ThisWeek CW 12/24/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/12/21/city-will-fund-more-than-11000-in-bed-tax-grants.html

Canal Winchester officials are once again considering how to divide bed-tax grant funds among local organizations.

Out of $17,000 in requests, Canal Winchester City Council was expected to approve grants totaling $11,825 at its Dec. 21 meeting.

Council provides upwards of $20,000 total in grants each year to groups that apply prior to the November deadline. An additional $30,000 per year is granted to Destination: Canal Winchester, which acts as the city’s convention and visitors bureau.

Council members provided initial feedback at their Dec. 7 meeting to city Finance Director Amanda Jackson regarding how much funding they would be willing to give each of the 12 groups that filed applications and under what conditions.

The American Cancer Society, which oversees the city’s Relay For Life event for cancer awareness, requested $2,500 — the same amount it was awarded in 2014.

However, in 2015, council chose to limit each individual request to a maximum of $2,000 with a stipulation that a report be provided to the city detailing how the funds were spent, and the return of any unspent funds.

As of the Dec. 7 meeting, the American Cancer Society had yet to submit its 2015 report.

Council agreed to fund the request at the maximum of $2,000 as long as the required report and any refund due is provided first.

The Canal Winchester Alumni Scholarship Association requested $500 to help host its annual Labor Day 5K fundraiser.

Councilwoman Bobbie Mershon said she was “disappointed they held the 5K at Blendon Woods last year instead of in Canal Winchester.”

Other council members agreed, stating they would support funding the full $500 only if the event returns to Canal Winchester.

The Canal Winchester Art Guild applied for two separate grants: $500 for the annual Art Stroll and $1,000 for the group’s second annual downtown mural project. Council approved both of these amounts without question.

Similarly, the Canal Winchester High School After Prom Committee will receive its full $2,000 request.

“As an old principal trying to keep the kids there at prom and the after party so they aren’t out drinking and driving, I think I’m all for it,” Councilman Steve Donahue said.

The Canal Winchester-Groveport Area Rotary Club made two project requests: $675 for the annual dictionary distribution to third-graders and $1,325 for another Harlem Wizards basketball fundraiser.

Council opted to provide the group with a total of $1,325 which members stipulated must be used for one of the projects. It will be up to the Rotary Club to decide which project to fund.

Mershon pointed out that the Canal Winchester Human Services and Community Food Pantry request included multiple projects in one application instead of being broken into individual applications. She noted that rules require separate applications for each request.

“They can submit up to three applications for three projects,” Mershon said. “Other than just not considering any of the four on here, I suggest we just give them $1,500 for the Football for Food project.”

The original request had been for a total of $2,000 for the Souper Bowl, Pack the Pantry, Football for Food and Pizza for Food.

Donahue argued that these are all related events but ultimately, all of the council members agreed to the $1,500 grant.

The Canal Winchester Senior Citizens Club once again requested $1,500 for its Veterans Day celebration which council agreed to fully fund.

Faith United Methodist Church submitted a request for $2,000 to help pay for a new organ. Council members felt that this crossed the line between church and state and opted to deny the application.

Similarly, council denied a request from Kathy Binner for $2,000 to update rooms in a bed-and-breakfast she wants to operate.

“She’s not open as a B&B yet, so it would be like asking us for money to upgrade your living room at this point,” Donahue said.

Finally, council approved a full $1,000 grant request from the Friends for Life Animal Haven to trap and neuter stray dogs and cats in the city.

“They come into our city and capture feral cats and spay or neuter them and that is helpful to us,” Councilwoman Marilyn Rush-Ekelberry said.

ThisWeek CW 12/24/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/12/21/space-designed-to-prepare-children-for-kindergarten.html

Groveport Madison and Canal Winchester families now have another resource to help prepare children for kindergarten and future educational success.

The Columbus Metropolitan Library has opened its new Ready for Kindergarten area, the fifth of its kind in the library system, at the Southeast Branch, 3980 S. Hamilton Road.

The Southeast Branch joins the Driving Park, Karl Road, Linden and Whitehall branches in providing areas that include interactive whiteboards with literacy learning applications, magnetic word walls, toys meant to assist with motor and cognitive development and more.

According to Kathy Shahbodaghi, the library’s early childhood learning expert, customer response to these areas has been tremendous and the impact on children has been proven by study after study.

Those who participate in the kinds of skills training available at the centers “are much more likely to read on grade level or higher in the third grade,” she said.

In particular, Shahbodaghi said, these students are more skilled in particular letter knowledge, producing rhyming words and initial letter sounds.

In Ohio, this is an important measurement given the state’s Third-Grade Reading Guarantee testing, which may be used to hold underperforming students back.

“Families love the idea of these areas and the children love coming in and ‘playing school,’ especially with the smartboard,” Shahbodaghi said. “Their excitement about this turns into excitement about starting school and getting to ride the school bus and things like that.

“Parents can also learn how to weave the skill-building, such as knowing the upper- and lower-case letters, into everyday life, such as looking at traffic signs or reading labels while grocery shopping.”

The Ready for Kindergarten areas are not being specifically staffed but trained staff members are available at each branch to assist families in using the various tools.

“Kindergarten readiness is such a critical need throughout our community,” library CEO Patrick Losinski. “While this is a fun and attractive space, it’s not a play area. Everything is intentional and instructive.”

Library officials hope that using this innovative area will familiarize children with a kindergarten environment before they enter school.

“This is not just about having children gain skills, but it is a learning opportunity for the parents on how to support them,” Shahbodaghi said. “This is hands-on modeling of important early literacy skills. Literacy is, of course, the library’s bailiwick.”

