News and information from the City of Pickerington Paving Priorities

Paving the way for a better Pickerington is a part of the city’s historic plan to fund the resurfacing of city streets.

This year, Pickerington City Council has allocated $550,000 to pave and maintain nearly four miles of the 60 miles of roadway under its jurisdiction.

“The roads are getting to an age that we need to get things done for the city to have quality streets and so that we do not have major problems and expenses later,” said Greg Bachman, city engineer.

Areas slated for the first round of paving include the Stonebridge subdivision, a section of Hill Road, East Street in front of Heritage Elementary School, Windmiller Drive, a portion of Hill Road South, Hereford Drive and the parking lot at 51 E. Columbus St. Roads scheduled to be sealed or rejuvenated with pavement in 2012 include Opportunity Way and stretches of the west side of Diley Road and Winderly Lane.

A few alley streets in Olde Pickerington Village that are important for businesses in the area will also receive some touch-up work.

According to the city engineer, each road in the city has been rated using a Pavement Condition Index (PCI).

The PCI provides the city with a scale ranking to determine which roads are the worst and which ones are the best.

“It’s nice we are able to put a little more money toward the streets here, because there is a great deal of savings in the long run,” Bachman said. “If you spend $1 today, it can cost $5 to $10 if you wait. It’s much like changing the oil in your car. You can save a little bit by not changing your oil, but you can blow your engine later on.”

Over the summer, the city has also been doing a lot of crack sealing so water does not get into cracks in the road during winter and then expand when frozen to create pot holes.

While the city plans to allocate money each year to resurface and maintain its roadways, Pickerington residents will see major renovations done to State Route 256 in 2015 when the Ohio Department of Transportation pays for the majority of the $2 million of paving, roadway, signage and traffic signal improvements designed to provide better and safer access in and out of the Violet City.

Clement Chukwu

cityprofile: City Planner

Clement Chukwu knows what it is like to hold a balance scale in his hands.

For 10 years, the associate planner for the city of Toledo has weighed the development needs and standards of the city and its three major historic districts with the responsibility to maintain the quality of life for the residents who live there.

On June 4, Chukwu, who has a master’s degree in geographic information systems from Eastern Michigan University, became a part of the city of Pickerington’s planning and zoning team.

His work includes helping businesses understand the city’s building standards and providing companies with a checklist to guide them through the application procedures, submission deadlines and requirements, as well as the permit process. He is also helping the city maintain the charm of Olde Pickerington Village and provide residents with the quality of life they expect.

“There are a lot of opportunities in development going on here and I’m looking forward to helping the city plan for the future,” Chukwu said.

Lana Messmore

Webmaster/HR Administrative Assistant

When Pickerington residents log onto the city’s website, information should now be at their fingertips because of Lana Messmore.

The webmaster and administrative assistant to the director of human resources is dressing up the website and making it more user-friendly and interactive.

“The real benefit of someone like Lana on board, who is willing to dig in, is that if I want something posted today, it is on the website today,” said Lynn Miller, director of human resources.

Messmore wants residents to be able to get answers to frequently asked questions and obtain the information they want from the website in three clicks or fewer. By fall, residents should also be able to log onto the website through their home computers and cell phones to report potential concerns.

“(Residents) can log on to report problems so they don’t have to call. It’s a priority program that allows them to enter the information and that act will generate a work order,” Messmore said. “When the work is done, it reports back to them.”

Wilma Ebright

When Pickerington residents have questions, they usually call the office of the city manager for answers.

The friendly voice that often greets and guides them in the right direction belongs to the new executive assistant to the city manager, Wilma Ebright.

Fortunately for the callers, Ebright has worked in almost every department over the past year as a temporary employee. In her new role, Ebright will be the right hand for City Manager Bill Vance.

“I love the pace of it. I love the vision (Vance) has for the community,” Ebright said. “He’s very helpful and he wants what is best for the community and I do, too.”

Ebright hopes that she can help Vance reach his goals and provide residents with the type of customer service they deserve.

“When someone calls in, (Vance) is on it,” Ebright said. “He cares about people and I think that is a wonderful asset for someone who is helping to run the city.”