March 3, 2011
Olentangy board OKs cuts if levy fails By TOM SHEEHAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The Olentangy school board on Feb. 23 unanimously approved a list of $11.48-million in proposed cuts and cost-saving measures should the May 3 combination levy-bond issue fail. Before the vote was taken, two residents took the board to task for not looking at other ways to save money. Korey Brown told the board it was
“
The bottom line is the taxpayers are tapped.
KOREY BROWN — Powell resident
”
using scare tactics or threats by saying things such as sports and extracurricular activities would be cut if the tax issue loses. He and Karl Salmon asked why
school officials did not look at requiring employees to pay more for benefits such as health care and their pensions. Brown said the district should freeze base wages, do away with step pay increases and require employees to pay more toward health insurance and pensions. He said doing that would save millions without having to cut sports or lay-off workers. “The bottom line is the taxpayers are tapped,” he said.
The board approved proposed cuts that include eliminating up to 124 teaching, administrative and classified jobs to save about $6.7-million as well as cutting sports and extracurricular activities to save $2.97-million. The combination three-year 7.9-mill operating levy and no-new-millage bond issue would keep academic programs intact and provide money for a new elementary school. The levy would raise about $25.5-mil-
lion annually and an additional $241.94 a year per $100,000 of assessed residential valuation. The bond issue would raise about $24.4-million by restructuring the district’s current bond debt. Salmon told the board he works in human resources and has been involved in contract negotiations in the private sector. He told the board it never should have agreed last year to a one-year conSee OLENTANGY, page A2
Orange Township
TUMBLING TODDLER
Zoning commission will review Menards store plan By TOM SHEEHAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The widening likely will extend from Wynstone Drive on the south to Abbey Knoll Drive on the north, Riley said. The project is in the developing stage. “Preliminary analysis shows that it will probably take two lanes in each
Menards will take a big step toward building a proposed 162,000-square-foot home improvement store in Orange Township when representatives meet with the township zoning commission next month. Township zoning inspector Dick Gladman told trustees at their Feb. 22 meeting that two hearings on the proposed store are slated to start at 7:30 p.m. on March 3. The store would be built on about 70 acres north of Orange Point Road on the east side of U.S. Route 23 Menards and Highdev Inc. seek rezoning of 27.8 acres from farm residential to planned industrial use. A second application seeks to rezone 43.1 acres from neighborhood commercial and farm residential to planned commercial and office district, for retail, restaurant and office uses. Gladman said before the trustees’ meeting that the 43.1 acres would anchor outlot stores. Up to 19 outlot parcels could be developed at the site. The zoning inspector could give no timetable for how long the zoning process might take. However, Menards representatives have said they hope to begin store construction by August. An attempt by the home improvement chain to build a store at another location in Orange Township failed three years ago. Menards’ new plan cleared a hurdle Feb. 10 when Delaware County commissioners approved a 50-percent tax abatement for 10 years on the assessed value of the store. About $5-million in infrastructure costs, including roadway improvements, are needed and the abatement could save the company about $860,000 over the 10
See FUNDING, page A7
See ORANGE ZONING, page A2
By Chris Parker/ThisWeek
Instructor Shellie Edington helps Jacob Heyer-Jones complete his somersault during his Tumble Tots class in Powell City Hall’s east room on Monday, Feb. 28. The city parks and recreation department plans to become self-sustaining and achieve a goal set by the city council. See story, page A6.
North of Polaris Parkway
Funding approved to widen Old State By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Plans to widen South Old State Road north of Polaris Parkway have received federal grant funding. On Feb. 14, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission announced that Delaware County will receive $12.6million over the coming years to widen
almost two miles of South Old State Road, including the intersection at Polaris Parkway. MORPC administers the funds for the federal government. The total project cost is estimated at $15.8-million. “We are excited to be moving forward with this project,” said Rob Riley, deputy engineer for Delaware Coun-
ty engineer Chris Bauserman’s office. “The corridor has a history of traffic accidents with more than 300 crashes occurring over the past three years.Traffic volumes along the southernmost sections of the corridor currently approach 20,000 vehicles per day and are expected to grow to nearly 30,000 vehicles per day by the year 2035,” Riley said.
CIC opposes Powell’s development staff outsourcing By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Powell’s Community Investment Corporation board members said they oppose outsourcing the city’s development staff. At the board’s Feb. 22 meeting, members Brad Sprague, Richard Brahm and Jim Hrivnak, who also
is a city council member, approved sending a recommendation to city council that “the development department remain intact” because it is “crucial” to Powell’s “economic competitiveness” and “moving forward” and that they are “opposed to any efforts to contract the function out to either another government entity or private contractor.”
DIRECTORY News: (740) 888-6100 editorial@thisweeknews.com Sports: (740) 888-6054 sports@thisweeknews.com Retail ads: (740) 888-6030 ltaylor@thisweeknews.com Classified: (740) 888-5003 classified@thisweeknews.com Customer Service: 1-888-837-4342
Sprague recommended that the board, if in agreement, “weigh in on the issue” to city council. The motion was prompted by city council member Sara Marie Brenner’s Feb. 8 presentation that provided ideas for outsourcing city services as a possible way to save money that could be used for capital improvements, such as roads, sewers
and sidewalks. Brenner, who also sits on the CIC board, was not present at the meeting. Development director Dave Betz who sits on the board, abstained from voting and did not add to the discussion. The city’s development department has two full-time employees
who also fill the roles of the zoning and IT departments. A part-time employee helps with zoning issues. “I work all over Ohio with communities ranging in size from Columbus to Norwalk. It’s a competitive world, and the most successful communities are ones that have a laser focus on development. I don’t be-
Still looking for fun things to do with your money? Find things to do for $10 or less with the Cheap Thrills blog at www.ThisWeekNews.com.
be truly amazing
FREE
SM
placement test today!
See CIC, page A6
Who has the
BEST DESSERTS in Columbus? Find out online at ThisWeekNEWS.com/readerspoll
LET KUMON UNLOCK YOUR CHILD’S HIDDEN POTENTIAL. Great things are possible when children have the skills to succeed on their own. Call to schedule a
lieve a community like Powell can do that by contracting with somebody else,” Sprague said. Brahm agreed, “Powell is in a unique position. The guys who run the development department do a really good job. They understand and focus on what Powell is all about. To contract with somebody who
Kumon Math and Reading unlocks children’s potential using a proven method that nurtures achievement. Since victories are frequent and rewarding, children are motivated time and again to seek out the next challenge. For over 50 years, Kumon Instructors worldwide have helped millions of children defy expectations, and dare to exceed them.
Readers Poll of the best Columbus restaurants.
Join us for our
OPEN HOUSE & GRAND OPENING Saturday, March 5th 10am – 2pm KUMON MATH & READING CENTER OF
LEWIS CENTER (614) 883-6271 648 Bear Run, Lewis Center, OH 43035 lewiscenter_oh@ikumon.com
877-586-6671 www.kumon.com ©2011 Kumon North America, Inc.