Dear Resident,
April 2015
I can't say how happy I am that the snow is behind us. Unfortunately, the streets are showing the results of the
hard winter. Crews are filling potholes as often as they can but the same crews that fill potholes also do trash
and other street maintenance. One dump truck went down for good in March so we are going to have to look
at getting a new dump truck very soon. The importance of passing the street levy is critical to getting our
streets fixed.
I had a resident email me a question about the levy. Mr. D asked, "How can we be sure that the money is going
to go for streets and not something else?"
The resolution that was passed by City Council and will be on the ballot says:
...in order to provide for a two-tenths of one percent (0.2%) increase in the City income tax
levied for a period of ten years beginning on January 1, 2016, directing that such increase be
used exclusively toward maintenance and repair of City streets and alleys within the City of
Chillicothe.
By law, Ohio Revised Code 718.01, the money raised by this levy cannot be used for
anything else. It goes directly into the fund for streets.
This is just like when the parks and rec levy was put on the ballot in 1992. The money
raised by the parks and rec levy can only be used for the parks.
City Engineer Tom Day has a 10 year plan for street repairs and repaving. The money
from this levy, about $1.4 million annually, will be used to follow his plan.
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Back in November I worked to designate the downtown as a Downtown Revitalization
District. This is resulted in increased business activity downtown which is a wonderful
thing. However, in order to ensure safety standards are being met, I am working with
the law director to craft a policy for businesses that want to use the sidewalk right-ofway for outdoor dining or merchandise display. The City right-of-way extends from
the building fronts on the east side of Paint Street to the building fronts on the west side
of Paint Street. What I am working on is a special use permit that is crafted after
permits used in other Ohio cities. This permit will give the business owner the right to
use the sidewalk in front of his business with certain conditions that not only enhance
business but adhere to state and federal standards. I will be making presentations to
the Downtown Associates and the Downtown Development Commission with
proposed permit guidelines. After receiving input from these groups, I will be working
with City Council to have this usage permit become a part of the Building
Department/Zoning regulations.
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Safety Service Director Mike Green has announced that the City will have 2 large
item drop-off days again this spring. They will be on Saturdays, April 25th and May
2nd from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Residents will need to have an ID/utility bill showing
you live in the City. Items can be dropped off at the yard waste site on Renick
Avenue. No hazardous materials, construction materials, or white appliances will be
accepted. Residents with trucks are encouraged to help neighbors who need large item
drop-off assistance.
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Just a future heads up: There will be an electronics recycling event in Ross County in
October. Start rounding up your old TVs, computers, monitors, etc for this.
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Repair work and paving on Water Street from Mulberry to Walnut Street will begin
shortly. The money for this work is coming from our annual Ohio Public Works grant
and City funds. Although not guaranteed, the City has been the recipient of this grant
for many years. The grant totals $220,000 of which about $150,00 will be used to cover
the two block area from Mulberry to Walnut. Because an assortment of materials were
used to fill in the canal before paving the street, the total cost and time involved to
complete the project could vary from the current projections. The work will involve
some road closures and delays and residents are being asked to use alternative routes
when possible. The remainder of the OPW money will be used to pave Mill Street from
Vine Street to Yoctangee.
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Open Door Church is sponsoring its 2nd annual City Run on Saturday, April
11th. The funds raised this year will go toward the repair of the beautiful stone
bridge that spans Yoctangee Lake. Parks Director Dave Tener said that the lake will be
drained to further exam what repairs are needed for the 1935 bridge. Residents can
register to be a part of the City Run to support this project. Also helping fund the
project is the sale of $100 bricks which as be purchased and engraved with a person's
name or business. For more information go towww.thecityrun.org.
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Sometime in late April-early May you are going to see work on the water lines on
Arch Street by Fairway. At my Development Committee meeting on March 16th, one
of the items on the agenda was to appropriate $22,000 for a new 8" water line to loop the
system from Central Center to Woodbridge Avenue. Currently there is a 6" line on
Fairway that dead ends at Worthington Manor. This does not have enough water
pressure to satisfy current code. There is another 8" line on the east side of Arch to
Woodbridge. The 6" line would be replaced with an 8" line and the two lines
looped. This would create constant flow with no dead end. The City would use its
own crews to do the work and the $22,000 would be for the boring contractor and
materials. This will involve closing down a water line when making the connection and
area residents will be notified ahead of time. The total project should be completed in
under two weeks.
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On March 4th I participated in the police department Active Shooter Training. The
class, conducted by Detective Jason Gannon, consisted of classroom work at the old
transit facility where police shooting situations and other dangerous encounters from
around the country were reviewed and analyzed. This was followed by mock drills at
the old Western School. Keeping our safety forces up-to-date in training is vital to the
safety of our police and residents alike.
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For the 18th year in a row, Chillicothe has received the prestigious Tree City
Designation. This is due to the dedication and hard work of our Tree Commission
members. The Tree Commission will sponsor its annual Arbor Day Program on
Arbor Day, April 24th. The agenda for the program is attached above.
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The Tree Commission is going to conduct a ReLeaf program on May 2nd. This is a
program to distribute free trees to residents to help beautify the City.
Interested residents will submit an application showing proof of residency in the City
and room to plant the tree either in the tree lawn or front yard. Applications will be
verified by the tree commission and planting sites will be marked with a flag or small
spot of paint. The first 25 eligible applications will receive a potted Kousa dogwood
tree with planting instructions and a picture of the mature plant. Application forms
will be in the Chillicothe Gazette in the near future.
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The Ross County and Chillicothe Convention and Visitors' Bureau is accepting
nominations for awards for their 2nd Annual Tourism Celebration. The Pineapple
Awards recognize and honor exemplary employees and volunteers in the
tourism/hospitality industry. Nominations are being accepted for Front Line Associate
award, Behind the Scenes Tourism employee, Excellence for Innkeeper/Director of the
Year, Volunteer of the Year, and Grand Award winner. Nominations are due to Melody
Young by April 21st. The banquet will be held on Monday, May 4th at the Christopher
Conference Center. For nomination forms or more information contact Melody Young
at [email protected].
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Bulletin Board:
April 4
Jaycees Easter egg hunt - Yoctangee Park - 9:30 am
April 8
Planning Commission - City conference room - 3:00 pm
April 11
City Run - Yoctangee Park - 8:00 am
April 11-13
Swap Days at the Ross County fairgrounds
April 13
City Council regular session - Council chambers - 7:30 pm
April 14
Nuisance abatement board - City conference room - 2:30 pm
April 15
Parks and Rec board - City conference room - 5:00 pm
April 16
Design Review Board - City conference room - 4:30 pm
April 18
16th Annual Earth Day Gathering - Pump House - 11:00 am to 7:00
pm
April 18
18th Annual Scioto River Waterway Clean-up Day - Meet at
Yoctangee Park annex - 10:00 am
April 21
Tree Commission - City conference room - 5:00 pm
April 23
First Capital District - Chamber of Commerce - 4:00 pm
April 24
Arbor Day Program in Yocangee Park - 10:00 am to 12:30 pm
April 25
Large item drop-off - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm - yard waste site - Renick
Avenue - bring ID
April 27
April 28
City Council regular session - Council chambers - 7:30 pm
Board of Zoning appeals - City conference room - 4:30 pm
Nancy Ames
2nd Ward City Council