Marysville City officials held a State of the City event Thursday at the Marysville Early College High School to discuss how the city is broadly doing. Pictured above, Honda Marysville CEO Bruce Daniels is at the podium, then from left is City Manager Terry Emery, City Finance Director Justin Nahvi, Police Chief Floyd Golden, Fire Chief Jay Riley, Mayor J.R. Rausch, Marysville School Board President Sue Devine and Marysville Schools Superintendent Diane Mankins.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Will Channell)
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Heroin and the local economy received attention at Marysville’s State of the City event at the Marysville Early College High School Thursday night.
A panel of city and school officials sat before a crowd and answered questions posed by Honda Marysville CEO Bruce Daniels. The panel included City Manager Terry Emery, Finance Director Justin Nahvi, Police Chief Floyd Golden, Fire Chief Jay Riley, Marysville School Board President Sue Devine and Marysville Schools Superintendent Diane Mankins.
Daniels asked safety officials about the impact of the area’s heroin epidemic. Golden spoke from the perspective of the countywide drug-enforcement task force. He said heroin use in the area remained stable in 2017, “with possibly a slight decrease.”
Unfortunately, Golden said that could stem from an increase in the use of cocaine and methamphetamines. He said the problem of prescription drug use is “complicated” because they can be purchased legally.
“Sometimes, the abuse goes on unnoticed unless someone actually crosses over law enforcement,” he said.
Riley spoke about the impact of individual call to overdoses more than the raw numbers. He said addicts’ tolerance to the life-saving drug Narcan is increasing.
“Five years ago, we were giving one dose of Narcan, take them to the hospital and they’d get better,” he said. “Now we’re going out and giving them six to seven doses of Narcan and they’re dying.”
He said the health department has done a good job of getting Narcan out to family members of addicts, but it’s still a problem.
“Even if they have a family member who dies, they’re still going back and using the heroin,” he said.
Despite that, neighboring counties are seeing higher instances of drug overdoses than Union County. Golden said he believes it’s due to other counties having different socioeconomic problems.
He also praised the collaboration between Union County’s various law enforcement agencies, treatment facilities and schools.
Golden said the area has “very few major drug dealers” who come due to stringent penalties sent down from the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.
“There’s very strong prosecution from the prosecutor’s office,” he said.
Earlier in the night, Daniels asked Emery about the state of the local economy.
“I would consider it to be very strong,” Emery said.
Emery said the city’s economy “looks bright for us.” He said Union County has the highest growing wages in the Columbus region. He also hammered home the new Innovation Park and U.S. 33 Innovation Corridor, and the jobs created by those developments.
“It’s not always common for a city council to make a commitment that this city council made on that Innovation Park,” he said. “It’s going to pay dividends big time, and it’s already starting.”
This week’s regular city council meeting had the first reading on the initial sale of land in the Innovation Park, with Elford Construction looking to buy land in the northwest part of the park.
Emery mentioned the Uptown area is seeing a great amount of success. Daniels asked Emery to elaborate on the city’s future plans for the Uptown.
Emery said the Uptown is beginning to see a resurgence. Emery said investments from Richwood Bank, Daniels himself and other owners have given the area a boost.
Emery also praised City Planner Chad Flowers and his work on the Uptown’s revitalization plan.
He said residents can expect continued development, and hopefully the Uptown will become a place the next generation of workers comes to shop and dine.
“I just want people to be patient,” he said. “Sometimes these things don’t happen overnight.”