• Council Endorses County Levy

    by  • July 27, 2010 • Life in Galion, News & Views • 14 Comments

    Councilwomen Roberta Wade and Shirley Clark confer before Tuesday's Council meeting

    One of the shortest City Council meetings in months saw the passage of measures described as either “routine” or “housekeeping,” the vacation of an alley off of Cherry Street, and Council’s public endorsement of the upcoming Crawford County Criminal Justice Levy.

    Measures passed (all unanimously) included the following:

    • Establishment of three new funds, two of which to house monies obtained by grant, and a third, an “agency fund” designed to accommodate changes in the City’s health care premium payments.
    • An amendment to the City’s Financial Recovery Planincorporating changes made to reduce the severity of utility increases passed last year.
    • Council authorized the City Manager to enter into a contract with the State of Ohio for a required audit of the City’s 2009 fiscal year.
    • Vacation of an alley which has been extensively discussed both in Committee and in prior Council meetings.

    City Manager Gene Toy shared the following with Council:

    • The Atwood Manor demolition is now scheduled to begin on August 2.
    • Ocktoberfest is set for September 30 through October 2.
    • Tomorrow morning will see a meeting of the Tax Incentive Review Council, which reviewed compliance with tax abatements and other development-based financial incentives.

    The only ongoing discussion occurred after City Councilwoman Cathy George made a motion for Council to endorse the County Criminal Justice Levy, which comes up for a vote next Tuesday. At her request, Police Chief Brian Satterfield addressed Council to briefly review the situation at the County Justice Center and the ongoing release of inmates. Satterfield noted that should the levy fail, additional releases would be necessary in what he referred to as a “downward spiral.” He then emphasized that the impact of the current situation “…does affect Galion” and specifically requested Council’s endorsement. After seconding by Councilman Dr. Thomas Feller, the measure passed unanimously.

    The meeting concluded at approximately 7:30 p.m..

    Related posts:

    1. Crawford County Voters to Vote on Park Levy in March
    2. Galion School Renewal Levy Passes; Vermillion Elected; GalionLive Swamped
    3. Council Considers Brief Agenda
    4. Council Goes for Grants
    5. Board of Education Hears Levy Option

    About

    • Anthony

      Not a single word about the huge jump in electric rates coming very soon.

      This city council seems to act only when a crisis happens.

    • Anthony

      Where is Walter Keib ?

      Maybe it’s time for someone take his place. Council President Baldinger had spoken with him and expectd him to resume his duties.

      Anybody in the second ward ready for this task ?

      http://www.galioninquirer.com/local.asp?ID=1992&Story=1

    • Russell Henkel

      I HATE TO TELL YOU BUT OPEN HEART SURGERY IS NO WALK IN THE PARK.I KNOW.

    • Anthony

      Russ,

      I’m not implying it is.

      The Cleveland Clinic state normal recovery for the first phase is six to 8 weeks. After that phase, one should be able to start strenous activities.

      http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/recovery_ohs.aspx

      Walter isn’t jack hammering concrete, installing sewer lines or anything strenuous at all in his function of a city council member.

      If he can not do the job, or refuses to do the job, he must go.

    • Russell Henkel

      SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS FOR A 35 YEAR OLD PERSON, HOW ABOUT [67 FOR ME WALT IS PROBABLY IN HIS 60s]I STARTED WORKING OUT 8 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY[REAL TOUGH] THEN 12 WEEKS ON THE BIKE AND TREADMILL,3 TIMES A WEEK WHAT IS BOTHERSOME IS WHEN IS SOMETHING ELSE GOING TO HIT,THAT ANTHESTIC STAYS A WHILE IN YOUR BODY[6 MONTHS YOU CAN NOT THINK STRAIGHT]I KNOW EXACTLY HOW WALT FEELS, ITS BEEN A YEAR FOR ME AND I FEEL PRETTY GOOD. HE WILL BE BACK AFTER LABOR DAY. I DO NOT THINK YOU CAN RUN HIM OFF ANYHOW. THANK GOD I DID NOT HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK. ONE THING I NOTICED,I CAN PUSH MOW[SELF PROPELLED] THE GRASS IN THE SUN WITHOUT STOPPING,COULD NOT DO THAT BEFORE.

    • cooshirl_98

      Anthony I am not aware of any upcoming increase in electric, in fact finance committee is working on how to reduce the electric. Rome was not built in a day and I am sure Walt will be back as soon as he feels up to it.

