ThisWeek Grove City 3/10 by The Columbus Dispatch/Dispatch Magazines

March 10, 2011

Changes proposed to city audit panel By LISA AURAND ThisWeek Community Newspapers Two Grove City Council members want to beef up the city’s audit committee to improve oversight of the city budget. Council president Ted Berry and council member Steve Bennett on March 7 introduced a resolution that would re-

quire audit committee members to include at least one certified professional accountant and two others with some financial background. The amendment also would add a standard of expected ethics. It would require the committee to respond to management letters from the state auditor. It would include on the committee the clerk of council, the city administrator and

city finance director. A vote on the resolution was delayed after mayor Richard “Ike” Stage requested an amendment to the motion. Stage introduced a “whereas” clause indicating the role of annual audits, but Berry and Bennett said that the clause was unnecessary. “State audits are not necessarily ... looking for operational procedures,”

Stage said March 8. “In my personal case, I was really assuming more was being done and more was being disclosed by the state auditor than what may have been (disclosed),” he said. During the meeting, Stage cited numerous awards the city has earned over the years for its financial reporting. He said the changes Berry and Bennett proposed basically would fire all current

audit committee members. “Without question, we need to tighten up the role of the audit committee, but we ought to do it so we can get it done in one shot,” Stage said. Berry said he planned to contact the state auditor’s office March 8 to ask what those awards mean and the exact scope See CHANGES, page A2

City police chief Wise announces retirement

STATE GYMNASTICS

By LISA AURAND ThisWeek Community Newspapers

9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at both the Grove City and Westland locations. The library closed its Central Crossing site, and it will remain closed. “We added 17 hours back to our schedule,” public information officer

Grove City police chief Joe Wise has announced he will retire March 25. City administrator Phil Honsey on March 8 said the city hopes to name Wise’s successor from among those now in the police department. The position is a civil service job, so the department’s only captain and two lieutenants will be invited to take a competitive examination. Those who pass will be considered for the chief position, Honsey said. “We will test as quickly as we can, but there will probably be a need for an interim chief for some period of time,” he said. Honsey said that he’s enjoyed his time working with Wise. “I started with the city in 2009, so I’ve only been here two years now, but I have thoroughly enjoyed working with chief Wise. I respect him,” Honsey said. “His No. 1 concern is to do right by the people of Grove City.” Wise, 54, has been with the Grove City police for more than 27 years and has been chief since 2008. He graduated from Grove City High School in 1975 and is a 1978 graduate of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Basic Academy. He also completed the Police Executive Leadership College and the Northwestern University Traffic Institute School of Staff and Command. He earned an associate degree in law enforcement at Columbus State Community College in 1979 while working as a police officer for the city of Whitehall. He began his career in Grove City in 1976 as a part-time police dispatcher. Wise said he decided to retire now because he was offered a new position elsewhere. “I had a contact from a private sector company last October that asked if I would be interested submitting a resume. About two weeks ago I was made an offer and decided to take it,” Wise said, declining

See LIBRARY, page A2

See POLICE, page A2

By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

Angela Hughes’ Grove City cheering section — from left, her sister, Angel Hughes, friend Brook Nugeness and teammate Taylor Harding — cheer on Angela prior to her competing on the vault at the state gymnastics meet on March 5 at Hilliard Darby High School. Hughes had her personal best on the vault.

Library adds hours, workers, materials after levy passes By LISA AURAND ThisWeek Community Newspapers Southwestern Public Libraries have expanded hours, hired employees, and purchased books and materials since the district’s first operating levy passed in November. The 10-year, 1-mill levy, which is expected to generate $2.6-million this

year, passed with 58 percent “yes” votes after seven failed levy attempts. The library previously had received 95 percent of its funding from the state. Between 2007 and 2009, the state cut its budget by 31 percent. Before the levy passed, the library closed one of its three buildings, cut hours by about a third, cut purchase of new materials by 75 percent and cut

its staff by about 35 percent. Those employees who remained went 10 years without a pay raise. Additionally, mandatory furloughs cut their pay by about 10 percent. Under the reduced hours, the branches opened at 10 a.m. They closed at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 p.m. other weekdays. Library hours now are 9:30 a.m. to

Citizens academy to show police procedure By LISA AURAND ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Grove City residents can get an indepth look at the inner workings of their local police department during the city’s first citizens police academy. The free, 10-week course will be held Thursday evenings beginning March 24.

“Citizens police academies have been around for years. We’ve just never done one here in Grove City,” said Lt. Jeff Pearson. “We tried it a few years ago and there just wasn’t enough interest.” The department hopes to enroll up to 15 residents ages 18 and older for the class, which is designed to give participants an understanding of po-

lice operations and procedures. “It’s a partnership with the community to open up our doors and educate the public, especially people that don’t understand police work or why we do the things we do,” Pearson said. “It’s an educational thing so they can maybe understand law enforce-

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It’s a partnership with the community to open up our doors and educate the public, especially people that don’t understand police work or why we do the things we do. — police department

See ACADEMY, page A5