Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Oops, here we go again.

Direct from the Finance Committee of the Pickerington City Council ?– let?’s hire more staff to approve more residential sub-divisions.

Read the ?“Our Pages?” under Finance Committee does residential developers bidding.


By PATA Newsletter Staff

Actions speak louder than words

PATA is the leading edge here in Pickerington on news that affects us all. You will find news here that you would never find anywhere else in this community. On April 16th, 2002 Pickerington City Councilman Brian Fox pledged to the voters of Pickerington that he would see to it that, ?“THE WILL OF THE VOTERS WOULD BE HEARD?”. Mr. Fox then sponsored three ordinances to place the three initiatives, (that were just ruled invalid from the City Auditor), on the ballot.

When confronted by concerns from Councilman David Shaver of having these ordinances bogged down in committee, Mr. Postage and Mr. Parker both reassured everyone present that they would not be bogged down in committee. In fact, they acted very indignant that Mr. Shaver would even suggest such a thing.

So above was their words, now let?’s look at their actions. Mr. Parker Chairman of the Service Committee had three months (May, June & July) or six council meetings to get the two lots per acre initiative through the Pickerington City Council, when he only needed three meetings. However they still remain tabled on the council?’s agenda and too late to get on the November ballot.

In a failed effort to develop public opposition to the initiatives, Mr. Parker invited the attorneys for local developers to attend a ?“Special Working Session of the Service Committee?” in late May. However he didn?’t invite the people listed as the committee on these three petitions. They claimed it was well publicized and they saw no need to let us know. They also invited the local press to spin their one sided tale and the papers published it.

The developers warned the Council that they would be sued if they allowed the two lots per acre initiative on the ballot and it passed. The reason they would be sued is because the council in these pre-annexation agreements have already agreed to give these developers the type of zoning they want prior to any public meetings and that folks is called contract zoning which is illegal in itself. So how can these same developers try to enforce a contract that is illegal in the first place?

Now here comes this web site with minutes form the July 18th Pickerington City Finance Committee meeting. They have a quote from Mr. Parker, ?“the petitions being circulated in the area regarding two units per acre is FORCING a lot of this platting to come in now instead of in phases?”.

Mr. Parker talks about, ?“the petitions that are being circulated?” not the petitions tabled on the council agenda, so we all can gather from this that Mr. Parker has no intention of bringing this ordinance off of the table anything soon. Second point, is that Mr. Parker claims these applications for plat approval are FORCING the city to approve them. Mr. Postage and Mr. Parker both want to hire two more people in the building department to inspect and approve these plats. The City of Pickerington is under NO obligation what so ever to approve these plats any faster than they have current staff to do so.


continued:

Continued comments:

Postage Wright and Parker are trying to justify two more employees in the building department because of these petitions being circulated. Are they listening to the, ?“will of the people?”? Mr. Fox shouldn?’t you demand a vote on these ordinances?



In these minute they indicate that there are 18 ?“ADDITIONAL PLATS?” received. Normally plats will have 40 to 50 houses lots laid out on them so can we say there is going to be an additional 800 to 900 homes site approved before November by this city council? Once these plats are approved will the builders just sit in them? NO!! Do the voters of Pickerington trust these builders as much as the Pickerington City Council does? NO!!What does 800 to 900 or more 3 bedroom homes do to our school system? They will ask for even more tax money to support the schools. Even if they only have one school age child per house they will over crowd the already packed school system.



Is the Pickerington City Council truly representing the voter?’s of this city and what they what? We collected over 450 signatures on these three initiatives and only had a few people that wouldn?’t sign (less than a dozen). Most voters that I approached, to sign the initiatives, wanted to see the city limit the housing to two lots per acre.





You all have an opportunity to attend the Pickerington City Council meeting tonight 8/6/02 at 7:30 P.M. and express your feelings on the issue. If you can?’t make this evening?’s meeting please attend the August 20th meeting at the same time.

1200 new building lots

Mr. Hackworth you are too kind to the lairs of Lockville Road. They are justifing their two new building inspectors because you and others circulated those petitions. You ''forced'' them hire two new people just to handle the increased work load. AS you knwo they are trying to claim that it would have taken 5 years to have all of these 1200 lots approved. Yet they already have 197 building permits issued so far this year. Isn't that close to 400 new homes if you pro-rate that out to for the rest of this year? That looks more like two and a half years to me.


If what they say is true then why hire permanent employees? If they are telling the truth and it is because of these initiatives petitions and it will only be a short term problem then either delay the approvals or hire from an Engineering firm, consultants for a year or two. The fact is they have been approving over 400 new home lots a year for the last few years. They don't care about the schools period. If they say they do they are lying.

The new Pickerington High School can not open next year if we don't pass the 8 mill operating levy. I have heard that if the levy failed we will be forced to be in financial watch from the state. If the levy fails and the city approves these 1200 lots before November what will that do to the school district?