ThisWeek CW 07/16/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/07/13/council-oks-zoning-code-changes-to-prepare-for-brewdog.html

Even as Canal Winchester officials prepare for potential zoning issues related to construction of a proposed BrewDog facility, some residents have begun voicing concerns about traffic congestion and smells that could result once the brewery is operational.

The Scottish craft brewer plans to invest $30.4 million in a project to build a brewery, U.S. headquarters, a restaurant and taproom in Canal Winchester.

Canal Winchester City Council members voted unanimously July 7 to approve language changes to the zoning text to specifically allow for artisan food and beverage production on site at commercial properties and to alter the setback and height restrictions related to storage silos.

“The proposed changes are driven by a number of downtown businesses that are more of an artist studio and that we do not have zoning code that specifically provides for producing items on site,” Development Director Lucas Haire said. “All of these handcrafted-type items are becoming more popular with people buying local — and the last item like that is local foods.”

Haire said the city wants to continue to promote that interest.

“What we’ve done is to include these changes in the historic district and limited manufacturing districts,” he said. “The last change is related to the silos such as we have at TS Trim, and now we need to change that in preparation for microbrewers.”

Previously, city code required that any silo had to be behind a building and 20 feet from the property line, according to Haire. He said the change wouldn’t stipulate the location of a silo in relation to a building, but instead would designate the setback be equivalent to the silo height.

“In the past, a grain silo would have had to be 20 feet or so from the property line, even if it was 60- to 70-feet tall, but now if it is 60- to 70-feet tall, it will have to be 60 to 70 feet back from property line,” he said.

A couple residents raised concerns over the potential for unpleasant smells coming from the brewery.

“I live in the Villages of Westchester and am very concerned about the smell related to BrewDog,” resident Steve Lukezich said. “How do you get someone to buy your house in a place that smells?”

Council President Rick Deeds said he hopes residents will bring their concerns to the Aug. 8 planning and zoning commission meeting when it is anticipated that BrewDog will begin the process of getting its plans approved.

Resident Andrew Beauseau, who lives near the proposed BrewDog site, said he’s concerned about truck traffic as well. He noted that changes to delivery schedules at TS Trim have caused him to awaken every day at 5 a.m. to the sounds of semi traffic.

Another resident, Susanne Rasoletti, said she appreciated the city’s efforts to bring more jobs and tourism to Canal Winchester, but besides being concerned about the smell, she also wondered about additional traffic congestion on Gender Road.

“My concern for you building this brewery was that first of all, we already have so much congestion on Gender Road. From Route 33 all the way to the Skyline Chili, you just brake and brake,” Rasoletti said.

Public Works Director Matt Peoples said the city will work with BrewDog on a closed system for its wastewater, but that until the company officially submits plans, he couldn’t comment on how it would be handled because he doesn’t have the details.

“The site details are expected to be presented at the Aug. 8 meeting,” Haire said. “Until then, we can’t comment because it will only be speculation.”

The Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission meeting will start at 7 p.m. Aug. 8 at City Hall, 10 N. High St.

ThisWeek CW 07/16/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/07/13/mayor-council-pay-hikes-take-effect-jan–1.html

Canal Winchester City Council voted unanimously at a special meeting July 1 to increase the salaries for the mayor and council members effective Jan. 1.

Legislation to increase the salaries of the mayor and council members was introduced in April as part of a normal biannual review of the elected officials pay and benefits.

Every two years, council has the option of reviewing and voting on salary and benefits changes, which then take effect the following year after a new city council and — during mayoral election years such as this year — a new mayor have been elected.

“We have to have this taken care of in odd years with the legislation in place by July 1,” council President Rick Deeds said. “In the past, we’ve sometimes done a singular increase, sometimes a two-step increase and sometimes we’ve left it alone.

“Based on info we had, this was the recommendation: a 3-percent increase for the mayor and council members,” he said.

“If you look at council president, it has been about $500 over what council makes but we thought we’d adjust that to 10 percent, and then we also thought vice president deserved 5 percent over general council with how we’ve reoriented the meetings.”

As approved, the mayor’s salary increased from $85,000 in 2014 to $87,500 this year. It will increase to $90,125 annually beginning Jan. 1, 2016, running through Dec. 31, 2017.

City council members’ salaries increased from $6,200 in 2014 to $6,400 in 2015 and will be set at $6,592 per year from Jan. 1, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2017.

The council president’s salary was set at $6,700 a year in 2014 and $6,900 this year. It will increase to $7,251 annually for the period of Jan. 1, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2017.

The council vice president was paid $6,200 in 2014 and $6,400 in 2015. Starting Jan. 1 and continuing through Dec. 31, 2017, the annual salary for that office will be $6,921.

According to a report from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, which uses data from 2014, Canal Winchester is in the middle of the pay scale for both council members’ and mayor’s salaries.

ThisWeek CW 07/09/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/07/06/canal-winchester-warns-against-flushing-wipes.html

The canister of pre-moistened wipes may say the things are flushable, but Canal Winchester officials are warning residents not to believe everything they read on a label.

