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January 16, 2011

911 levy recommended for May ballot By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers

The Delaware County 911 Board on Jan. 12 voted to recommend that a tax levy be put on the May ballot. The recommendation will go to the county commissioners for formal action. The board recommended a

five-year, 0.75-mill levy. It would replace the current 0.45-mill levy that will expire on Dec. 31. Voters in November rejected a five-year, 0.62-mill levy 26,75020,590. That issue was designed to overlap with the current levy for a year, to help fund initial capital investment. Bob Greenlaw, director of county emergency communica-

tions, blamed voter confusion for the November failure, when three tax levies failed in the county, including the 911 levy, the city of Powell income tax levy and an Orange Township police levy. “The true first responders are the telecommunicators that answer your 911 calls,” Greenlaw said. “It is imperative to all Delaware County residents that

we maintain and update this vital public safety link and provide citizens with quick and effective service.” A 7.5-mill levy would raise about $3.9 million annually. It would cost the owner of a $200,000 house $45.94 annually, beginning in 2012. The current levy costs about $26 a year. “This levy supports all public

safety communications in Delaware County,” Greenlaw said. “Out of Sept. 11, 2001, when the New York City police department and fire departments had problems because they could not talk to each other on the radio. After that, the state of Ohio put millions of dollars into interopera-

A closer look A 7.5-mill levy would raise about $3.9 million annually. It would cost the owner of a $200,000 house $45.94 annually, beginning in 2012.

See 911 LEVY, page A2

Delaware

PJS FUNDRAISER

Council discusses site for splash pad By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers

the pending projects are at risk for using grant funding this year. “I’ve never had them come back and say no after (the county and state) approved it, to take the money back and say no you can’t do it,” Brown said. “But we’ve never had a situation like the one we have (now),” said commissioner Dennis Stapleton, noting the change in the state’s administration and uncertainties in state funding. Assistant prosecutor Aric Hochstettler said some of the approved projects are subject to contractual obligations that could limit the ability to make changes.

Delaware City Council decided Monday to revisit the question of putting a splash pad at the Houk Road YMCA or a city park. City manager Tom Homan said the idea of a splash pad had been discussed during early planning for the parks and recreation levy but the idea had Tom Homan fallen by the wayside because of budget concerns. “This was an item that was brought up early on in the discussions regarding the community center, when it was asked whether there would be an outdoor pool,” Homan said. “When it was decided there would not be an outdoor pool, then the question was could there be a splash pad. At that time, the focus was the community center itself and the fields, and this was kind of left in the middle.” Homan said the city could evaluate the capital costs of construction and the annual maintenance costs. A splash pad in Powell cost $117,000 to construct and has proven popular. Council member Lisa Keller said she had argued against a splash pad in the early rec center discussions because of budget concerns. Bids have come in under budget, however, and she now supports the idea. “One reason it was not included in the original plan for the building is I urged the committee to scale back what we were planning, because I did not

See COUNTY, page A2

See COUNCIL, page A2

By Tim Norman/ThisWeek

Sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders supporting fellow eighth-grader PJ Bennett pose together in the Big Walnut Middle School entrance on Thursday, Jan. 13. Bennett was diagnosed with cancer during winter break and the students recently had a fundraiser to help his family with his medical bills. Students and faculty chipped in $1 each day of the week and raised $2,530 for the Bennetts. A “Pancakes for PJ” breakfast fundraiser will be held from 7 to 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, at Sunbury United Methodist Church, 100 W. Cherry St., Sunbury.

County sets hearing on block grant program By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers

The Delaware County commissioners on Jan. 10 set a hearing for Feb. 14 to discuss the county’s 2011 community development block grant funds that are awarded from the federal government and administered by the Ohio Department of Development. Commissioner Ken O’Brien voted against the hearing, saying he objected to some of the projects proposed for grants. He did not identi- Ken O’Brien

fy them. “I am in support of some of these and not of others,” O’Brien said. County economic development coordinator Dottie Brown said the Feb. 14 hearing will be a general session about the community development block grant program to discuss applications and potential funding. Another hearing will be scheduled later for individual applications. The grant money includes funds originally designated for a revolving loan fund for businesses. If no businesses seek the loans, the money can be used for grants if the county and the Ohio Department of Development approve the applications.

Big Walnut

School board reviews snow-day procedure By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers

The Big Walnut school board on Jan. 10 reviewed the process of declaring snow days. Board of education president Diana Butts asked administrators to explain how the decision to cancel school is made. The district has eight to 10 staff members who come to work at about 4 a.m. They come from various directions and report road conditions to assistant superintendent Gary Barber. They aren’t compensated for the service, Bar-

ber said. Barber said school officials also contact surrounding school districts to determine road conditions in the greater area. The decision needs to be made before 5:45 a.m., when some buses begin their routes. A call that is made before 5:45 a.m. might not seem to make sense at 7 a.m., Barber said, but the call must be made at that time. He said the district receives more complaints about not canceling or delaying school than for See BIG WALNUT, page A3

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The loan fund contained more than $1-million several years ago. Brown and the commissioners discussed a dozen projects that are pending and went through the grant application process in 2009 and 2010. They include $184,709 for Central Ohio Mental Health and Rehabilitation, $150,000 to the Strand Theatre, $125,000 to renovations in county parks to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, $75,000 for ADA renovations at Andrews House, and $40,000 for a study at the Interstate 71 interchange with U.S. Route 36 and state Route 37. Six other grants ranged from $5,500 to $25,000. Commissioners discussed if any of

Freedom Park improvements

Sunbury will seek ODNR grant By JENNA GANT ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Sunbury will seek about $20,000 from an Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant, which village park officials said would be used to greatly improve Freedom Park. The village would provide $7,500 in matching funds. Village council and parks committee member Tom Hatfield said $27,500 would help pay for the first phase of a plan to fix up the park. Hatfield said the money would go toward widening the park’s entrance road from one to two lanes and covering it with gravel. “You just cannot get two cars going past each other up that road. You have to go ei-

and reseed part of two multi-purpose playing fields. “Right now they are actually parking on it (the fields) and that parking has caused the rocks to come from under the ground,” Hatfield said. “If we just remove the rocks and put down some grass seed, it would (fit) nicely with our budget and what we are trying to do as far as a phased approach.” TOM HATFIELD ODNR denied Sunbury a $26,000 grant — council and parks committee member last year for similar park plans. Hatfield said they are requesting less this ther into the yard of the house to the left or year to “potentially make ourselves more the church to the right,” Hatfield said. successful for that grant.” The grant also would help improve the He said the grant application this year parking area in front of the shelter house, See SUNBURY, page A2 put in grass near the shelter, remove rocks

You just cannot get two cars going past each other up that road. You have to go either into the yard of the house to the left or the church to the right.

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