Plain City Council members are taking a big picture approach as they set goals that will guide next year’s budget.
“The time is better spent presenting your guys’ ideas and strategic vision” than reviewing the budget line by line, Council President Michael Terry told staff Wednesday.
During council’s most recent work session, the group reviewed progress on its annual goals and heard from Village Administrator Haley Lupton which larger projects Plain City will undertake next year.
At the start of the year, council set five overarching goals for 2024:
– Increase village-wide connectivity;
– Focus on improving and expanding public spaces;
– Continue focusing on smart planning a due diligence in regard to village growth;
– Continually increase resident safety and satisfaction;
– Continue to develop organizational professionalism.
Terry said council will continue working toward those goals, though he highlighted a number of accomplishments made by the mid-point of the year.
He noted that graduate students at Ohio State University recently completed a multimodal transportation plan for the village that includes guidelines to improve connectivity.
Moving forward, Terry said he would like to implement some of the study’s recommendations, specifically in the area of West Avenue.
He said he also feels the village has achieved an “unbelievable amount” when it comes to improving public spaces.
In the first half of the year, Plain City officials announced both the acquisition of a historic train depot and plans to create a public square Uptown with it as its centerpiece, as well as plans to purchase 41 acres along Sugar Run for a conservation-focused public park.
A feasibility study is also underway to evaluate the Aquatic Center and potential improvements.
Terry said he also sees progress that will promote smart planning.
This year, a Community Improvement Corporation, called the Plain City Area Development Corporation, was established.
An Economic Development Incentive Policy is also complete and set to come before council for final approval in July.
Lupton also noted that a U.S. 42/Route 161 Corridor Plan is well underway, which aims to chart how the corridor will look from Amity Pike through New California.
The plan is being completed in cooperation with the Union and Madison County engineers and the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Terry also highlighted efforts to increase public safety and resident satisfaction.
He said he feels the village did a “great job” innovating by creating a cadet program that would increase Plain City Police Department staffing by paying for a candidate’s training before formally hiring him.
While Lupton said she did not want to delve into every aspect of the 2025 budget, she shared a number of capital projects planned for next year.
“Capital-wise, we’re fairly programmed already,” she said.
She said one of the highest priority items budgeted for next year is updating the village’s comprehensive plan, which Lupton said will likely cost around $75,000.
Lupton said plans are also in place to build the plaza around the depot and complete engineering for the recreational space in the public square, including things like green space and a splash pad.
The Jackson Street dog park is scheduled to be constructed next year, although Lupton said officials are researching ways to make it slightly more budget-friendly.
The village would also make a major purchase in buying the Raber land along Sugar Run, but are hopeful state funding would cover most of the $850,000 cost. If awarded the grant, Plain City would pay $212,500.
Lupton said there are also a number of projects that are either partially are fully funded by ODOT on the radar for 2025, including the Maple Street bridge construction, U.S. 42/West Avenue intersection improvements and updates to Bicentennial Park.
Terry said he was especially appreciative that the projects rely more heavily on grant funding than village funds.
As staff and council work toward finalizing the 2025 budget toward the end of this year, Terry said he would like to see the Personnel and Finance Committee work on long-term capital budget planning.
Council member Jim Eudaily agreed, noting that securing grant funding is often such a long process that there needs to be a vision for what will occur in years to come.