This ought to be good. I sure hope Sabatino, Wisniewski and Hackworth attend this to defend themselves because you know that Shaver and Fix and the other township representatives will be taking their shots at them. I will also be curious to see what thse township supporters take credit for.
Pickerington officials will give city address on Thursday
By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
tkulemeka@nncogannett.com
PICKERINGTON - Several city, village and county government officials have spent the past month providing updates to their communities about happenings in the past year and what's to come in 2007.
Pickerington is up next.
The Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the State of Pickerington Address Thursday. The annual event is not only a snapshot of what's occurred in Pickerington, but representatives from Violet Township, the Pickerington Local Schools and Fairfield County also will share highlights.
Residents, business owners and employees are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to hear what officials have to say, said Helen Mayle, president of the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual event.
''It's rare to get all these people together in one format, and time permitting you can ask them questions,'' Mayle said. ''There's no other format where that happens.''
Here is some of what guests can expect to hear during the annual address.
Accomplishments:
?• Pickerington officials made several additions in 2006, such as hiring a development director, staff engineer, and assistant finance director. Bringing on more professional staff has increased the city's staff expertise by leaps and bounds, said Mayor David Shaver.
''It's not that we didn't have a great staff before, but the more complexities you have, the more you have a need for individuals who can perform individual skill sets,'' Shaver said.
?• The city also enacted more comprehensive design standards for commercial properties and residences.
The city implemented requirements for builders to develop high quality buildings and residences, buildings and residences with natural fronts that are made out of natural materials.
''These are very strict guidelines to ensure the building being performed is high quality and will last longer than 10 or 15 years both on the commercial and housing stock,'' Shaver said. ''No one wants to become the next Brice Road area, where there are abandoned stores.''
?• The city began collecting impact fees in December 2005. The city collected nearly $1 million in impact fees between December 2005 and December 2006. The impact fees can only be used for capital improvements and capital projects.
''We're beginning to see more and more the benefit of the impact fees,'' Shaver said.
The 2007 Focus
There are two primary issues the city must focus on this year, Shaver said.
?• Working with other local governments - such as Violet Township, Canal Winchester, Lancaster and Bloom Township - on economic development opportunities falls at the top of that list.
Shaver also wants the city to begin exploring the formation a joint park district with other government entities.
''It's pooling our resources so we could create a park system that could benefit all of our residents,'' he said.
?• Shaver also wants to continue to work on having City Council ''learn how to work together.'' City Council has been at odds over an economic development agreement enacted by a majority of council, among other squabbles, earlier this year.
Shaver suggested professional workshops may aide in this endeavor to get council on one accord.
''It's learning how to develop win-win scenarios for people, so they don't see it as a dog fight,'' he said.
By Alaughaminute
Pickerington officials will give city address on Thursday
By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
tkulemeka@nncogannett.com
PICKERINGTON - Several city, village and county government officials have spent the past month providing updates to their communities about happenings in the past year and what's to come in 2007.
Pickerington is up next.
The Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the State of Pickerington Address Thursday. The annual event is not only a snapshot of what's occurred in Pickerington, but representatives from Violet Township, the Pickerington Local Schools and Fairfield County also will share highlights.
Residents, business owners and employees are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to hear what officials have to say, said Helen Mayle, president of the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual event.
''It's rare to get all these people together in one format, and time permitting you can ask them questions,'' Mayle said. ''There's no other format where that happens.''
Here is some of what guests can expect to hear during the annual address.
Accomplishments:
?• Pickerington officials made several additions in 2006, such as hiring a development director, staff engineer, and assistant finance director. Bringing on more professional staff has increased the city's staff expertise by leaps and bounds, said Mayor David Shaver.
''It's not that we didn't have a great staff before, but the more complexities you have, the more you have a need for individuals who can perform individual skill sets,'' Shaver said.
?• The city also enacted more comprehensive design standards for commercial properties and residences.
The city implemented requirements for builders to develop high quality buildings and residences, buildings and residences with natural fronts that are made out of natural materials.
''These are very strict guidelines to ensure the building being performed is high quality and will last longer than 10 or 15 years both on the commercial and housing stock,'' Shaver said. ''No one wants to become the next Brice Road area, where there are abandoned stores.''
?• The city began collecting impact fees in December 2005. The city collected nearly $1 million in impact fees between December 2005 and December 2006. The impact fees can only be used for capital improvements and capital projects.
''We're beginning to see more and more the benefit of the impact fees,'' Shaver said.
The 2007 Focus
There are two primary issues the city must focus on this year, Shaver said.
?• Working with other local governments - such as Violet Township, Canal Winchester, Lancaster and Bloom Township - on economic development opportunities falls at the top of that list.
Shaver also wants the city to begin exploring the formation a joint park district with other government entities.
''It's pooling our resources so we could create a park system that could benefit all of our residents,'' he said.
?• Shaver also wants to continue to work on having City Council ''learn how to work together.'' City Council has been at odds over an economic development agreement enacted by a majority of council, among other squabbles, earlier this year.
Shaver suggested professional workshops may aide in this endeavor to get council on one accord.
''It's learning how to develop win-win scenarios for people, so they don't see it as a dog fight,'' he said.
By Alaughaminute
