ash-tree removal help By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The emerald ash borer has wreaked havoc on trees in a Liberty Township residential subdivision. The Liberty Lakes subdivision homeowners association on July 11 asked the township to help remove and replace about 140 dead or neardead ash trees. “I’m representing our fellow res-
idents who are having a hard time with the thought of having to cut the trees down, grind up the stumps (and) replant new ones. They have stated it’s a real (financial) hardship for them. We’re appealing to the township board to help us out in some way. At least, cut down the trees in the tree lawn, which is the township’s property,” said HOA co-chair April Oney. She said residents realize they are
responsible for maintaining the tree lawns connected to their properties. Oney said about 20 trees on the homeowners association’s common ground area must be cut down and replaced, and the association lacks the funds to help the residents. Township administrator Dave Anderson said if the board approved, township road crews could remove the trees, but not grind stumps and replace trees.
“This is the largest collection of ash trees that you’ve got in the public right of way. It wouldn’t have to be taken down all at once, but we don’t want safety hazards from the dead trees,” Anderson said. “We’ve had several large ash trees fall and when they fall in the right of way, they become a safety hazard and we become involved.” See TOWNSHIP, page A2
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Genoa trustees approve bid for park improvement
Liberty Bait & Tackle opens on Olentangy Street
By BONNIE BUTCHER
By BONNIE BUTCHER
ThisWeek Community Newspapers
ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Genoa Township trustees on July 14 approved a $557,722 bid for improvements to McNamara Park. The approval came after a second round of bidding. Trustees rejected bids in May because they came in higher than anticipated, with the lowest at $1.45 million. The township appropriated only about $945,000 for park improvements. The amount includes $100,000 in grant funds from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The planned improvements for the 30-acre park include developing wetland rain gardens, adding 1.5 miles of trail that will encircle the park and connect to Genoa Township Community Hall, and installing tennis courts. The township rewrote the bid, removing from the base bid the construction of two tennis courts and landscaping throughout the park. Those projects are listed as bid alternates. Trustees did not approve funding the alternates, which came in at $89,583 for the courts and $143,071 for landscaping. Republic Builders of Sunbury submitted the lowest of two
A new full-service bait shop, Liberty Bait & Tackle, is open at 122 E. Olentangy St. “We offer three sizes of live minnows and four types of worms,” said owner Steve Pennington. “We carry fishing rods and reels, artificial bait, fishing supplies and sell Ohio fishing and hunting licenses. There is also a fresh pot of coffee for the customers every morning.” A Powell resident, Pennington opened the shop in May. He is an avid fisherman and hunter, and an experienced sporting goods salesman. Owning a business is a family tradition, Pennington said. “I was raised in a self-employed
See GENOA TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES, page A3
By Adam Cairns/ThisWeek
Steve Pennington opened Liberty Bait & Tackle at 122 E. Olentangy St. The shop specializes in live bait and fishing equipment during the summer months and will carry ice fishing and hunting gear seasonally.
home, with my father owning a plumbing company for 30 years. He is retired and living in Florida. ... Now I have a new place to fish,” Pennington said. Pennington and his wife, Anita, spent about two years planning and talking about opening the shop, he said. “Being a resident of Powell and a fisherman, it got frustrating having to travel so far to get bait and tackle. This is especially true when there are several fishing locations within walking distance of my home,” Pennington said. “Another thing about fishing is it’s one of those pastimes that if the economy gets worse, the business gets better. It’s really See LIBERTY, page A3