Marysville City Planner Chad Flowers, 41, died Thursday after an apparent health related incident at the Upgound Resivoir on Raymond Road. He was apparently exercising on the Raymond Road side of the path around the reservoir.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)
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The 41 year-old Marysville City Planner died Thursday at the Upground Reservoir on Raymond Road.
Lance Emberling, an investigator with the Union County Coroner’s Office, confirmed that Chad Flowers was declared dead at 1:33 p.m. at Memorial Hospital.
Flowers, 41, leaves behind a wife and three elementary school aged children.
Security cameras show Flowers leaving City Hall at 12:14 p.m.
“He had his workout clothes on,” Emery said. “Chad often worked out on his lunch hour. He liked to stay fit.”
At 12:49 p.m., emergency responders received a 911 call about an unresponsive person at the reservoir.
Police arrived on scene moments later, but found Flowers had no pulse. Officials performed CPR and other measures in an attempt to rescue the man.
“When we arrived, we did all the normal things we do, providing advanced life support and then transported to the hospital,” said Fire Chief Jay Riley.
Emberling said it appears there was a medical issue, but no cause of death has been determined. He said there should be more answers in about four weeks after the results of an autopsy are known.
City Manager Terry Emery said Flowers has worked for Marysville as city planner for four years. Before that he worked at Canal Winchester and before that at a private consulting firm.
“I have worked in public service for 31 years and there has been no person that I have probably worked with in that time that had a greater impact in the area they worked in than Chad Flowers,” Emery said.
Emery said Flowers came, “at a critical time” for the city. He said Marysville was “behind a little bit.”
“There were some things in need of being updated and Chad came in and just was able to get things done,” Emery said.
The city manager said Flowers updated the city’s comprehensive plan, the Uptown Revitalization Plan, zoning districts, the city façade program.
“The impact he had in four years is phenomenal,” Emery said. “He knew what we needed and what we wanted and he worked and worked with people to get that done.”
He said Flowers often dealt with difficult situations.
“The way he does it, he is such a good, soft-spoken communicator. He comes across as someone who is very thoughtful and listens to and communicates with all the people he needs to work with,” Emery said.
He said Flowers was often the first person from the city that developers would meet with.
“So when they talked about what they wanted to do, Chad was the one who would try to understand and give them a heads up to what they might be happen and what might not be able to be done,” Emery said.
Emery said city staff is “like a family.” He said staff was told about Flowers’ death and told they could go home. Grief counselors were on hand for city employees.
“It was a difficult day and there will be difficult days ahead,” Emery said.
City Hall is closed today for observance of Good Friday.
“In the next week there probably will be a time when we have to shut down certain portions of the city because we are going to pay our respects,” Emery said, adding that he would communicate those things with the public as they arise.
Emery said replacing Flowers would be a difficult task because he had, “ a knowledge and an ability, paired with professionalism and a way about him.”
Even so, the manager said, city business will continue.
“We have great people that work in that area, and every area of the city, and they will fill in and take care of things,” Emery said.
Officials said that several years ago they discussed call boxes on the path, but decided that most people have cell phones, so the boxes are unnecessary.
Emery said Flowers had a cell phone with him on the reservoir path.
Emery said the city might look at installing call boxes or security cameras along the reservoir path.