• Posts Tagged ‘utilities’

    Other Council Matters: Heise Park Pool, A Resignation, and Good News

    by  • November 9, 2011 • News & Views • 1 Comment

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    As noted in our last post, Tuesday’s meeting of Galion City Council did not lack for substantive discussion topics. Over a two-hour period, in fact, some 11 items of proposed legislation were considered dealing with a wide range of issues.

    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

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    Council Meets; Utilities Late Fee Reduced

    by  • October 11, 2011 • News & Views • 10 Comments

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    What a difference two weeks can make.

    In contrast to the second September meeting of Galion City Council, where several local residents made their urgent concerns known about the proposed lease of Keller Hall, Tuesday’s first meeting of the month was a relatively placid affair. A small handful of legislative matters were considered; three passed unanimously, and one was tabled.

    Tuesday’s meeting was interesting not for what was on the agenda, but what sprung up without notice.

    One such moment occurred when Council was considering passage of another amendment to the new Utility Billing and Collections Policy. The amendment, as described by City Manager Gene Toy, was designed to provide clarification on collection definitions and timing. In particular, the objective was to identify when an actual delinquency would take … Read the rest

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    Tight Purses and Tense Times

    by  • September 10, 2011 • News & Views • 9 Comments

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    Galionites know well that the country, and this area of Ohio, are dealing with difficult economic times. This condition impacts not only individuals and families, but local governments as well which are facing the reality of attempting to do more with less and in the process are maximizing all possible revenue.

    Such is the case with the City of Galion, which recently enacted a set of utility bill and collection procedures in two separate ordinances. The changes reflected in the new policies – which were distributed this past week in the City’s utility bills – are dramatic and, according to some local business leaders with whom we spoke this past week, are an overreaction to the problem caused by serious delinquent bills. As one businessperson described it on Friday, “the … Read the rest

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    Sewers, Utility Bills, and Farmers Markets

    by  • August 10, 2011 • News & Views • 1 Comment

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    As is typical with the first Council meeting each month, the evening’s most interesting discussions did not take place when legislation was under consideration. Instead, they came during Committee reports and other opportunities for comment.

    Four ordinances and one resolution were passed with relatively little dialogue, each on an emergency basis, and each by a unanimous vote. Those measures included:

    ∙ An ordinance which authorized an agreement with Richland County for services of a part-time Commercial Plans Examiner. This is needed as the City’s Building Department does not have a qualified commercial examiner on staff.

    ∙ An ordinance to being the bidding process for an influent upgrades project at the Galion Wastewater Treatment Plant. City Manager Gene Toy explained that this was initially a $1.4 million dollar project … Read the rest

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