Plain City Council took care of business surrounding a number of committees Monday, including establishing one new committee and appointing residents to others. Council unanimously voted during its most recent meeting to establish the Economic Development Committee. Since council expanded its economic development efforts through the hiring of Development Manager Jason Stanford, he has shared a desire to create the committee in order to act as a liaison between the business community and village officials. “The primary function of the EDC (Economic Development Committee) is to provide input and guidance on projects and issues that impact the village’s business development,…
Author: Kayleen Petrovia
Nurses at the Union County Health Department are working to ensure every member of the local community – including those serving time – have access to healthcare. UCHD currently has one of the most successful grant-funded programs in the state that serves a “special population,” residents at West Central Community Based Correctional Facility, Director of Nursing Krista Finch said. “We always enjoy seeing their transformations,” Finch said. “We just want to be a part of that.” West Central is an alternative correctional facility that offers rehabilitative treatment for non-violent offenders in eight counties: Champaign, Clark, Delaware, Logan, Madison, Marion, Morrow…
Two committee appointments drew debate during the most recent Jerome Township trustees meeting, as a lone trustee argued to maintain the Fire Chief’s and his own seats on separate boards. Jerome Township Division of fire chief Douglas Stewart will not serve on the Jerome/Millcreek Township Fire Contract Review Committee after Trustee Megan Sloat motioned to appoint Chair Wezlynn Davis and Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell. The trustees voted 2-1 in favor, with Trustee Barry Adler dissenting. Davis said the townships are currently in the third year of a five-year contract through which the Jerome Township Division of Fire provides services to…
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, which most people see as either a very good thing or a very bad thing. It seems like February 14 is the one holiday that always draws the most mixed opinions. I can never turn down an excuse to buy discounted candy, and always look forward to my long-standing tradition of “Galentine’s Day” dinner with my best friend, Simone. I know there are plenty of us, though, who are repulsed by the pink and red store aisles that pop up at the beginning of every year. I wondered if this dread of Valentine’s…
As Plain City officials work to finalize an updated zoning code, council heard from a developer that hopes to bring a new residential community to the area. Jonathan Wilcox, with Wilcox Communities, asked council to consider a pre-annexation agreement surrounding an “age-focused” neighborhood that would bring more than 450 units to Lafayette-Plain City Road. Wilcox said his company has been in discussions since 2021 with the families who own two farms comprising 112 acres across from the Madison Meadows neighborhood. Wilcox Communities initially specialized in developing condos for empty nesters and retirees but has since seen “emerging” desire from that…
Jerome Township will temporarily stop livestreaming its meetings, in what several of the trustees called a cost-saving measure. In a split vote Tuesday, Trustees Wezlynn Davis and Megan Sloat voted to suspend livestreaming “until a township administrator is on board and trained.” “The information is not being removed in any capacity,” Davis said, adding that audio recordings will be published online following the meetings. Township officials recently upgraded the township hall’s audio/visual system to allow livestreamed videos to toggle back and forth between a view of the trustees and slideshows that are presented. The township’s IT consultant, Dustin Newland with…
The Marysville Division of Police received calls Tuesday morning regarding hate mail that was distributed in the area of Tenth Street and Butternut Drive. The flyers, pictured above, were placed in plastic baggies filled with rice and appeared to have been thrown from the window of a car. (Photos submitted) — Marysville police are investigating a “tough case” after flyers with “divisive speech” were once again found near homes in the area. Capt. Don McGlenn with the Marysville Division of Police said the department received calls Tuesday morning regarding aggressive flyers left in the area of 10th Street and Butternut…
Jerome Township officials spent time Monday discussing how a pattern of legal action surrounding residential development will affect growth in the years to come. Zoning Commission members had an opportunity to pose questions and discuss future action during a joint meeting with the Board of Trustees. Commission Member Bill Neumeyer said he has frequently heard residents express “anger” over a feeling that the trustees “betrayed” them by settling lawsuits filed by developers over the past couple years. Legal Counsel Jen Huber, with Brosius, Johnson and Griggs, reiterated that the township recently settled two lawsuits involving five different residential developments in…
Plain City officials are considering the opinions of current business owners as they plan for continued growth in the area. During council’s most recent work session, Development Manager Jason Stanford shared the results of a business satisfaction survey conducted in partnership with Bowling Green State University. Stanford said the goal of the survey is to use the data gathered to determine what village officials are doing right, what they’re doing wrong and how they can improve. He said that information will help guide Plain City’s economic development in regard to business advancement. Stanford noted that 77% of the business owners…
Plain City officials are seeking applications from those interested in serving on the Mid-Ohio Water and Sewer District Board of Directors. “This is an exciting opportunity to create, develop and administer the newly established district to serve thousands of Madison County’s citizens public water and sanitary sewer systems,” village officials wrote in a statement. In October, Plain City Council and the Madison County Commissioners voted to file a petition to establish the Mid-Ohio Water and Sewer District, which will ultimately function as an independent political subdivision of the state of Ohio. Officials previously said they feel regionalizing services will reduce…
Triad officials are confident that the third time’s the charm when it comes to hiring a new treasurer to lead the district’s finances. During a special meeting Saturday, the Board of Education unanimously approved the hiring of Nathan Hilborn as treasurer, effective Feb. 13. Hilborn is the third individual whose hiring was approved by the board in preparation for the retirement of long-time Treasurer Connie Cohn. In April, the board accepted former Chief Academic Officer Morgan Fagnani’s resignation from that position and approved her hiring as assistant to the treasurer as a step toward hiring her as treasurer in December.…
Plain City Council will once again consider noise regulations throughout the village. During council’s most recent work session, Zoning Inspector Derek Hutchinson asked council for guidance as to how the Planning and Zoning Committee should address noise regulations while working on the zoning code rewrite. The idea of incorporating sound restrictions into the zoning code gained steam late last year when Council Clerk/Management Analyst Justin Dreier shared proposed updates for the village’s property maintenance code. While the code, which currently falls under the zoning code, addresses “nuisances,” Dreier explained at the time that the term refers to things like “junk…
As Plain City officials consider the future of Pastime Park, they are zeroing in on one specific area: the campground. Parks and Recreation Director Linda Granger asked council during its most recent meeting for input regarding whether the village should implement a policy that limits the length of stay permitted at the campground. In 2020, the village upgraded the campground’s water system to winterize unused areas and allow for year-round camping in the gravel spots. Camping fees are the largest producer of revenue for the Parks and Recreation Department, Granger said, noting that $291,844 was generated in 2021. Since year-round…
The graphic provided by MKSK depicts the six “components” the consulting firm follows when creating a comprehensive plan. They include process preparation, baseline research, community outreach and engagement campaign, focused analysis, plan development and finalization and adoption. (Graphic submitted) — Jerome Township officials are narrowing in on who will lead efforts to plan the future of the area. During a special meeting recently, the board of trustees heard from two consulting firms that responded to a request for proposals from the township regarding the development of a new comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan will detail the vision for the future…
Jerome Township officials will implement a new policy in an effort to retain employees and show appreciation to long-term staff members. During the Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday, members voted unanimously in favor of an “employee longevity policy” that will allow for bonuses based on a staff member’s years of service. Trustee Chair Wezlynn Davis said the policy dictates employees will receive a $500 payment after five years of service to the township. Each additional year will add $100 to the payment, which will be capped at $2,000. The bonus will be paid on the second pay of the month…