PICKERINGTON

NEWS & INFORMATION FROM THE CITY OF PICKERINGTON

Community Awarded

The City of Pickerington was recently awarded the Auditor of State Award With Distinction, a singular honor recognizing those cities that receive a “clean” audit report and file a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report with the auditor’s office.

The City’s financial officers, Director Chris Schornack and Deputy Director Stephanie Spencer, accepted the award.

“This is the product of exhaustive work by Stephanie on the CAFR report, the cooperation of staff in the financial process, and internal controls over financial matters,” Schornack commented.

“Taxpayers expect accurate financial records from their local governments. The City of Pickerington’s dedication to accountability is evident,” Auditor of State Dave Yost explained.

Additionally, Yost reported that Pickerington records did not cause any findings for recovery, material citations, material weaknesses, deficiencies, Single Audit findings or questioned costs.

In previous years, the award was presented under various other names, generally selected by the Auditor in office at the time. Pickerington has earned the award in six of the last seven years.

cityprofile: Gary Armentrout

Chief Operator, Pickerington Water Plant

Gary Armentrout’s entire life seems to revolve around water.

The Chief Operator of the Pickerington Water Plant lists fishing and the ocean as two of his main interests. Additionally, his wife, Janet, is the water and sewer billing clerk for the city of Canal Winchester.

He was on the beach in South Carolina four years ago when he was notified that his daughter, Amy, was about to give birth to his first grandchild. He made the trip back to Ohio, a 14-hour adventure, in 11 hours, arriving 30 minutes before his grandson.

Hopefully, the statute of limitations for driving at excessive speeds has run out.

Armentrout graduated from Pickerington High School in 1968. After being downsized from Anchor Hocking, he signed onto the Pickerington water department in 1985. He knew several employees of the city, including current Violet Township Trustee Terry Dunlap, who was then the city’s Service Director. They spoke highly of working for the city, and convinced Armentrout to apply for a position.

“Back then, there were only a handful of city employees, working out of a large house on the

Sycamore Park Pond and in the current Service Department building. We were so small that employees Linda Fersch, Evelyn Strawn and Ann Ellis cooked an intimate Thanksgiving dinner for the entire city staff,” Armentrout remembered.

Assuming the top water position in 1992, he became Pickerington’s first Class-3 rated water operator and, in succeeding years, started three treatment plants. One of his current responsibilities has been overseeing the city’s transition to a reverse osmosis system for water treatment.

“I’m proud of the fact that we’ve been able to maintain water quality over the years. I’ve had great help in doing that,” he explained.

He explained that one of the great influences in his life has been an uncle. His father passed away when he was 12, and he and two brothers were raised by his mother, whom he credits with being crucial to his maturation. “Her sister’s husband then became the closest thing to a father I’ve had since my father died. He influenced me in so many ways,” he said.

Armentrout will be able to retire in the next three years, but hasn’t yet decided when. When it happens, he knows how he’ll spend his free time: quality time with his grandson, Ethan, and traveling.

Somehow, one guesses, water will still be a part of his life.

Dorothy Steiger

Mitten Tree

Join Mayor O’Brien to begin the holidays with the lighting of the Mitten Tree on Dec. 2. Bring gloves, mittens, stocking caps, scarves and earmuffs to Pickerington City Hall on weekdays until Dec. 16. Items will be donated to the Fairfield County Family Services.