By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com

Galion City Council took what Mayor Tom O’Leary called “the final legislative step” to moving ahead with the St. Rt. 598 widening project next year.

Ordinances 2013-83 thru 2013-87, with the exception of 2013-83, were passed as emergencies Tuesday night, on the recommendation of Law Director Roberta Wade, to meet the deadline of Nov. 18 to have every parcel along the project under contract or filed in court.

“The final legislative step of moving ahead with 598 has been taken care of tonight. Most all of the projects were acquired through negotiations,” O’Leary said. “We’ve got a couple, three, we’ll have to file. But what this enables us to do is complete our paperwork with the state so that the widening project can get underway next year.”

Ordinance 2013-84 allowed the Safety-Service Director to accept the easements and acquisitions that have been agreed, and numbers 2013-85 thru 2013-87 addressed the three parcels that have not yet officially come to terms. These parcels are owned by Speedway, McDonald’s, and Signal Bank, and Wade reported that verbal agreements have been reached with all on an appropriate figure, but that official paperwork has not yet been received. These three cases involve rather large corporate environments where paperwork in these sorts of matters usually moves slowly, but the administration was confident that agreements would be reached.

However, if for some reason one of these three would fail to submit the proper paperwork, the City will be in position to meet the deadline to file in court and therefore keep the project on track.

O’Leary called the likelihood that “all will be successfully negotiated” quite, “out of the ordinary.”

Ordinance 2013-83 was not passed as an emergency, and this ordinance will amend the appropriations for the widening project and Hesby Drive (FKA Jack B. Shuck Drive). As no deadline constraints were involved, Councilman Tom Fellner suggested that it maintain the normal schedule of passage to allow the community any input they may wish to add. The establishments for a roadway that would run north from Harding Way West to the school campus are in the ordinance, and, although the parcel is not in hand yet, O’Leary did not foresee the school resisting this development.

This road will be hugely important when the construction project is going on, as it will allow access to the businesses along Portland Way (from Harding Way) for the 120 or so days that the bridge will be out. While the exact path has not been determined, it will run north from Harding Way behind the shopping center, and turn right toward Portland Way and dumping out at the Heise Park access road. There is potential for a branch from the stretch that would run east/west to extend south into the shopping center parking lot as a further means of congestion reduction, but those talks are in the very early stages.

Eric Webber was appointed to council to start the meeting. The candidate who ran unopposed in the election gets a head start on his public service career as he was appointed to fill the seated vacated by Andy Daniels when he moved out of town. Webber was also appointed to fill Daniels’ position on the utilities committee, and Mike Richart was appointed to take his place on the finance committee. Richart will also serve out the remainder of the term as president pro tempore of council.

Dr. Medhi Ressallat’s settlement of $4,049 for damage down to his property was also accelerated slightly, and received final approval.

The position of Utility Office Manager received its final reading, for which the mayor thanked council.

“I think the whole operation will improve,” O’Leary said.