ThisWeek CW 06/02/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/06/29/its-official-brewdog-chooses-canal-winchester.html

The deal that Canal Winchester officials wouldn’t confirm more than two weeks ago became public Monday, June 29, thanks to a filing with the Ohio Tax Credit Authority: The city will be the U.S. headquarters for BrewDog, a Scottish craft-beer brewery.

Canal Winchester Mayor Michael Ebert was elated that his city was confirmed as the company’s new site.

“This truly is an international deal,” Ebert said.

A posting on the company’s website on June 29 said BrewDog will invest $30.4 million in the project, which will include a 100,000-square-foot building that will house its brewery, U.S. headquarters, restaurant and taproom.

Triad Architects of Columbus will design the facility.

The project is expected to bring more than 100 jobs to Canal Winchester.

According to the BrewDog website, the Canal Winchester brewery “will initially serve the U.S. market with potential to export to other countries.

” It will produce more than 85,200 barrels in its first year of production, increasing capacity in years two and three until it reaches 852,000 barrels.”

Economic development partners in the project are Jobs Ohio, Columbus 2020 and the city of Canal Winchester.

A press release from the city said Canal Winchester will give BrewDog a 15-year, 100-percent property tax exemption on the value of the building improvements, an incentive worth an estimated $2.7 million over the 15-year agreement.

Canal Winchester will also waive more than $325,000 in utility capacity and building permit fees.

“Since learning of the potential project a few weeks ago, Canal Winchester residents have become very excited about Brewdog,” Ebert said. “We look forward to working with them and are very happy they chose Canal Winchester as their U.S. Headquarters and their first production facility in the U.S.

“This project is not only a great manufacturing project for our community, but also will prove to be a major draw for tourism that will benefit the entire region.”

BrewDog is based in Ellon, near Aberdeen, Scotland, and has craft-beer bars across Europe.

BrewDog officials considered several sites for its U.S. headquarters, but said they settled on the Columbus area because of how welcome people made them feel.

Columbus 2020 and Jobs Ohio courted BrewDog for six months, according to Kenny McDonald, Columbus 2020 chief economic officer.

“They are a great company. It’s just a really solid business,” McDonald said. “It’s obviously an industry that is doing very well and expanding across the globe.”

James Watt, who founded BrewDog with Martin Dickie, said in an email the company had “big plans for our USA operation.

“We wanted to ensure we had room to expand from the outset,” he said. “With the brewery, restaurant and taproom, we’re going to need a bit of space.

“We’ve been continuously expanding our operation in northeast Scotland as fast as we can build, so for our USA operation, we’re setting up where we have room to grow,” he added.

“The new site will be accessible by rail, road and cycle path too, so it will be really easy to get there.”

Columbus Dispatch reporter JD Malone contributed to this story.

ThisWeek CW 06/02/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/06/29/independence-day-plans-groveport-promises-twice-as-much-july-4-boom.html

Groveport promises an even bigger bang for the buck at this year’s annual Fourth of July celebration.

Activities will start at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 4, and run through the nighttime fireworks grand finale.

According to Community Affairs Director Patty Storts, this year’s free event will conclude with a fireworks display at dusk with twice the boom of previous years, all set to a musical score.

“This year, the fireworks display is much larger than in previous years and will be complemented with music,” she said. “They will run approximately 25 minutes, and double the amount of shells will be fired.”

Starting the day at 9:30 a.m., the Children’s Parade will leave from Heritage Park, followed by the main July 4 parade, which will leave Glendenning Drive at 11 a.m. and proceed down Hendron Road before turning onto Main Street.

From noon to 4 p.m., Wirt Road and Heritage Park will be full of activities: children’s games, inflatables and bounce houses, all free. Food vendors will be on site throughout the day.

“Families are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs and, of course, a picnic if they like. We will have food vendors on site to purchase food, too. No alcohol is permitted,” Storts said.

There will be a special patriotic painting presentation at 2 p.m. on the Main Stage, with an artist creating an Independence Day-themed painting choreographed to patriotic music.

At 3 p.m., the annual Buckeye State-sanctioned Pedal Kiddie Tractor Pull will take place along Wirt Road. Children who wish to participate can register beginning at 2 p.m. July 4 near the KidSpace Crooked Alley building.

Throughout the afternoon, the Groveport Madison High School Drama Club will present selections from its performance of The Wizard of Oz on the Main Stage.

At 7:45 p.m. and leading into the fireworks, the Hard Day’s Night Beatles tribute band will take the stage.

For more information, visit groveport.org or call the community affairs department at 614-836-3333.