    • Anthony

      coolshirl

      you have not paid attention.

      Former finance director Mike Weiland who came from AMP. Under the guise of his leadership, convinced the city council at that time to sign up for 3 new contracts with AMP. Weiland has now left Galion to scurry back to AMP.

      In roughly 18 months these contracts will begin to kick in.

      These contracts are for 50 years. They force the city of Galion to purchase 27.752 megawatts of electricity everday. This is not an option to buy that amount, this is being forced to buy under the terms of the contract. In 2008, the city of Galion averaged only 11.7 megawatts of total usage. This was before so many families left town, this was before PECO left, this was before the full brunt of the recession took hold. That figure now is probably closer to 10 megawatts a day.

      Galion will be ” FORCED TO BUY 270% MORE ELECTRICITY THAN IT NEEDS ”

      The city can not run a negative figure in the utilities, so that means the customers of the utility will pay it.

      Not only did he convince city official to these contracts, but then he also convinced city official to become owners of these new plants and Galion is responsible for all the cost over runs, liabilities etc.

      What in the world is Galion buying power from a plant in Illinois ? The city will be shortly and it’s price tag is already twice as much as originally told it would be.

      This is Prairie State, hundreds of miles away from Galion.

      http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-coal-plant-20100710,0,3046966,full.story

      This is the most urgent matter facing Galion.

      Mike Weiland left ticking time bombs for Galion.

    • Russell Henkel

      IN THE MAY BILLING GALION USED 7,045,572 KWH FOR A TOTAL OF $681,552.48.JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION.

    • Anthony

      Thanks for the info Russ.

      1 megawat = 1000 kilowatts

      So the May average was 7,045 megawatts.

      Take a wild guess what is going to happen when Galion is forced to buy 27.752 megawatts regardless of whether it is needed or not.

      That will be 4 times the amount that was actually used in May.

    • Anthony

      Where the AMP contracts are coming from

      The new prairie state coal plant in Illinois

      9.952 megawatts

      16 megawats from the new generating plant in southeast Ohio

      Then additional megawats from a hydro dam project on the Ohio river.

      Under the terms of the contract, these are must buy, not option to buy. Galion must buy these set amounts.

      Galion is also on the hook for the EPA fines and the enviromental clean up of the soon to be closed Gorsuch coal plant in southeast Ohio.

      Only two cities in Ohio told AMP to go jump in the lake over their contract terms. Yellow Springs and Westerville.

      Yellow Springs is home to Antioch college and after looking at the contract the faculty at the college advised city council not to do it.

      Westerville city council chair is a vice president of AEP. Looking at the numbers and terms, they told them in polite terms, ” you people are crazy.”

      http://www.westerville.org/Default.aspx?tabid=422

    • Russell Henkel

      I GUESS WE WILL NOT BE PUTTING UP THE CHRISTMAS TREE AND OUTDOOR LIGHTS.IS THAT WHAT ELECTRIC RATES IN GALION ARE COMMING TO?

    • Anthony

      City council has an opportunity to reverse this.

      1. First they have to understand what was done.

      2. Then they have to take AMP to court on fraud charges to throw out the contracts. This was a clear conflict of interest on former finance director Mike Weiland part. AMP relies on unsophisticated small town city councils. Most of which members are not finance experts, experts on the law and contracts.

      3. Then Galion needs to sell the utility for once and all, and stop the madness.

      This is Praire State coal plant.

      http://www.prairiestateenergycampus.com/pages.asp?pagemainlevel=6&pageid=57

      The dam project

      http://www.mydailyregister.com/view/full_story/2932839/article-AMP-river-projects-include-Byrd-Dam?

      This is how AMP gives their contracts. This was a study provided to the city of Cleveland for their municpal system. Go all the way down to section 8.2.

      http://www.ohiocitizen.org/campaigns/coal/BREI%20Consulting%20Engineer%20Report%20FINAL%20101607.pdf

    • Russell Henkel

      I SEE AEP HAD A BIG ARTICLE IN THE MANSFIELD PAPER THIS MORNING,ANYONE CARE TO COMMENT.

    • Anthony

      AEP shut down several generating plants as there is less demand for electricity. Layed off workers and offered buyouts.

      Less revenue coming in normally leads to less profits, which is exactly what happened.

      With AEP, only the state can allow any increase in utility rates, and they have to demonstrate to PUCO why the increase in rates is justified. They can’t do that, so no increase in rates for AEP customers.