February 27, 2011
Many new faces expected in city roles By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers By this time next year, Marysville residents could potentially see seven new faces in its legislating body and city administration. In the past few weeks, city administrator Jillian Froment and mayor Chris
Schmenk both announced they were taking new jobs with the state — Froment with the Ohio Department of Insurance and Schmenk with the Ohio Department of Development. Froment has already begun her new position, while the mayor has said she will stay on in Marysville for the next couple of months. With the city’s charter stating that the
administrator is to be appointed by the mayor with the approval of city council, Schmenk has said that she and a committee of public and private sector county residents will interview candidates for that position in the coming weeks. A deadline of March 31 has been set to receive applications for the position, which pays $90,000 to $115,000.
Schmenk said she will stay on as mayor until April or May. The city charter states that when the mayor resigns, the council president shall succeed to the office. Council president John Gore said last week that he is working with city law director Tim Aslaner and county prosecutor David Phillips to determine what course of action should be taken.
When Gore is sworn in as Marysville’s mayor when Schmenk leaves office, the charter states that his at-large seat on the council shall be deemed vacated and replaced. “We will have to appoint a new council member to fill John Gore’s position,” See MANY NEW FACES, page A4
Schmenk STREET SMART looks back on her time as mayor
Gore ready for dual challenge
By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By LIN RICE
Marysville Mayor Chris Schmenk announced last week that she will be leaving office sometime in the next two months. ThisWeek Marysville sat down with her last week to discuss her thoughts on the city, its past and future. The following are excerpts from that conversation. ThisWeek: This has been your first experience with public office. What has it been like to be mayor of your home town? Schmenk: What has been really fun has been to see the blend of the ‘old guard’ in Marysville – I’m kind of the old guard, growing up in Marysville – and then the new residents moving here from other places and are pretty recent, who may not know a lot of others in the community. It’s been neat to see that mix, because everyone has great ideas. I think what I’ve been really fortunate to have is the support of those who have been here – they knew my mom and dad and family, so I think they had that level of trust with me. They knew what I was about, and that has been something I’ve felt fortunate about. And with the newer residents it’s been fun to get to know them, to hear their ideas, I know that my husband and I lived in different parts of Columbus for the first 12 years of our marriage, and when we moved back I know we brought ideas with us, and I see a lot of the new residents doing that as well. Marysville gets stronger and better when people give those suggestions. Chris Schmenk
By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek
ThisWeek: What balance have you tried to strike between long-range goals and immediate city needs?
Mike Powell, a retired sergeant with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, talks about drug concealment devices during Operation Street Smart, a drug education class designed for parents and teachers about drugs and drug paraphernalia, at the Union County Services Center Monday, Feb. 21.
Marysville City Council President John Gore is prepared to succeed Chris Schmenk as the city’s next mayor. With Schmenk leaving to accept a position with the Ohio Department of Development, the city charter states that the city council president shall succeed to the office. John Gore said Schmenk Gore has built a strong framework for her successors to follow. “Mayor Schmenk has included me in a lot of the ongoing business of the city, and I see continuing what she started,” Gore said. “Chris has laid a great groundwork, and a lot of that has been due to her willingness to work closely with the city council.” Gore, who also works as director of the Union County Department of Job & Family Services (JFS), said he does not think taking over as mayor of Marysville would necessitate his resignation from the county position. Marysville’s charter sets the position of mayor as a part-time position, and explicitly says that the mayor may have other employment and shall perform mayoral duties at the hours of the mayor’s choice. “Right now, I don’t think it will affect my job with Job & Family Services, but I’m waiting for a decision from (Aslaner and Phillips),” Gore said. “I don’t see it as an issue – I’d plan on standard office hours (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at JFS and then be availSee GORE READY, page A4
See SCHMENK LOOKS BACK, page A2
Richwood temporary home for more than 300 neglected dogs
Prior to council meetings
Invocation a sensitive subject By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Marysville residents will have more time to offer their thoughts on whether or not their city council should include a regular prayer before each meeting. In voting on the council’s rules of procedure Thursday night, council tabled a rule that
By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
could add an invocation to the beginning of the public meetings. The issue will be reconsidered in two weeks. At the previous council meeting, councilwoman Tracy Richardson introduced a couple of sample invocations that she had prepared in introducSee COUNCIL, page A4
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UCHS director Steffen Baldwin (back) and an ASPCA volunteer helped to transfer one of the more than 360 dogs in a joint animal rescue on Feb. 22.
When more than 300 dogs were removed from the One More Chance Rescue in Clark County last week, Union County animal welfare officers and county officials were there to lend a hand. In his time working in the animal welfare field, Union County Humane Society director Steffen Baldwin said he’s never seen anything like the rescue that took place last week. “When you hear stories about rescues with this many animals involved, you think of puppy mills, but these were all relatively large dogs in spacious living conditions — there were just
too many,” Baldwin said. “They were found in hog barns, not much light, but covered in filth.” Altogether, 365 dogs were taken out of Clark County on Feb. 21, with Union County dog warden Mary Beth Hall and Baldwin assisting. With no local facilities readily available to house that many animals, Hall contacted Union County officials for help. For a short time, the animals were moved to the Richwood Fairgrounds on Tuesday evening. They have since been moved to a building on the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard. “I couldn’t just stand there and watch these dogs in the deplorable conditions,” Hall said. See DOG, page A4
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