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RESS June 29, 2015
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By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com
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Trying to change someone else is another anchor to let go of. Bryan Golden See page 10
Senior center
A grand opening was held for the new Oregon Senior Center, giving visitors a chance to tour the facility. Top left, Paula Benton, Executive Director of the senior center, speaks before the ribbon cutting. Top right, Oregon Mayor Mike Seferian chats with Doris Levy at the reception. Bottom left, Ella Mae Iman tours the art room where some of her paintings are on dsplay. (Press photos by Ken Grosjean)
Ruling on Eastwood lawsuit expected By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com Whether or not the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Eastwood school board have legal standing in the case is one of the first issues being addressed in the suit filed in April. Wood County Common Pleas Court Judge Alan Mayberry is expected to rule soon on the matter, Andrew Mayle, attorney for Victor and Eileen Schuerman and Karl Offerman, all of Pemberville, said last week. The residents are challenging a decision by the school board to proceed with a construction agreement for a new elementary school building on the district’s main campus. The board entered into an agreement with the Ohio School Facilities Commission in March to fund construction costs - with Eastwood obligated to provide about $12.5 million and the OSFC to pay about $7 million. The OSFC is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which asks for an injunction to stop the project, contending the agreement circumvents state law. The school board voted last June to place a bond issue on the November 2014
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The state and the district have no authority to make an agreement…
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Oregon City Council on Monday approved the purchase of three city vehicles from Mathews Ford. The city bought from Mathews two 2015 Ford F150 extended cab trucks for the city’s Building and Zoning Department for $55,876, and a 2015 Ford F150 extended cab truck for the Department of Public Service for $27,938. Mathews Ford provided a quote that was $3,826.50 lower than the U.S. General Services Administration purchase program of $31,764.50 for each vehicle purchased for the Building and Zoning Department, according to James Gilmore, commissioner of building and zoning. The vehicles will replace two 2008 Chevy Colorado pick-up trucks that will be offered to other city departments, on the city’s auction site or traded in, according to Gilmore. Funds to pay for the vehicles were included in the city’s 2015 budget. “Mathews beat the state bid price,” said Mayor Mike Seferian. “It was something we had foreseen in the budget.” Administrator Mike Beazley said the vehicles needed to be replaced. “We did discuss both of these items at length during the budget process. It is time. The vehicles are just hanging together. We felt good pairing together with the public service department,” said Beazley. Councilmen James Seaman and Joshua Hughes expressed support for paying local merchants to provide goods and services to the city. “I feel very good about being able to use a local vendor like Mathews Ford,” said Seaman. Hughes earlier this year raised the issue of whether the city should give priority to local vendors when council approved the purchase of four new police vehicles from a dealership in Lebanon, Ohio, even though it had submitted the lowest bid. “I do recall discussing both of these purchases during our budget hearings,” said Hughes. “I concur with Mr. Seaman’s point. It’s always good when we can use a local vendor.” “We’re trying to do things in the next
ballot to fund its project share but opted in September to remove the issue after deciding the district could instead use property tax revenues from a Troy Energy facility and payments from a tax abatement agreement with Home Depot. Combined, the two revenue streams are expected to generate about $1.275 million a year. The board also planned to use a $1.5 million carry-over in the general fund as a down payment and to borrow the balance. The lawsuit argues the board didn’t approve resolutions required by state law stipulating it is unable to build adequate
classroom facilities without state assistance. “The state and the district have no authority to make an agreement… unless Eastwood declares its eligibility and is eligible, which it is not,” the lawsuit says. Around the time of the decision to withdraw the ballot issue, the lawsuit says, the board and superintendent Brent Welker proceeded on a plan to sell certificates of participation that would entail leasing the new building to Buckeye Leasing Services, which would then sub-lease the building back to the district. Buckeye Leasing is another defendant in the lawsuit. It’s a non-profit corporation affiliated with Bricker & Eckler, a law firm many school districts retain as their bond counsel. According to the lawsuit, then executive director of the OSFC, Richard Hickman, emailed Welker on Sept. 5 stating the commission “…does not believe there is specific authority for the use of COPS (certificates of participation) by the district to fund its local share.” Despite Hickman’s statement, the commission agreed to let the project proceed, subject to certain conditions, including a stipulation that approval of Eastwood’s
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