Plain City officials are exploring the creation of a regional water and sewer district with Madison County Commissioners. Following an executive session during Monday’s council meeting, council voted unanimously to sign a letter of understanding regarding “the negotiation and planning stages of formation of a proposed regional water and sewer district.” If water and sewer services are regionalized with Madison County, Council President Michael Terry said all water and sewer assets would be combined to become a separate entity – the district. Finance Director Renee Sonnett said at this point the area that will be included in and serviced by…
Author: Kayleen Petrovia
The Union County Board of Health is considering adopting rules that include changes to the cycle on which local household’s sewer systems must be inspected. During the board’s meeting Wednesday, Union County Health Commissioner Jason Orcena presented a recap of proposed changes to the group. At the July meeting, Orcena said they are “very substantial changes, but not a lot of them,” including simplified inspection cycles and the authority to implement a sliding fee scale. Orcena explained to the board that the household sewer treatment system permit and inspection program is technically the state’s program, implemented by local health departments…
In a split vote, the Jerome Township trustees approved a written reprimand against Fire Chief Douglas Stewart. Trustees Megan Sloat and Wezlynn Davis voted during their most recent meeting to adopt the reprimand, while Trustee Barry Adler voted against it. “I disagree with the entire contents of the written reprimand,” Adler said during the meeting. “The employee has the right to provide a written dispute to the contents of the written reprimand by submitting a statement in writing to be placed in their employee file.” Following the meeting, Adler declined to comment further on his dissent but reiterated that he…
Triad officials are wrapping up what they called the “Summer of Security” with a new security guard provided through a private company. “It’s something that no one else is doing,” said Superintendent Vickie Hoffman. The Board of Education unanimously approved an agreement with Genric to provide school security services for the 2022-23 academic year at a rate of $33.95 per hour. The Genric security guard will work alongside a School Resource Officer (SRO) provided by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office. The board also unanimously approved an agreement with CCSO for the current academic year for $58,551.50. Following the meeting, Hoffman…
Jerome Township officials and residents heard a much-awaited presentation from Fire Chief Douglas Stewart Tuesday night regarding the need for an aerial ladder truck. “The need dates back to way before I became fire chief,” Stewart said, adding that a previous chief began working on a proposal to purchase an aerial ladder when the plans for Jerome Village came to the township over a decade ago. Prior to his presentation, several residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting to express frustration with the postponement of the presentation. Stewart initially prepared to deliver a presentation with a recommendation…
A Plain City teen is getting involved in Ohio’s government through Attorney General Dave Yost’s Teen Ambassador Board. Jonathan Alder Senior Sharon Keefer was recently named a Teen Ambassador, through which she will get a behind the scenes look at state government and have an opportunity to provide input on issues related to teens. Keefer, who said her career goal is to become a lawyer, said she is excited to learn about local government and the process to obtain a law degree. She said she learned about the opportunity through Cheryl Grossman, a former mayor of Grove City who works…
Jerome Township officials were excited to unveil a new website that they hope will help residents stay “plugged in” to their community. “The more information we can put on (the website) for people to access, the better it’s going to be for our community,” said Trustee Chair Megan Sloat. The new site, www.jerometownship.com (a change from the former ‘.us’ domain) went live this week after eight months of work. Sloat said the township formed a committee that regularly met with Granicus, a web development company the township contracted with, which specializes in creating sites for governmental entities. Along with Sloat,…
Plain City Council members recently discussed their thoughts on the new Uptown District, in red at the center of the map, that will be included in the zoning code update. The district extends beyond the boundaries of the Uptown Historic District, outlined in light blue, and is intended to allow for the expansion of the Uptown area while preserving historic buildings. (Graphic submitted) — As Plain City staff and committee members continue to work out a new zoning code, council members focused on what exactly the Uptown should encompass. Village Planner Taylor Brill presented an overview of the latest draft…
A Plain City resident recently asked council to revisit a topic that was on a number of its agendas in 2021. During the public comments portion of council’s meeting Monday, Stephanie Syfert, a resident of East First Avenue, urged the board to reconsider adopting a new noise ordinance. “It goes to the heart of what it means to be a good neighbor,” Syfert said to council. She told council members that she and her husband regularly call the Plain City Police Department to report complaints surrounding noise from concerts in the area. Previous noise discussions centered around The Grainery on…
The graphic above depicts the Darby Station residential development being constructed along Route 161. During their most recent meeting, council members heard the first reading of a resolution that would result in a break on park impact fees in exchange for the transfer of land from M/I Homes to the village. The areas outlined in red depict the 40 acres of park land that would be transferred if the resolution is approved. (Graphic submitted) — Plain City could acquire 40 more acres of park land as part of an agreement with the developers of Darby Station. Council members heard the…
The Jerome Township Trustees again declined to hear a presentation from Fire Chief Douglas Stewart, and again said they would allow him to share at their next meeting. A presentation surrounding the purchase of an aerial ladder truck for the Jerome Township Division of Fire was once again a point of contention during the board’s most recent meeting. During the trustees’ July 7 meeting, as the first slide of Stewart’s PowerPoint was on screens in the Township Hall, they voted unanimously to table his presentation, largely behind a push from Trustee Wezlynn Davis. On Monday, a similar scenario played out.…
Keith Becker, organist at First Congregational United Church of Christ, is pictured playing the church’s organ. The church recently hosted a recital by renowned organist Bruce Stevens as part of the Organ Historical Society’s national convention this week. (Journal-Tribune photo by Kayleen Petrovia) — In the photo above is a tag featuring the name and hometown of organ builder John Brown of Wilmington, Delaware. (Journal-Tribune photo by Kayleen Petrovia) — For more than a century, parishioners who have gathered at First Congregational United Church of Christ have heard the music on the church’s pipe organ. While the organ is a…
Harley Jackson is shown above working during the 2022 Union County Junior Fair Livestock sale. Jackson announced during the sale that this year’s auction would be he last at the Union County Fair. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson) — With every showman that enters the ring at the Union County Fair Livestock Sale, Auctioneer Harley Jackson can relate to them. When one showman entered the ring Saturday with his hand wrapped in green tape, Jackson asked what happened. The boy told him that his dairy feeder started to get away from him and he didn’t let go of the lead…
For Ukrainian refugees in central Ohio, one of their first stops is often the local health department. “Public health nursing has a huge role in this because we’re their first interaction with the healthcare system in a lot of cases,” Union County Health Department Director of Nursing Krista Finch said. Finch explained that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants certain Ukrainians, with a “sponsor” in the United States, a two-year period of refuge called a “parole.” In order to be granted parole in the U.S., DHS requires refugees to pursue a medical screening within 90 days of their arrival…
Plain City officials recently expanded village staff in an effort to support current and future businesses. The village recently hired Jason Stanford to a new position: economic development coordinator. Stanford was most recently the development services manager at the Union County-Marysville Economic Development Partnership. Village Administrator Haley Lupton said Stanford stood out among a pool of 18 applicants. “We just feel like he’ll get a head start on all our of initiatives,” she said. Despite a “good selection” of candidates, Lupton said she, Village Planner Taylor Brill and Executive Director of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce David Kell -…