2011 Newsletter Sept Oct

Genoa Township
newsletter
September - October 2011
From the Trustees
There is an unnecessary duplication of Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) in Genoa Township which
we are working diligently to eliminate, and we
need your support. For the past several months,
Trustees Gebhardt, Lewis and I have been talking
with our County Commissioners and other local
officials in a cooperative effort to modernize EMS
operations. We have proposed that the County’s
EMS responsibilities in Genoa transition over to
our Township’s Fire/EMS Department. This would
eliminate duplicative County EMS service in Genoa
and enable us, with the cooperation of the County,
to reduce the amount of money that Genoa citizens
pay for these safety services.
Background:
Our residents receive EMS
coverage from both our Township’s Fire/EMS
Department and Delaware County…literally.
On occasion, squads from both entities have
simultaneously responded to emergencies. Is this
prompt, first-class, emergency service? Yes. Is it
overkill? Absolutely. That’s why for the past five
years, Genoa Township has sought to modernize
the delivery of these crucial services. While our
Township and County have changed drastically
over the past decade alone, the County’s EMS
system remains just as established 40 years ago. In
1990, Genoa Township had 4,053 residents. Today,
that number has exploded to 23,094 – a growth
rate of 283% in just 20 years. Despite the numerous
growth challenges, we have continued to plan and
adapt in order to preserve our quality of life.
History:
One of these actions was to establish
a full-time Township Fire Department in 2001 and
house the County’s EMS crew at our station. As our
growth soared, so did the demand for emergency
services. Unfortunately, the County’s level of
service could not accommodate these demands.
Rather than add paramedics only, my predecessors
realized it was more practical and economical to
cross-train our existing fire personnel to handle
multiple functions. Today, all of our fine men
and women are fully cross-trained as firefighters,
rescue technicians and EMS paramedics.
At the end of last decade’s housing boom (4,404
Township homes built from 1999-2009), additional
firefighters were needed to provide adequate
property coverage and reasonable response times.
We approached the County with a proposal to
assimilate their already-housed EMS crew into
Genoa’s Fire/EMS Department. These employees
could then be cross-trained as firefighters, thus
fulfilling our community’s need for greater
fire coverage without increasing our fire levy,
expanding facilities, or displacing any County
employees. Unfortunately, the County did not wish
to consolidate, remaining content to provide only
EMS service.
To address our deficient fire coverage, we had no
choice but to hire the additional personnel via
last year’s fire levy and displace the County EMS
crew in our station. The County has now leased
a facility at Northgate Plaza with the intention of
converting it into an EMS station. The Delaware
Gazette reports these costs are projected to run
approximately $570,000 over ten years.
A Better Alternative: Since our Fire/EMS
Department can serve as the sole first-responder for
all medical emergencies throughout the Township,
the County has the ability to contract with us to
provide these services. This would eliminate the
redundant layer of County EMS coverage without
jeopardizing the public safety of our residents.
These valuable EMS resources could then be redeployed to areas throughout the County either
underserved or targeted for future development, all
without expanding County payroll. A contracted
amount would be far cheaper than the County’s
actual provision of service, and could also provide
us an opportunity to lower taxes by rolling back a
portion of our fire levy.
This isn’t a new concept; the County already
contracts with the City of Delaware and Liberty
Township for their provisions of fire-based EMS
service. In fact, 52% of County residents live in
communities where local fire departments are the
sole first responder for EMS. Coupled with the
portions of Genoa, Orange, and Harlem Townships
where County EMS doesn’t act as first responder,
that 52% figure skyrockets.
Make no mistake, this isn’t about performance.
Delaware County’s EMS provides outstanding
service, and their crews exhibit the highest levels of
care and professionalism. This is about embracing
the versatility of our men and women to make the
most efficient use of the taxes we all pay. The
County prefers to have one entity handle EMS and
one entity handle firefighting. We simply believe
that one entity should handle both functions,
because they already are.
Unfortunately, the County is reluctant to move
forward on this idea. We realize it’s not something
that can be implemented overnight, and will involve
substantial legwork, patience and discussion.
