April 14, 2011
City apt to spend $43.5K on fiber upgrade Columbus FiberNet would replace 24-count cable with 144-count system By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Gahanna City Council is expected to approve legislation April 18 that would increase the city’s fiber-optics cable capacity between city hall and the Big Walnut Creek bridge. Technology director Tom Kneeland requested that council approve by emergency an ordinance to award a contract
of up to $43,500 with Columbus FiberNet to remove and replace the existing 24-count cable with a new 144-count fiber cable as a means to improve service and increase capacity because of current shortages and needs. “This will change the fiber so it’s consistent throughout the city,” he said. He told council on April 11 that the improvement also would allow Bluemile Inc. to establish an electronic point of
presence (PoP) in Gahanna’ s 181 Granville St. building. Bluemile partnered with Gahanna’s Community Improvement Corp. (CIC) last fall to connect the fibers that leave the city to a variety of providers. “This is one of those decisions that had to be made to get Bluemile in service,” Kneeland said. “They were looking at alternatives. We wanted to get them in the (Granville) building as a ten-
ant and get the fiber replaced.” Kneeland said the contract would be paid via funds that were to be used to replace the city’s aging telephone system. “Through recent negotiations and meetings with our current telephone system vendor, we have been presented with a proposal that will replace and upgrade our existing phone system through a new lease agreement that will not require any
upfront capital expenditures and will reduce our current monthly telephone expenses,” he said. “This will make the current funds available for this project.” Although the proposed contract with Columbus FiberNet is not to exceed $43,500, Kneeland said, the actual cost could be as low as $28,500 if the existing 2-inch conduit could be used. If mulSee FIBER OPTICS, page A5
Charter review
Commission to mull city manager form of government By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Travel through time
By David Yunker/ThisWeek
Christopher Seitz and Ginny Cipolla dress as Al Capone and Capone’s girlfriend, Gladys Walton, for Columbus Academy’s spring gala April 9. The event theme was the centennial of the school, focusing on the celebration of Columbus Academy’s 100th anniversary. Proceeds of the annual fundraiser are used for an endowed scholarship fund and to provide teacher and student grants for special projects.
Vendors sought for Greenflea market By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Vendors are being sought for “Gahanna Greenflea,” a new eco-friendly market that will start June 11 to provide an additional offering as part of the Gahanna Parks and Recreation Department’s Second Saturdays events at Creekside. Jeannine Kern, of the Little Black Chair, 116 Mill St. in Olde Gahanna, said she was approached to see what businesses could do to complement the Second Saturdays events
that are held June through September. The idea of Second Saturdays is to bring the community together and encourage residents and visitors to participate, have fun and discover local businesses. It also offers activities for children and adults,such as ARTspeak, an indoor/outdoor art display featuring the talents of area artisans, as well as a Concert on the Creek. “When I was in Florida in January, I kept seeing signs for this green market,” Kern said. “I started thinking about it and thought,‘Why couldn’t we do it?’ Gahanna already has a
flea market, and I wanted to come up with something different, something to help the environment and people who don’t have the money to go out and buy top-of-the-line brandnew things.” In addition to Kern, Barbara Drobnick, owner of Honey Grove Botanicals Bath & Candle Boutique, 116 Mill St., also is supporting the initiative. Their goal is to make less of a footprint on the environment and reduce the amount of items filling local landSee GREENFLEA, page A2
Health education will be featured at annual fair By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Gahanna residents are invited to “Spring into Health” on April 20, when more than 40 central Ohio health-care agencies will be available to the public. High school health teacher Linda Shannon said the day would provide an opportunity for students, staff and the community to
learn more about their health. The annual fair is open from 7:30 to 11:15 a.m. and from 12:15 to 2:50 p.m. in the main gym at Gahanna Lincoln High School, 140 S. Hamilton Road. “At the high school, our philosophy is ‘Health Education: The Leading Cause of Wellness,’” Shannon said. When the high school started hosting the health fair 20 years ago, the purpose was
DIRECTORY
twofold, according to Shannon. “We wanted our government students and health students to have an opportunity to learn information about health resources in central Ohio, to provide them with a realworld knowledge about the health resources available to them as community members,” she said. “Secondly, we wanted to provide See HEALTH FAIR, page A5
Gahanna’s Charter Re view Commission isn’t convinced the city should change to a city manager form of government, but its members plan to invite representatives from surrounding cities to discuss the idea. The commission is researching the matter to provide due diligence after four members of city council on March 17 nudged them to consider the city manager-council form of government. Gahanna currently operates under a mayor-council form of government. “After hearing from council, I think it’s worth listening to people who have that form of government,” said Paul Bittner, commission chair. “Four members of council had separate reasons for being desirous of looking at it.” Council president David Samuel had told the commission the idea
David Samuel
of a city manager form of government hadn’t gone forward in the past because leaders didn’t think it would work in a city
like Gahanna. “One I favor is a member of council becoming a mayor for the ceremonial duties, with a strong city manager,” he said. “We depend on a lot of information coming from our departments. I consider those micromanagers, and we expect a lot of thorough information from department heads in order to make informed decisions. A lot of times we find we have to go back to committee and ask for more information.” When a city has micromanagers, Samuel said, its leaders need to have control of them, and the avSee CHARTER, page A2
Mifflin Township
Fire chief: Levy needed to serve 40,000 people By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
In less than 24 hours April 7, Mifflin Township deputy fire chief Fred Kauser had responded to a kitchen fire, a vehicle fire that set the outside of a residence on fire and a commercial building fire on Taylor Road. On that same day, the department also responded to emergency medical calls involving two or three unconscious individuals. “We average 150 calls a week,” Kauser said. “We’re in every neighborhood in our community, serving someone for a medical issue or fire alarm. We reach all corners of our district with local, home-grown service.” Voters in the city of Gahanna and the township will decide May 3 whether they want that same
level of service — and improved EMS service. Issue 2 is a 3.8-mill levy that would cost about $116 annually for every $100,000 of assessed property value. The Mifflin Township Fire Department provides fire, rescue and EMS services to Gahanna and the unincorporated portions of the township, with an estimated population of 40,000. “This is about what level of service and what quality of service they want for their neighborhood and community,” Kauser said. “It’s about sustaining the current level of service and improving services. The levy will support us, supporting them.” The operating levy, if approved, would be the fire department’s See MIFFLIN, page A2
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