By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com
The alleged serious EPA violations of the Hesby Drive project received rather rigorous discussion before the Galion City Council. Harold Morrow was once again on hand to reiterate his request of a special meeting to, “address these issues.”
Morrow made claims at a previous meeting that engineer Lyn McKeever sent an email falsely stating the Morrow had filed official complaints with the EPA. Morrow again made these claims and made somewhat alluded to his previously stated desire from the last meeting to see McKeever removed from the city’s employ.
Mayor Tom O’Leary made a presentation in which each of the alleged violations was addressed. O’Leary has been working with the EPA and had prepared a document that addressed each of the supposed violations in turn.
“All the violations that were identified have been responded to with corrective action or there really weren’t violations,” O’Leary stated. “There have been responses prepared to all questions raised by the EPA. They are public record and have been addressed by the city.”
Morrow was asked to bring his initial public comments to a close for exceeding the allotted time, but was a frequent contributor throughout the meeting. At one point he made a slightly veiled threat toward the project, asking rhetorically, “If we can’t get this solved with a special meeting, and someone files an injunction, what are you going to do?”
He followed that up with, “You don’t want to hear what I have to say.”
When fellow citizen Jeff Price expressed dismay that Morrow was halted for exceeding his allotted time, councilman Tom Fellner responded, “Jeff, we haven’t ignored him. Everyone’s given Mr. Morrow a lot of courtesy.”
O’Leary added that anyone who wished could request a copy of his answers to the violations.
The two ordinances concerning the discharge of firearms and other throwing or shooting missiles (bows) that passed on a first reading at the last meeting were confronted with some concerns at the second hurdle. Jon Kleinknecht raised these concerns on the behalf of the absent Police Chief Brian Saterfield.
These ordinances concern the Northeast Annexation of Galion, and would allow for hunting inside the city limits, which is normally outside the rules. This must be done in compliance will all Ohio Department of National Resources (ODNR) regulations, and must comply with the Ohio Revised Code. Those wishing to hunt on these grounds must also seek permission from property owners and contact the Galion City Police Department.
That annexation took place in 1998-99, and at the time it has often been said that when these territories were annexed in these people would be allowed to keep their hunting privileges. Councilman Mike Richart was reiterating this point, when O’Leary questioned the validity of that claim. Councilman Steve Rowan produced a letter from the negotiation period, which did seem to support the claim that these privileges could be maintained.
What has changed since the late 1990s is the presence of the rerouted U.S. 30 four-lane highway. This is central to the concerns about allowing hunting in these areas, as well as Saterfield’s concerns about what needing to patrol these areas would do to his department’s workload.
Fellner agreed, calling it “an additional burden,” and noting, “They’re thin already as it is.”
The ordinance about firearms was passed, because Kleinknecht missed his chance to put forth a motion to table, with Kleinknecht and Fellner voting in the dissent. The complementary ordinance concerning throwing or shooting missiles was tabled unanimously.
The $320,000 needed for the 2014 paving projects was appropriated. On top of the large projects currently going on in town, the city will be repaving a large assortment of side streets yet this year. They are: Gill Avenue from Church to the corner of Erie, Jefferson Street from Harding Way to Heise Park; Tidd from Bucyrus to the Township Line; North Columbus Street from Harding Way to just past Payne; Wilson Avenue; Pershing Avenue; and Edgewood/Center Street.
The stranded payment cost with AMP, in the sum of $787,105 was approved as it was proposed in the finance committee. Through financing plans with AMP, Galion has the option to spread this payment out over monthly payments for 15 years, at 1.1-percent interest. This was the course of action that auditor Brian Treisch and his office recommended, and it was generally agreed that at such a low interest rate this would be good for the city. The 1.1-percent interest rate is locked in for at least three years. If it should increase after that time the city has the option to accelerate its payments to avoid incurring this interest.
In the 598 project update O’Leary stated, “All that can be done by the city’s being done.”
He is in almost daily contact with ODOT about the project and the contractor that is being used. The contractor is currently behind schedule, and some of the temporary signs they have employed have not necessarily been by the book. Of particular irritation has been the removal of the left hand turn on Grove, and the city is working hard to have that reinstated.
“No one in the city agreed to take away that left hand turn on Grove,” O’Leary said. The delays were of a lesser concern, with O’Leary adding, “I feel like with any kind of luck will have this project completed and ready for traffic by the time the bridge goes out.”