However, the time has come to re-think how we
Sarah & Kyle Heichel, Buckeye Bounce Houses
“I Beat The Chief” Kids’ Fun Run winners
New Firefighters: Chris Mize, Mike Maher,
Allison Holtsberry
do business in local government. Trustee Gebhardt and
I testified before the Delaware County Commissioners
on August 8 about this issue. On August 19, our Board
voted unanimously to formally oppose any further
County spending towards a new EMS station in
Genoa that only perpetuates these duplicative efforts.
Additionally, we voted unanimously to authorize
discussion of an agreement designating Genoa’s Fire/
EMS Department as the sole primary provider of EMS
services in the Township.
Now it’s time to hear what the public has to say, because
this issue has remained inside baseball for far too long.
We encourage you to contact us, our Fire Chief Gary
Honeycutt, and especially our County Commissioners
to share your thoughts on this important financial
matter.
Wishing you all a very safe and pleasant autumn,
Rick Carfagna
Chairman
Genoa Township Administrative Office • (614) 895-1126 • www.genoatwp.com
Genoa Township Newsletter
Administrator’s Update
Congratulations Chief Taylor!
Genoa Township Police Chief Robert Taylor
was recently awarded the Mark Losey
Distinguished Law Enforcement Service Award.
This award is presented to individuals who
have made significant contributions to Ohio law
enforcement during their career. Nominees are
selected for their performance on the job and
for personal contributions they have made to
the community. Nominations were turned in to
the Ohio Attorney Generals where a committee
of local, state and federal law enforcement
experts selected the award winners. Chief
Taylor will be honored at the Attorney General’s
law enforcement luncheon in October.
Summer Road Projects
Our Township Maintenance and Buildings and
Grounds crews have been working diligently in
the summer months preparing our local streets
for improvements. The base work is being
completed by our own labor force to save money
and stretch the Road Levy dollars. The Delaware
County Engineer bids our resurfacing program in
order to receive a volume discount with other
local municipalities. We strive to keep our roads
in the best condition we possibly can. This year’s
program will improve 6.9 miles of Township
roads. Once again, I want to thank the voters of
Genoa Township for your support of the .7 mil
levy needed to fund road improvement projects.
McNamara Park Update
The bidding is complete and the ground was
broken on McNamara Park Expansion. Base
development began on August 1st to the west
side of the park. A new trail running from the
Township administration office to McNamara
Park was completed on August 12th. This
new section of trail was funded through an
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Grant.
When completed, the trail around McNamara
Park will measure close to a mile. Expanded
Family Fishing Day
Hilmar Park
Saturday, Sept. 24th
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
beggars’ night
Monday, October 31st
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
2
Paul Wise
Administrator
parking, improved site drainage, a rain garden,
and tennis courts are also being planned.
Hilmar Park
A handicapped accessible fishing pier will be
constructed very soon at Hilmar Park. This
improvement is also being funded with an ADA
Grant. Dedication of the new fishing pier will
take place on “Fishing Day,” September 24th.
Free Child Identification Cards
Genoa Township will now offer free child
identification photos every 2nd Thursday of
the month from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Please bring your children to the Township
Administration Office at 5111 South Old 3C
Highway. For questions or to make reservations
for larger groups, please call Dawn Durbin
at 614-895-1126 Option 0 or email ddurbin@
genoatwp.com. The children will have a photo
and fingerprint taken. Information will be
placed on an identification card for parents to
keep. The information will also be stored in a
police database.
Township Summer Labor
I want to take this opportunity to praise the
following young men who have been working
alongside our Road Maintenance and Buildings
and Grounds crews this summer: Luke Atkeson,
Matthew Hay, Ryan Herrmann, Benson Jung,
Zachary Paganini, and Kyle Stelzer. We could
not have completed half of our projects if it
wasn’t for the excellent help from this group.
They all worked outdoors in sweltering heat
shoveling, cutting grass, cleaning buildings and
performing any other tasks that were asked of
them. Their hard work was greatly appreciated.
