Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

I for one am very pleased with City Council's actions tonight. They listened to residents and worked with the builders to develop a plan, while slowing growth. This is what was asked for - slower growth, AND a plan to accommodate the inevitable growth.

As I understand it, the vote tonight did the following:

- enacted a limit of 100 homes to be built in the City over 12 months.
- forced the builders to enact a Community Authority with the following minimums:
1: viable plan to fund schools, with 10 mill over 40 year minimum;
2: guaranteed income for at least 225 homes per year paid by builders, even if they don't build that many homes (this helps the c.a. obtain funding due to guaranteed revenue stream from day 1);
3: maximum average of 300 homes per year for the next 10 years;
4: $1,000 additional fee for any home over 300 in a given year;
5: separate funding for a community rec center.

Builders outside the community authority will essentially not be able to build for 5 years once c.a. is in place.

If no c.a. by 1/1/04, then limit of 100 homes built in 2004.

I hope the builders continue to negotiate and work towards finalizing what they have started with the c.a. This can be a wonderful thing for the community.

I'm sure not all agree with this, but I think it is a great compromise, and we need to move forward. The art of negotiation involves getting some of what you want and compromising other things. Let's get behind this new law passed (unanimously) and encourage your elected officials and others to continue working out an acceptable community authority - which includes BOTH City & Township new builds.

By Pleased with Council

seen and heard?

I saw an SUV full of Dominion execs heading down to city hall on Center street at 5:50 p.m. while I was on my way to soccer practice.

I hope they have a plan to accomodate the real moratorium and growth plan required after such in the intitiative petition as it is on its way to the ballot at this rate.

I saw the election results in the prior posting. I guess the voters are sucking the steam out of their market anyhow at the expense of our children because the adults in charge continue to play this shell game.

Too many homes

300 homes per year is at least 150 too many. Look at the building permit chart until 1999, we need to return to those levels or lower. We can not even handle that level as we have more than 600 elementary kids in portables now! If they do 300 and the township does nearly the same.... cha ching to the taxpayer.

Dear Pleased....

Maybe we were at different meetings - or maybe I'm confused.

I heard $500 for every house over 325 - a one time $500. What I also heard is that each year a new student adds $1500 - $2000 of operating deficit. I'll get my checkbook out now. If you haven't watched the news we're a little low on operating funds right now. And we already have an entire school in trailers now. I know let's re-draw boundaries, move all the trailers over to Sycamore Creek & introduce them to their new portable school!

There is NO miminum number of houses - they could build 3000 in a year if they want. There are absolutely no controls for our BIA Friends courtesy of the Council.

And what makes anyone think that 10 mils is the right number - what is clear is they have absolutely no idea what is right. So we pick 10 & march forward with a smile on our face...what happened to doing the work the right way - planning and moving forward with a plan that we know is workable. You have no idea if this works - none of us do - that's part of the problem here. Mr. Rigelman is sure it's not the answer or at least not enough money.

There are a lot of ducks here in my estimation & none are in a row.

We need higher standards & a Council capable of having any standards.

What I think we need is a common meeting point for interested parties to sign recall petitions. We need to dump these clowns fast!



By Pickerington Parent