News and Information from the City of Pickerington

INSIDE PICKERINGTON NEWS & INFORMATION FROM THE CITY OF PICKERINGTON

City to Update its Comprehensive Plan

The City of Pickerington is decision-making by the City, busiupdating its comprehensive plan. Comprehensive Plan, nesses, community organizations, Why? Well, think back to the year Who Cares? and private individuals and entities 2000. To some of us, that year seems like it wasn’t that long ago, but obviously that was two decades ago! If we had cell phones then, they were only for making voice calls. Popular television Tax Paying Citizens: Want to know the game plan for the City’s growth plans and what their taxes support. Expect a forward thinking community with a rising tax base and property values. relative to development. Generally, land use is a big component of the plan, which naturally leads to analyzing items like housing, utilities and infrastructure, conservation, and economic development. shows (that you had to actually Existing and New Business Owners The City is working on this right watch at a specific time) were and Developers: now with guidance from a steering Survivor and ER. Twenty years later Also want to know the game plan for the committee and the expertise of a you can stream these shows at City’s growth plans. consultant. your convenience on your smart Plan helps them understand the cost to do One of the key inputs to a phones. We’ve come a long way business in Pickerington. comprehensive plan is citizen in 20 years and so has the City. That’s why leaders thought it was time for an update to the comprehensive plan. Technology and TV aren’t the only things that have changed in City Operations: Bond rating agencies recognize updated plans when making decisions. Administration and Elected Officials have a common plan to use as a guide. participation, and the citizens of the City of Pickerington are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. This fall, there will be public forums where the City will be looking for your feedback 20 years. For example, the City and preferences for the long-term of Pickerington’s population has than they were back then. There is growth of Pickerington. Even amid approximately doubled in that time a real need to update the City’s long a pandemic the show must go on in frame. New annexations, infrastructure range planning to keep us current and terms of preparing for our future and deand subdivision growth have occurred. on a continued path for a successful veloping a cohesive vision for our comOur population, demographics, housand sustainable future. munity. Please check the news section ing, retail economics and workforce What is a comprehensive plan? It of our website for details on public input. factors are all significantly different serves as a flexible blueprint to guide

Cherie and Bob Koch were recently recognized as Grand Marshals of the 2020 Pickerington Lions Club Labor Day Parade. Mayor Gray surprised them each with a Key to the City. A well-deserved recognition for these two longtime Pickerington servants.

L-R: Mayor Lee Gray, Councilman Nick Derksen and Councilwoman Crystal Hicks at the 2020 Pickerington Lions Club Labor Day Parade

New technology coming soon to 911 services

New life-saving technology is coming to Pickerington thanks to the combined efforts of a concerned citizen, City leadership and the Pickerington Police Department.

The Ohio Department of Commerce awarded Pickerington police a grant to upgrade 911 services to Next Generation 911. Next Generation 911 is an internet protocol-based system that enables the exchange of digital information, including 911 text messages and eventually photos and videos. People can text 911 and dispatchers will be able to identify their location (within several feet) and send help. This pinpoint technology supports more efficient management of emergencies and call overload by easing the transfer of 911 calls between jurisdictions and it more precisely identifies the location of cellular 911 callers through GPS coordinates.

Pickerington area resident Danielle Cramer was suffering an asthma attack earlier this year and pulled her car over to call 911 for help. Since she couldn’t talk, Cramer tried to text 911. She received an immediate response informing her that the service wasn’t available in the area. She was eventually able to call but couldn’t answer the dispatcher’s questions so her 5-year-old son worked with the dispatcher to get help to her exact location.

Cramer, who had recently moved to the community, contacted Mayor Lee Gray with her concerns that this service wasn’t available in the city as it had been in her previous residence. Gray worked with City Manager Greg Butcher and Police Chief Tod Cheney to investigate what it would take to bring the life-saving 911 text and GPS technology to Pickerington.

The City applied for a grant and it was awarded in the amount of $128,000. Any remaining cost associated with the upgrade will be provided through the Fairfield County 911 wireless account, resulting in no cost to the City.

“This grant to upgrade our 911 system to Next Generation technology will allow our department to have the most up-to-date dispatching and 911 systems that are currently available. Seconds matter in emergency situations and this technology allows first respond

LEAF PICKUP SCHEDULE

October 19 Downtown area, Shadow Oaks, Simsbury, Shawnee Crossing, Root Addition, Center Street, East Street October 26 Colony Park, Manor House, Willow Pond, Meadowbrook, Pickerington Hills, Ramar, Melrose, Windmiller Ponds November 2 Carpenter Addition, Long Road, West Columbus Street, Pine Ridge, Downtown area, Fox Glen West & East November 9 Melrose, Inverness Glen, Pickerington Meadows, Milnor Place, Cherry Hill, Colony Park, Manor House, Willow Pond, East Street, Lakeview, Homestead Drive November 16 Stonebridge, Pickerington Run, Root Addition, Refugee Road, Hill Road North, Meadowbrook, Pickerington Hills, Shadow Oaks November 23 Fox Glen East & West, Preston Trails, Manchester, Sheffield, Longview Acres East & West, The Landings, Georges Creek, Villages of Sycamore Creek, Melrose, Reserve at Pickerington Ponds November 30 Lockville Road, Homestead Drive, East Street, Lakeview, Center Street, Hill Road South, Colony Park, Shadow Oaks, Downtown area, Manor House, Willow Pond, Simsbury December 7 Spring Creek, Windmiller Ponds, Carpenter, Root, Pickerington Run, Wellington Park, and Lake Forest. Last week of leaf pickup season, remaining piles throughout the City will be removed. Please rake all leaves to the front of the property by the beginning date of the pickup week for your area. To ensure catch basins or storm sewer inlets are not obstructed, leaves should be piled in the curb lawn, not in the street edge. Also, no leaves around mailboxes, trees and behind parked cars on the street. The City Service Department may arrive in the listed areas prior to the scheduled date due to the weather; however, the department will return to the areas per the Leaf Pickup Schedule. ers to more quickly deliver their potential life-saving services to the citizens of Pickerington and Violet Township,” Cheney says.

“Mayor Lee Gray and Chief Dispatcher Carolyn Sharp were instrumental in helping us receive this grant and coordinating the additional funds through the Fairfield County 911 Wireless Fund,” he says.

The full conversion to Next Generation 911 is expected to be completed by late 2020 or early 2021.

“We’re very appreciative of this grant and the additional funding from the county, but we were going to get this technology in Pickerington one way or another. The City was prepared to find the funding. The safety of our residents remains a top priority and myself, as well as our council members, agreed that this absolutely needed to happen. The funding was a big help though, as we didn’t have to spend any taxpayer money,” Mayor Gray says.

citydirectory Pickerington City Hall, 100 Lockville Rd. (All numbers prefixed with the 614 area code)

Building Services .................... 833-2221 City Clerk/Council.................... 837-3974 City Manager .......................... 837-3974 Development Services ............. 833-2204 Engineering Services .............. 833-2221 Finance Services..................... 837-3974 Human Resources................... 837-3974 Income Tax Division ................. 837-4116 Mayor’s Office (Lee A. Gray) ........................... 837-3974 Mayor’s Court ......................... 837-3974 Parks and Recreation .............. 833-2211 Police Services........................ 575-6911 Service Department Streets ................................... 833-2292 Utility Billing............................ 833-2289 Utility Maintenance.................. 833-2292 Water Plant............................. 833-2290 Waste Water Plant................... 837-6490 Water Reclamation.................. 837-6470