Genoa Township
Trick-or-Treat Village and
Fire Prevention Open House
Saturday, October 29th
Time:
12 noon to 3:00 pm
Location:
Genoa Township
Service Complex
7049 Big Walnut Rd.
(corner SR 3 & Big Walnut Rd.)
Be sure to visit our “Trick-or-Treat Village”
for little beggars! The fun begins at noon
with games, prizes, free raffles for Township
children, inflatables, hot dogs, refreshments,
balloon art and more!
This year’s Open House will feature our Police
Department grilling hot dogs once again, and
the Fire Department will have lots of special
activities and treats for all the kids. You won’t
want to miss out on any of this fun day!
Please consider volunteering some time for
this fun family event and make this a day to
remember! For information, call or email
Linda Greco (614) 568-2022 or lgreco@
genoatwp.com.
Fiscal Report
Fund
Name
Pat Myers
Fiscal Officer
01/01/2011
Fund Balance
YTD
Revenue
YTD
Expenditures
Ending Balance
as of 7/31/2011
General
$3,158,700.40
$1,363,175.53
$914,567.24
$3,607,308.69
Motor Vehicle License Tax
$228,688.91
$21,093.57
$-
$249,782.48
Gasoline Tax
$460,449.67
$104,642.25
$-
$565,091.92
Road and Bridge
$286,995.97
$627,331.59
$690,160.33
$224,167.23
Cemetery
$59,259.49
$3,254.00
$2,447.32
$60,066.17
Police - Grants
$5,377.35
$-
$-
$5,377.35
Police
$1,009,389.64
$1,889,067.25
$1,729,072.21
$1,169,384.68
Fire
$1,588,230.70
$2,282,237.09
$1,722,555.31
$2,147,912.48
Permissive Motor Vehicle License Tax
$832,791.71
$112,531.49
$22,626.25
$922,696.95
Law Enforcement Trust
$25,016.98
$79,607.41
$13,288.42
$91,335.97
Enforcement and Education
$10,315.70
$515.00
$-
$10,830.70
Parks
$6,187.92
$-
$5,000.00
$1,187.92
TIF Fund
$559,731.29
$213,483.07
$14,754.34
$758,460.02
$117,136.00
FEMA
$117,136.00
$-
$-
General (bond) (note) Retirement
$1,386.69
$-
$-
$1,386.69
Police Capital Projects
$746,978.72
$-
$39,086.03
$707,892.69
$1,326,356.47
Fire Capital Projects
$1,326,356.47
$-
$-
Big Walnut/Worth Rd Improvements
$101,272.14
$1,002.76
$-
$102,274.90
Totals
$10,524,265.75
$6,697,941.01
$5,153,557.45
$12,068,649.31
Genoa Township Administrative Office • (614) 895-1126 • www.genoatwp.com
Fire Department
Gary Honeycutt
Fire Chief
Fire Safety
Over the past few months, Genoa Township, along with all of Central Ohio,
has experienced their share of stormy weather. In just one 24-hour period
in July the fire department responded to seven lightning strikes to homes,
with four of them resulting in fires.
These structure fires were caused by corrugated stainless steel tubing
(CSST) failure. CSST is the gas distribution system that generally runs
within the basement ceiling area of a home or in the attic of a structure
without a basement. It is thin yellow flexible tubing that runs from the gas
manifold to each gas appliance (stove, fireplace, water heater, furnace,
etc.). CSST is prevalent throughout Genoa Township and has been used in
building construction since the late 1980s.
CSST failure is caused by a high voltage electrical arc created by a nearby
lightning strike. The arc created by the lightning melts a hole in the thin
stainless steel tubing (0.011 inch thickness) and then the escaping natural
gas is usually ignited. The fire from the escaping gas then ignites structural
components of the building and spreads depending upon the size of hole,
type of building construction, location of CSST failure along with other
factors.
If you suspect that your house has been hit by lightning, be sure to contact
911 to have it checked out by the fire department.
Fire Open House
The Genoa Township Fire Department Open House will take place on
October 29th from 12 Noon to 3 pm at the Safety Services Complex. Please
join us for some fun and education.