Water Reclamation Superintendent Steve Smith said last month that even with the installation of a $4,000 pump to help deal with clogging issues, his department is again finding sewage backups caused primarily by grease and those so-called flushable wipes.

“Even after installing a new high-capacity pump, we had yet another sewer backup,” Smith said. “This is happening again because of flushable wipes and grease.

” I wish they wouldn’t (say) ‘flushable’ because our system isn’t meant to process those,” he said. “We’re going to go door to door to hang flyers letting people know that they are putting their own house and their neighbors’ homes in danger by flushing these things. When people use their toilet as a trashcan, they’re going to cause a problem.”

Smith said past efforts with distributing flyers were successful in Canal Winchester for several years, and he hopes it helps again.

“We’ve had success with our flyers in Canal Winchester in the past. Unfortunately, we had also distributed over a thousand flyers in the Pickerington service area and it was much less successful and they had several backups because of it,” Smith said. “This time, we also want to get Lithopolis to do something similar as well.”

Canal Winchester provides sewer and water service to portions of Pickerington, the Pickerington Ponds area and Lithopolis.

ThisWeek CW 07/09/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/07/06/aqua-ohio-donates-to-brobst-park-improvements.html

Madison Township’s water provider, Aqua Ohio, made a second $1,000 donation to the township for improvements to Brobst Park during a ceremony last month, but one trustee refused to attend, citing the company’s repeated requests for rate increases.

In late 2014, Aqua Ohio made an initial donation of $1,000 for the purpose of maintaining Brobst Park.

“Our shareholders donate back to the communities we serve because they feel it is important,” company representative Greg Odell said. “In each regional area that Aqua Ohio operates, the shareholders select a community project to donate to and for central Ohio, it is Brobst Park.”

Township Administrator Susan Brobst said the money will go a long way toward restoring the park.

“We are pleased to accept the second donation of $1,000 from the Aqua Ohio board members,” Brobst said. “The fund from last fall and now this presentation will be used to replace the ash trees that had to be removed due to disease, and to repair and replace some of the picnic tables and benches at the park.”

Trustee Gary McDonald, who declined to attend the June 17 ceremony, said he thought the timing of the donation was inappropriate, given that Aqua Ohio had a rate hike request approved last year and now has another before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

“I have concerns about attending a photo opportunity for Aqua Ohio giving this donation when we’re working to try and keep water rates down for all of our residents,” McDonald said. “This just doesn’t seem appropriate to me, given the timing.”

The PUCO has agreed to consider the company’s request for a 4.5-percent rate increase for water service and a 3-percent rate increase for sewer service. In September 2014, Aqua Ohio was granted a water rate increase of 9.7 percent but did not seek an increase in sewer rates at that time.

According to Odell, the rate increases that took place in 2014 were related to system improvements while the new requests would cover the cost of replacing worn system components.

“We hope to have a decision back about the rate case in three to five months,” Odell said.

ThisWeek CW 07/09/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/07/06/human-services-senior-transport-program-adds-second-minivan.html

Canal Winchester Human Services has added a second handicap-accessible minivan to its fleet of senior citizen transportation vehicles, thanks to a federal grant.

The senior transportation program received the grant through the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The grant for $37,000 is the second of that size given toCanal Winchester Human Services. In 2014, the program received a $37,000 grant to purchase its first handicap-accessible minivan; this second vehicle will make the service more efficient, Human Services Administrator Penny Miller said.

“Many people do not realize that public transportation is not readily available to the elderly living in the Canal Winchester school district,” Miller said. “COTA bus service is geared to working people going into Columbus in the morning and back in the evening, and taxi service is not affordable for the elderly.

“Without the appointment-based transportation that we provide, many senior citizens would be limited in their daily mobility and some would lose their independence, being forced to move in with family or into assisted living.”

Daily transportation is available Monday through Friday to all Canal Winchester school district residents age 60 or older. The program also provides group transportation, including weekly trips to the grocery store, the food pantry and to the Tuesday senior lunch held at the Frances Steube Community Center.

“Our seniors are a fun bunch when they take advantage of the social trips we are able to offer,” Miller said. “I’m so happy that we have the opportunity to provide transportation that allows senior citizens to have a good time and be with friends.

“Our upcoming summer schedule includes a trip to Picnic with the Pops, shopping at Easton and the Ohio State Fair, to name a few,” she added.

Miller said funding for the senior transportation program is provided by a combination of private donations and through several grant programs provided by Canal Winchester, Madison Township and senior tax levies of offices on aging in both Fairfield and Franklin counties.

“We’re also fortunate to receive grant funding specifically earmarked to provide social outings to help keep senior citizens active and engaged,” Miller said. “To participate, you only need to join the city’s Senior Citizen Club and the fun is neverending.

“Frequently, when we are out and about, people will stop and ask how they can join us because we seem to have so much fun,” she said. “Canal Winchester Human Services is pleased to serve our community in this way, assuring that senior citizens can get where they need to go.”

More information about the senior transportation program, Senior Citizen Club and how to sign up for services is available by calling 614-834-4700 or by emailing penny.cwhs@gmail.com.