The initial question was raised by one of those gathered to listen to the Finance Committee meeting:

In the 2011 Revenue Requirements (the amount needed to be obtained to operate the electrical utility) shared by Sawvel and Associates, some $296,668 was added to total expenditures with a caption of “Uncollected Billing Revenue and Other.” If this is correct, the questioner posed, why should paying electric customers be paying for those who do not pay their bill, and does this … Read the rest

1. City Reexamines Electric Rates
2. Council Raises Water, Sewer Rates; Tables Electric Rate Increase
3. Looking at Consolidation

The room was full on Thursday morning as the Finance Committee of Galion City Council conducted its long-anticipated review of the City’s proposed electric rate increase. And, while there was no resolution of that issue, it is evident that it will be some time before that increase will be enacted — if ever.

The meeting followed a brief, eight-minute session of the Galion Financial Planning and Supervision Commission, which is assigned the duty of … Read the rest

1. Council Raises Water, Sewer Rates; Tables Electric Rate Increase
2. Looking at Rates and Perceptions
3. City Takes Steps in Electrical System Upgrade

And one of the briefest Galion Council meetings in months saw the consideration of three legislative items, as well as a handful of items mentioned by City Manager Gene Toy. Councilwoman Cathy George was absent and excused.

Legislation included the following:

Council passed a First Reading of an ordinance expanding the Uptowne Design Review District to encompass the former Galion Middle School property, now known as the Historic Union Schoolyard. This expansion was an express request of the Galion Historical Society, owners of the property.

The Society … Read the rest

1. Council Considers Wide Range of Items
2. Council Concludes Year; Honors Two Retiring Members
3. Council Looks Ahead to “A Tough Year”

The first Galion City Council meeting of 2012 on Tuesday evening saw two new eager members sitting at the table, as new Councilmen Kenneth Bodkins and Paul Flannery were the first to take their seats before the meeting began. In relatively short order, Council organized for the upcoming year, authorized two new purchases, and paid tribute to the late Horace Freese through the dedication of a memorial plaque.

Routine items of organization took a few minutes at the outset of the meeting, including the election of new presiding officers for 2012 as well as the announcement of Committee assignments. These items of business occurred without the presence of Councilman Dr. Thomas Fellner, who was absent, and Councilwoman Cathy George, who was running late and arrived after those items were handled.… Read the rest

1. Council Concludes Year; Honors Two Retiring Members
2. Baldinger, Wade Elected as Council President, Vice President
3. Council Rejects Police Bargaining Agreement

Three items of legislation were on Council’s holiday plate for the last meeting of 2011, including one emergency ordinance and two resolutions. The ordinance would establish a deferred compensation plan for members of the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters (OAPFF). At present, this would affect only one City employee in the Galion Fire Department. This benefit plan has no cost whatsoever to the City of Galion, and is similar to that passed last week for other City employees. The measure was passed in quick order.

After Council passed another resolution … Read the rest

1. Council Looks Ahead to “A Tough Year”
2. Council Organizes, Authorizes Purchases, Honors Freese
3. Council Takes One More Step Toward Recovery

In introducing the Recovery Plan ordinance, City Manager Gene Toy noted that the plan was the product of extensive work which had begun in early September of this year. Immediately after introduction, Councilwoman Roberta Wade spoke to her fellow Council members about concerns with the City’s projected 5-year General Fund balance under the plan. Over that period, the fund would go from a current $5 million balance to approximately $1 million. This, she said, meant that the City was living off … Read the rest

1. Council Takes One More Step Toward Recovery
2. Ohio Budget Shrinks, Galion Income Rises
3. Galion Has a New Fire Chief

In one of the longest meetings in recent months, Galion City Council considered a number of measures on Tuesday dealing with the City’s short and long term financial health. Included among other ordinances and resolutions under review were three measures, each of which calling on Council to enact utility rate changes on an Emergency basis.

The first utility ordinance to be considered was that dealing with a raise in water rates with a projected effective start date of January 1, 2012. The strident discussion which took place during this initial ordinance set the tone … Read the rest

1. City Reexamines Electric Rates
2. Council Tables Rate Hike
3. Utility Rate Increases Enacted by Council

Consideration of these measures took place in the midst of some 19 additional pieces of legislation. We will have a follow-up story on these items.

Belinda Miller of the Ohio Auditor’s office led Council on an exhaustive, hour-long, account by account review of the proposed recovery plan amendment, which covers fiscal years 2012 through 2016. Before her presentation began, Galion Fire Chief Phil Jackson spoke … Read the rest

1. Recovery Plan, Budget Approved
2. City Takes Steps in Electrical System Upgrade
3. Council Concludes Year; Honors Two Retiring Members

Before the deliberative portion of the meeting, Galion Community Center-YMCA Director Terry Gribble gave Council a report on the 2011 season at the Heise Park swimming pool. The Center-YMCA manages operation of the pool pursuant to an agreement with the City of Galion, which in turn covers the difference between revenue and costs of operation.

Initially relaying that the hourly rate for services has remained constant for the last 5-6 years, Gribble shared some overall statistics to begin his presentation. Contracted labor costs this past year for 419 ½ … Read the rest

1. City Council Meeting – Houses and Swimming Pools
2. Galion Places – Heise Park
3. Families in the Park at Heise

It was almost 8:00 p.m. by the time the second reading arrived for an ordinance which would establish farmers market regulations in Galion. Because other local farmers markets operate outside of the corporate limits, this regulation would currently deal only with the God’s Little Acre Farmers Market. God’s Little Acre operates each Saturday from May through October in the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church on South Market Street.

For our coverage of Council’s consideration of the proposed regulations on its first reading, click here. Those regulations would … Read the rest

1. Council Looks at Farmers Markets, Road Paving
2. Sewers, Utility Bills, and Farmers Markets
3. Galion’s Farmers Markets Arrive This Week