Funds Raised For MDA
Genoa Township Firefighters would like to thank everyone who took part
in the 5k Run/Walk at the Genoa Township Trail Festival. As hot as it was,
$818.00 was raised from participation fees for the Muscular Dystrophy
Association. Also, 30 children “Beat the Chief” in a 1k Fun Run to win
medals.
Tennis Tournament Date:
October 8, 2011
For Registration & Details:
www.genoatwp.com
Police Department
Robert Taylor
Police Chief
Missing Juvenile Found
In July we experienced an investigation involving a missing juvenile. Due to
the cooperation of a number of local police agencies and fire departments
the juvenile was found within 39 hours after he was reported missing.
We, along with the family, are very grateful to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office,
Westerville, Powell, Columbus, Hilliard, Gahanna, Sharon Township, Mifflin
Township, Reynoldsburg, Groveport, New Albany, Pickerington, Dublin,
Whitehall and Millersburg Police Departments. Additional assistance
was provided by the Genoa Township and Westerville Fire Departments
along with the Red Cross and Box 15. This was truly a “Team Effort.” A
special thank you to Deputy Chief David Stout who coordinated the overall
investigation.
We encourage everyone, that once you realize a child is missing, it is
imperative local law enforcement be contacted immediately. Expediency
is essential!
Community Crime Patrol
We are beginning to explore the possibility of initiating a Community
Crime Patrol (CCP). The philosophy is predicated upon the creation of
partnerships with the community to prevent crime. CCP will consist of a
trained group of volunteers to provide a mechanism whereby citizens can
take an active part in supporting law enforcement in crime prevention
efforts within their neighborhoods. The ultimate goal is to have the
program become the eyes and ears of the working police officer which
will become an integral part of an effort to suppress crime and improve
the quality of life in Genoa Township. Additional information will be
disseminated at a later date.
Clase
Development & Zoning DevelopmentJoe& Zoning
Central Ohio Green Pact
On July 7th, the Board of Trustees joined dozens of other local governments
in the area making a pledge to support the Central Ohio Green Pact and
to continue to pursue initiatives aimed at being more environmentally
friendly and eventually saving tax dollars. This initiative was a no
cost way of engaging our community with other local governments in
the region. We will be working with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning
Commission to determine various ways that this mission can be
implemented including exploration of alternative energy/fuel usage, and
Zoning Code amendments.
Tennis Court Fundraising Tournament
Genoa Township Parks Advisory Board has partnered with Big Walnut
Local Schools, Olentangy Local Schools, Westerville City Schools and a few
local tennis enthusiasts to raise funds toward the development of two (2)
tennis courts at McNamara Park. A tournament will be held on Saturday,
October 8, 2011 on tennis courts throughout the community. All are invited
to participate.
Genoa Township is attempting to utilize a $19,468.00 NatureWorks Grant
that the Township received in 2010. The full cost of two (2) tennis
courts has been bid at $89,583.02, based on the construction documents
prepared by Floyd Browne Group. If sufficient funds are not raised in
this 2011 campaign, annual campaigns will continue until the courts can
be constructed, but Genoa Township may not be able to utilize the grant
funds it has secured. Any surplus donations will be used to construct other
amenities in McNamara Park, such as benches, plantings and shelters. A
copy of the McNamara Park Master Plan and Construction Documents can
be found by visiting www.genoatwp.com and clicking on “McNamara Park
Plan” in the left column.
In addition to the tournament, raffle tickets for cash and prizes are on sale
for $5 each. A BBQ dinner will be held at McNamara Park on Saturday,
October 8, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. following the tournament. Tickets for dinner
are $25 each. Kids under 12 years old are $5 each.
McNamara Park Phase 1 improvements are currently under way to develop
an additional fifteen (15) acres, providing access to properties purchased
on the east and northeast side of the existing park and connecting the
park to South Old 3C Highway. The improvements will include grading
and drainage improvements, expanded open fields, over 200 additional
parking spaces, over a mile of additional trail development including
a connection to the Genoa Township Hall at 5111 S. Old 3C Hwy. A
large percentage of the project will be constructed by Genoa Township
maintenance employees in order to save taxpayer funds.
