By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com
Whether it was intended or not, there was a symmetry to the Galion City Council meeting Tuesday evening. Steve Rowan, who recently resigned his Ward 2 seat on City Council began the meeting with a presentation and Mark Triplett was sworn in as Rowan’s replacement to end the meeting.
Rowan began the meeting discussing the issue central to his resignation. During public participation, he informed council of a trip he made to a meeting in Crestline concerning property involved in the detachment of the Galion northeast annexation. The residents in this area have petitioned Galion to be detached so that they may pursue utilities through Crestline. This is a move that city administration has supported, as they do not feel that extended services to this area would be cost effective. The detachment ordinance passed the first reading at the last regular council meeting.
At the meeting Rowan attended, the subject of a potential property swap was brought up. Currently, Crestline has holdings south of US 30, and Galion has holdings to the north. A swap would relieve either municipality of boring under the highway to provide services. Rowan indicated Crestline officials Gene Toy and Marc Milliron being in favor, and asked Council if this was something that would interest the Galion administration.
Carl Watt and Tom Fellner both reported that residents of this detachment area have maintained their position of wishing to part ways and as a result Galion officials are not interested in pursuing a swap.
“I was told this afternoon that there was no interest on their part,” Watt said.
Council then suspended the rules and ratified Ordinance 2015-17 concerning the detachment on a final reading. This decision was made to bring some sense of expediency to an issue that has long been on the table, and will allow the people of this area the opportunity to pursue their own utility needs.
Triplett was sworn in at the end of the meeting. Triplett will assume Rowan’s Ward 2 seat. Triplett was sworn in following a deliberative executive session from council.
Watt expressed optimism in the appointment, stating “Mr. Triplett and his experience with the City brings a new view,” followed by, “I think he’s going to be an asset to the City.”
Triplett himself was brief but sincere, simply stating, “I look forward to working with the City of Galion.”
During the Mayor’s Report, Tom O’Leary highlighted the two most important upcoming projects would involve finalizing the electric rate schedule to get that before council, and the Portland Way South reconstruction project. The Portland Way project may have to be put off until late summer due to various procedural things that will need to be followed with the beginning of a new fiscal year in July. In the meantime, the mayor’s office is acknowledging the rough shape that the street is in and looking at ways to patch potholes until the major reconstruction, without blowing the budget for other pothole patching around town.