The Ready for Kindergarten Area at the Southeast Branch was supported by a gift from PNC Bank.

ThisWeek CW 12/17/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/12/14/three-reappointed-to-planning-zoning-commission.html

Three Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission members will start new four-year terms Jan. 1 after City Council approved the mayor’s appointments.

Mayor Michael Ebert asked council members Dec. 7 to consider the reappointment of longtime planning and zoning commission member Bill Christensen, along with two recent appointees, June Konold and Brad Richey.

According to Ebert, Christensen has served for the past eight years and has been chairman the past two. Michael Vasko currently serves as vice chairman of the seven-person board.

Konold was appointed to the commission June 1, following the sudden death of her husband, Dr. Dan Konold, who had served on the commission on two different occasions for a total of almost 14 years.

Richey was appointed to the commission to replace Jim Knowlton in August.

“Brad moved into Canal Winchester in January and he came in to my office right away and asked if there would be somewhere for him to get involved, so when Jim Knowlton’s seat became open, I’d asked you to approve him for the seat which you did, and now I’d like to appoint him to a full four-year term,” Ebert said to council.

Richey is a construction supervisor for Turner Construction.

Council members unanimously approved the reappointment of all three members.

The seven-member commission is responsible for oversight of the city’s zoning code and zoning map, reviewing all proposed development plans and providing recommendations to City Council. The commission also oversees Canal Winchester’s comprehensive plan, including the layout of streets, bridges, utilities and public land.

Besides filling these seats, council also heard the second reading of an ordinance authorizing the hire of a new construction services technician to assist in various inspection and recordkeeping duties with the Department of Public Works and Construction Services Administrator. The salary range for the job is between $18.20 and $25.73 per hour with full benefits.

ThisWeek CW 12/17/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/12/14/canal-winchester-will-make-online-payment-option-available-next-year.html

Online bill payments will be available to Canal Winchester residents after the first of the year — for a fee.

Finance Director Amanda Jackson told council members that a new financial system that includes an online payment option for water bills has been implemented, and a processing agreement is in place which will include an additional convenience fee charged to system users.

“We’re starting to wind down the year, so we’re closing things out and getting things ready for 2016,” she said. “I’m happy to say we’re putting the finishing touches on online bill pay for utilities, so once it is up and running after the first of the year, we’ll send out notification to residents.

“The only fee passed on to consumers will be for online credit card or online e-check payments, but if they come in, they can pay in person, at the drop-box, or through the mail without any processing fee like they always have.”

According to Jackson, the fee to pay online with an e-check will be $1.50. Using a credit card for online payments of up to $100 will cost the customer a fee of $2.95 with additional fees for higher payments.The fee goes directly to the bank processor, Point & Pay, so the city never touches that part of the transaction, she said.

“The reason for passing on these fees to the customer is that the city can’t really afford to absorb another processing cost,” Jackson said. “I’m sure some additional people would do it without the fee but this is a way for us to deal with our increasing costs.”

Mayor Michael Ebert said he felt the convenience factor shouldn’t be covered by everyone.

“I think it’s more appropriate to charge it to the users instead of making everyone pay it as part of their water bills across the board,” he said. “There are nine different ways to pay the bills, so this is just one of them.”

By introducing the new payment options at the beginning of the year, customers will be able to take advantage of them in time for the February billing cycle.

Jackson said she believes these new options will cut down on the hundreds of delinquent utility bills that occur in every billing cycle.

“We’re hoping with the ability to just log on and pay with a credit card, some of these people who don’t get around to sending in a check or dropping off a payment will see they can just log on and pay it right there,” she said.

ThisWeek CW 12/17/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/12/14/interurban-renovations-city-will-waive-competitive-bidding-for-project.html

The Canal Winchester Interurban Building renovation appears to have jumped the tracks, at least temporarily.

The historic building that served as a station along the Columbus Interurban electrified trolley system, connecting Canal Winchester to downtown Columbus and beyond, was scheduled to be renovated for meeting and event space and to open next spring.

However, the construction bid process netted only one response — and it was double the estimate for the project.

Construction Services Administrator Bill Sims told Canal Winchester City Council at its Dec. 7 meeting the single bid from J.S. Brown was technically submitted past the Dec. 1 deadline for bids and came in at about $180,000. The original estimate for the work, prepared by FMS Architects, was about $90,000.

The city had budgeted $150,000 total for the project before receiving the estimate.

“The bid was roughly twice the architect’s estimate and so obviously, we have concerns,” Sims said. “In talking to the architect and the bidder, I think we did have an underestimation, but definitely not by twice, given the small quantity of work.”

Sims said he believes the timing of the bid release so near the end of the year and the holidays, along with the bidder’s inexperience with public projects, caused the bid process to fail.

“The contractor that bid doesn’t normally work with public projects, which include things like prevailing wage and bonding issues, so we think they were a little nervous about expenses and built too much padding in there,” Sims said.

To try to keep the project on track for being completed in 2016, Canal Winchester City Council agreed to Sims’ request to waive the formal competitive bidding process so the city staff may negotiate a deal between a subset of contractors that have previously worked with the city.

“Like I’d said, I don’t think we were $90,000 off,” Sims said. “We’d budgeted earlier that we’d be at about $150,000.

“When we were talking to the bidder about the project, they had a lot of questions, so we might be able to get closer with someone else,” he said. “I think if we have the opportunity to go out and find folks who really do this type of work that’s up their alley, we’ll get a good product within our budget.”

Sims will have to return at a future meeting and introduce legislation to complete a new procurement process, which he stated he intends to do at the final meeting of the year on Dec. 21.