Pershing extension debated

By LARRY SHIELDS
SALEM — A second reading was held on an ordinance extending East Pershing Street to Butcher Road, but not without protest from Councilman Clyde Brown.

A first of the three readings needed for passage was held at the May 6 meeting. Brown and Palmer went back and forth after Brown criticized the ordinance, which Palmer introduced, with Brown saying there was no dollar amount attached to the legislation.

Brown said the city’s responsibility for the street came about after the developer upgraded it, a common practice when streets are extended.

Palmer said the land was given to the city contingent on it making improvements and tax increment financing (TIF) had been established to help pay for it.

A TIF is a tool to use future gains in taxes to finance the current improvements that will create those gains.

TIFs are used on public projects like streets, schools, or where hazardous waste cleanup is carried out.

They generate increased value for real estate and investment opportunities which create more taxable property, which increases tax revenues which are used later to pay for the project.

Palmer said, “We do have two years to complete the project” which would provide a third accessway to the east side of the city along with East State Street and the Bentley Drive to Cunningham Road extension.

Brown insisted the project failed to set money limits while pointing out it didn’t receive Planning Commission review.

Brown said, “We’re going to pay for a street” adding there will be no summer street program this year and asked if the extension was a reason for that.

“Does this over ride that?” Brown asked, saying the money could be better spent.

He said it was “a lot of money” to spend for little benefit to the city and thought it could go into the industrial park.

Palmer said the street reverts to the city and the “price is well worth” it for the safety and economic interests of the city.

Palmer also noted that the Benton Drive extension didn’t have a set cost when it was started while pointing out there was no more property available in the industrial park.

“This is crucial to the city’s development,” Palmer said, adding, “it’s no different than any other street and is going forward to Cunningham Road.”

Brown said all the city was doing was helping the developers and Palmer asked for a second reading. During the pleasure of council, Palmer said he planned on asking for the third and final reading at the next meeting.

He said the extension has been “discussed for years” and it would be a “huge disservice” not to pass it.

Brown asked council to read the section on accepting streets into the city.

In other business, council OK’d legislation that will allow Mayor Jerry Wolford to apply for approximately $4.4 million in U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s Ohio Section 594 matching grant money for the Utilities Department.

During a Utilities Committee meeting preceding the council meeting, Utilities Superintendent Don Weingart said there was $11 million available statewide.

He broke the department’s needs down into three phases, prioritizing the requests with a 1.5 million gallon, $1.9 million equalization basin at the Wastewater Treatment Plant; $1.8 million for 6,100 feet of sewer lines from Snyder Road to the plant that will double the inflow; and $790,000 to study infiltration issues the southeast section of town.

Weingart said that with a 75 percent government match, the city’s share was estimated at $1.127 million. He said none of the money would be applied to remediated phosphorus removal issues facing the city.

“All this does is hold the water back,” Weingart said in response to committee member Dave Nestic’s question, while committee chairman Dennis Groves got Weingart’s assurances that the matching fund money from the city was available.

In other business, council paid tribute to three people who worked for the city including Kenneth Fehr who served on the income tax board, Rusty Entrikin, assistant service department foreman and Kenneth Kastenhuber, senior electric traffic and safety helper.

Council approved Mayor Jerry Wolford’s three choices to serve on the Housing Appeals Board: Larry Bowersock, Richard Kelly and Karen Carter.

No action was taken on Mayor Jerry Wolford’s veto because of the 10 day waiting period.

Committee meetings set included: Finance Committee June 3 at 6 p.m.; Rules & Ordinance Committee May 27 at 6:30 p.m.; Streets, Sidewalks and Alleys May 27 at 7 p.m.; and the Parks Committee May 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Council adjourned to executive session to discuss wage negotiations.

Larry Shields can be reached at lshields@salemnews.net