Individuals, families or corporations interested in participating or making
a tax-deductible donation to support the improvement are asked to
contact Parks Manager Ron Keil at 614-568-2029 or [email protected].
“A Great Place to Live”
3
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE
5111 So. Old 3C Hwy.
Westerville, OH 43082
(614) 895-1126 Fax (614) 895-1255
www.genoatwp.com
“A Great Place to Live”
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Chairperson
Rick Carfagna
(614) 568-2024
Vice-Chairperson
Karl R. Gebhardt
(614) 568-2025
Trustee
Barbara Lewis
(614) 568-2026
Email: [email protected]
Fiscal Officer
Patrick Myers
[email protected]
Fiscal Assistant
Donna Batten
[email protected]
ADMINISTRATION AND
DEVELOPMENT & ZONING
Administrator
Paul F. Wise
[email protected]
Assistant Administrator/Dir. of
Development & Zoning
Joe Clase, AICP
[email protected]
Human Resource/Events
Linda Greco
[email protected]
SAFETY SERVICES COMPLEx
7049 Big Walnut Rd.
Galena, OH 43021
Fire (614) 568-2040
Gary Honeycutt, Fire Chief
[email protected]
Police (614) 568-2060
Robert Taylor, Police Chief
[email protected]
Maintenance (614) 568-2080
Bob Mathews, Director of Roads & B&G
[email protected]
Genoa Township Community Calendar
September 2011
September 1
September 5
September 7
September 8
September 8
September 12
September 13
September 15
September 17
September 21
September 24
September 27
Board of Trustees
Labor Day
Parks Advisory Board
Child Photo IDs
Seniors
Zoning Commission
Parks Advisory Board
Board of Trustees
Movie Night
Health Clinic
Family Fishing Day
Board of Zoning Appeals
October 2011
7:00 p.m.
Office Closed
6:00 p.m.
9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Noon
7:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
9:00 p.m.
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
Township meetings are held in the Genoa Township Community Hall
located at 5111 So. Old 3C Hwy. For information call 614-895-1126.
Maintenance
This past July and August has been
one of the wettest on record, and
with rainfall amounts off the charts,
the maintenance department has
been “swamped” with calls from
residents about drainage concerns.
Your patience was appreciated as we
addressed everybody’s needs.
Bike Path
By the first of September, the final
stages of the bike path that connects
the Township Hall with McNamara
Park will be complete, and our
October 5
October 6
October 8
October 10
October 13
October 13
October 17
October 18
October 19
October 20
October 25
October 29
October 31
Parks Advisory Board
Board of Trustees
Tennis Benefit
Columbus Day
Child Photo IDs
Seniors
Zoning Commission
Blood Drive
Health Clinic
Board of Trustees
Board of Zoning Appeals
Fire Open House &
Trick-or-Treat Village
Beggars’ Night
excitement grows while we undertake
our largest park improvement to date.
Phase I of McNamara Park has officially
commenced!
Road Maintenance
Our crew prepared 34 streets for a slurry
seal application, which extends the life
of asphalt at 15% the cost of blacktop.
Pintail Ct., Cypress Dr., Innisbrook Ct.,
Linder Way, Bullrush Ct., and Heron Ct.
will each get a complete resurfacing.
Leaf and Yard Waste Drop Off
Mark your calendars for the annual
“A Great Place to Live”
7:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Offices Closed
9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Noon
7:00 p.m.
1 p.m. - 7 p.m.
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Leaf and Yard Waste Drop Off being
held November 1 - 30, 2011. Genoa
residents can drop off their leaf and
yard waste at the Safety Service
Complex located at 7049 Big Walnut
Rd. There will be roll off containers
in front of the maintenance building.
Because leaf and yard waste go to a
compost facility, they must be clear of
all items such as plastic bags, trash
and debris.
Questions or concerns can be
directed to the Maintenance
Department at 614-568-2080.