February 17, 2011
District unveils new pay-to-play fees, cuts Regardless of May levy outcome, high school athletes each face $200 per sport By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Gahanna Superintendent Mark White began painting a picture of what the district will look like next year, when the number of teachers will be reduced by the equivalent of an elementary school staff and a $200 per athlete, per sport fees will be implemented at the high school. During the Feb. 10 board of education meeting, White said staff reductions and
fee implementation will occur, no matter the outcome of the district’s proposed 5.2-mill levy on the May 3 ballot. What does hinge on the May ballot, however, is transportation for high school students. “If it passes, I will recommend no change in transportation,” he said. “Currently busing is provided one mile out.” The district would save $320,000 if it didn’t provide transportation to high school students, and White will recommend that
change if the levy fails. Executive director of business & school improvement Kristen Groves said half of all high school students, or 1,100 of 2,126 students, currently rely on district transportation. “We don’t want high school kids to have to find transportation,” she said. “If the levy passes in May, we will keep the current schedule — K-12.” In discussing pay-to-participate fees, White said parents and boosters aren’t in
favor of charging, but they understand the need. Athletics director Justin Sanford said 70 athletic boosters and coaches have been studying pay-to-par- Mark White ticipate fees since last fall. Of 32 schools in the Ohio Capital Conference (OCC), he said Gahanna is one
of four school districts without fees. “When we looked at what the fee would be if the November levy passed, we talked about $50 and $75 range because there isn’t much of a loss of participation with those numbers,” he said. “We still aren’t at a doomsday scenario. “Our number one priority is to keep participation numbers high. In the OCC, they didn’t see enormous impact when See FEES, CUTS, page A2
Jolley withdraws mayoral candidacy, will run for council No runoff will be necessary By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Photos by Eric George/ThisWeek
District spelling bee at MSW Above: Gahanna Middle School East eighth-grader Sam Valley takes his turn during the district spelling bee Feb. 14 in the Gahanna Middle School West auditorium. Valley won and will advance to the regional competition, which hasn’t been announced. The Scripps National Spelling Bee is scheduled for June 1-2 near Washington, D.C. Right: Middle School West’s Bryan Rose tries to spell a word pronounced by Middle School South intervention specialist Greg Morland.
City partners with ODOT for widening By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Commission rejects fence, enclosure ThisWeek Community Newspapers
A fence extension at Clark Hall and an enclosure for a Morrison Road business — both already erected without permission — were rejected Feb. 9 by Gahanna’s Planning Commission. Development director Sadicka White said the fence has already been extended to the north side of the project at 380 Granville Street. “We discovered the fence has already been erected,” she said. “It has been extended and the applicant is here asking for indulgence. “It was put up without your particular approval…. We have concern it was erected without prior approval.” In a report to the commission, planning
See CANDIDACY, page A2
Hamilton Road
Erected without permission By MARLA K. KUHLMAN
There will be no primary election for the Gahanna mayoral race on May’s ballot, after candidate Ryan Jolley withdrew his name from the contest last week. Gahanna voters will choose between incumbent Becky Stinchcomb and challenger Jim McGregor during the November general election. Jolley announced Feb. 11 that he decided to pull out of the race in order to run, instead, for an atlarge council seat in November. He filed a letter to withdraw from the mayor’s race with the Franklin County Board of Elections last week, so his petitions weren’t even considered for certification on Monday, Feb. 14. Jolley said his decision to enter the mayor’s race and his decision to exit the race were predicated on the same consideration: ensuring that Gahanna continues its forward progress. “Our former mayor’s challenge of mayor Stinchcomb created a new dynamic in the race,” he said. Jolley said he was pressed for
time to pull petitions, gather signatures, and file the signed petitions. “I had to make a quick decision to act Ryan Jolley in order to have the opportunity to run for mayor if I chose to do so,” he said. Ultimately, Jolley said, he decided to maintain his original plan to run for council at-large in November. He had applied for the recent council vacancy that was filled by Andre Porter. Jolley said he met with Stinchcomb “to discuss our vision for continuing Gahanna’s success.” “I feel it will be best to work together on the issues on which we agree, rather than creating more divisiveness in what is already likely to be a contentious election,” Jolley said. “Serving on city council will allow me the opportunity to affect policy by working closely with other council members and the mayor as we continue to build on the mayor’s success during dif-
administrator Bonnie Gard said the reason for the extension had not been made clear to the city by any of the involved parties: Gahanna schools, Quandel, Greenscapes or Lannis Fence. Rick Fey, of Bird Houk architects and landscape designer for the project, said the fence was erected at the request of the schools. “They were interested in another level of control,” he said. Commissioner David Andrews said he couldn’t believe professionals would go ahead and add an extension without seeking approval. Fey said the intention was to have included the extension as part of a prior request. Approval had previously been given for the fence on the western boundary to separate the site with its western neighbors.
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If the purpose is to maintain control of the area, commissioner Don Shepherd said the gates on the fence defeat that purpose. Commissioner Jennifer Price said the initial fence was approved because it made sense with boundaries and what was already there. “The idea of fencing in the entire parcel, I’m not comfortable,” she said. “Are there specific issues you’re having with parking?” Fey said the schools are trying to “cover bases in the future.” Commissioner Bob Westwood said Clark Hall is a public school, and it’s a public parking area. “Trying to restrict this is incomprehensible to me right now,” he added. “It seems like a hidden agenda.” See REJECTED, page A2
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Gahanna City Council will consider cooperative agreements with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) on Feb. 22 for the widening of Hamilton Road and the extension of the Big Walnut Trail. Assistant city engineer Mike Andrako on Feb. 14 announced that the city would receive $14.2million in federal funding to widen Hamilton Road, from Carpenter to U.S. Route 62, with construction expected to begin in spring 2016. Funds include $1.6-million for right-of-way acquisition and $12.6-million for construction. The total project cost of about $17.7-million includes right-ofway acquisition ($2-million) and construction ($15.7-million). The local match — the city’s share — will be 20 percent of the right-of-way acquisition and construction costs, estimated at $400,000 and $3.1-million, respectively.
Andrako said the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s (MORPC) Surface Transportation Program funds recently were awarded for the project. “We’ve tried many ways to get funding,” he said. “It’s finally being funded through a federal grant, and it’s the most of any (local project) and includes some right of way.” City engineer Karl Wetherholt said the city has been working on what’s referred to as the “Hamilton Road Central” project since 1996. Andrako said the city and the Franklin County Engineer’s Office have been working on the project for many years, and Gahanna has a cooperative agreement with the county in which the two agree to split the local project costs, including environmental, design, right-of-way acquisition and construction. ODOT will administer the construction portion of the work. City finance director Angel See COUNCIL, page A2
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