ThisWeek CW 06/02/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/06/29/2016-tax-budget-more-revenue-expected-in-water-sewer-general-funds.html

Anticipated revenue for Canal Winchester’s 2016 tax budgetis projected to exceed 2015 levels, according to Finance Director Amanda Jackson.

Projections show an anticipated increase in general fund revenue, as well as increases in water and sewer fund revenue for 2016.

“The income tax is projected to increase more than 10 percent, which seems large, but our auditors asked for us to change how we report some income tax revenue,” Jackson said. “So even though it looks like a 10-percent (increase) on paper, it’s not really that high.

“Our May income tax revenue was a little under $1 million, which was about twice what we expected.”

Jackson said new development is driving the income tax revenue increases, “like the new apartment complex on Diley Road that is giving us a boost.”

“We do have a water rate increase coming as well, which will increase water fund revenues, but we also expect an increase in our sewer fund revenues, even though there isn’t an increase in sewer rates,” she said.

This is also due to the amount of development in the city, which increases wastewater use, she said.

Even with the projected increases in revenue, the city faces a budget shortfall, with expenditures being an estimated $193,021 greater than revenue, Jackson said.

According to budget documents, general fund revenue for 2016 is projected to increase by 8 percent from the 2015 budgeted amounts; but expenditures will be 10 percent higher than 2015 numbers.

Jackson said this is due in part to all of the projects underway in the city — including construction of a new Public Works facility — and the increased cost of contract services.

“Everything is going up, but we like to err on the side of caution and overbudget,” she said. “We’ve never spent everything we’ve budgeted and I don’t think we will now, either.”

The proposed budget anticipates ending 2016 with a total general fund balance of $3,483,991, which is slightly lower than the current estimated general fund balance for 2015 of $3,677,012.

Overall, the total balance of all funds is estimated to be $12,824,887 in 2015 and $11,985,984 in 2016.

State law requires the city to adopt a new budget by July 15 each year; however, amendments to the budget are allowed throughout the year and may affect the overall estimates

ThisWeek CW 06/02/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/06/29/rush-ekelberry-wont-seek-re-election-to-council.html

Only two of the three incumbents up for re-election to Canal Winchester City Council in November will seek another term in office.

Incumbent Marilyn Rush-Ekelberry said she has chosen not to run.

“I’ve served two good terms on city council and it has been very gratifying work,” she said. “However, I am still planning on serving on the Canal Winchester Industry and Commerce Corp. and I’m sure there will be other volunteer opportunities.”

Council President Rick Deeds and Council Vice President Joe Abbott said they plan to seek re-election this fall.

Canal Winchester voters are likely to see a contested race for mayor in November.

Incumbent Mayor Michael Ebert is also seeking re-election and is expected to face competition from current Madison Township Trustee Victor Paini, who has two years left on his term.

“I spoke with Mayor Ebert a few weeks ago and we had a good talk about the race and have a mutual respect for one another, so I’m looking forward to the campaign,” Paini said.

In Madison Township, Fiscal Officer Barb Adams will seek re-election this fall as will Trustee Gary McDonald.

Groveport

Groveport City Council incumbents Shawn Cleary and Jean Ann Hilbert are both seeking re-election to that six member panel, as is Mayor Lance Westcamp.

Candidates have until 4 p.m. Aug. 5 to submit nominating petitions to the Franklin County Board of Elections. If candidates’ petitions are certified as containing the required number of valid signatures, their names will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.

ThisWeek CW 06/02/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/06/29/district-sells-35-acres-to-columbus-for-parkland.html

The Groveport Madison school district will sell 35 acres to the city of Columbus for parkland near the Blacklick Estates neighborhood.

The deal was unanimously approved by the school board last month. District officials said the sale price is $169,300.

According to records at the Franklin County Auditor’s office, the property was donated to the district in 1974 by Herbert and Anita Bowman.

The land sits just south of Refugee Road and north of Eastland Christian Church; the tract is bounded by Noe Bixby Road on the east and the Big Walnut Creek on the west.

It sits between two established parks — Helsel Park and Nafzger Park.

“This is the parcel we own off Noe Bixby Road up northwest of Sedalia Drive, which is big at about 35 acres, but almost all of it sits in the flood plain, so only about 8 acres is developable,” Superintendent Bruce Hoover said.

“The city of Columbus wants it for an addition to the Metro Parks system and we do not have a use for it.”

According to Hoover, Columbus will grant the Metro Parks an easement to construct a multi-use path and complete other improvements on the land to help link the other area parks and neighborhoods.

He said money from the sale will be used for permanent improvements in the district.

“The notion is that any sale has to go back into permanent improvement fund, like maintenance of buildings and fields and such,” Hoover said.

In response to a question from board member Libby Gray, he said the money could be used to repair roofs on district buildings.