Council gets first look at city plan
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
By BETH ZUMWALT
Pittsfield City Council members got their first look at the city’s short and long-range plan at their regular meeting Sept. 7. The plan has been a goal of Mayor Gary Mendenhall since his election last spring. He had asked council members, department heads, businesses, organizations, etc. to make a list of items that was felt needed.
“Here’s the spreadsheet, with columns for: the status of the project, who will oversee the project, a place to list funding, anticipated start/finish dates, actual start/finish dates and cost,” Beth White, alderwoman, who put the spread sheet together, said. “This will help so that one person or funding source does not get over used. For example, if we put TIF funds down for several projects, then we may need to look at other funding sources for other projects.”
Now that the list has been compiled, the council will designate plans according to priority, into a 1-3 year, 3-5 year and 5+ years category. Funding will also play a part in the completion of the projects.
The projects can basically be placed in two categories, parks and recreation and infrastructure.
Park projects include: sidewalks at Lowry park, ball diamonds at the lake, waking/biking/golf cart paths to the lake, paddle boat or kayak rental and more recreational actives at the lake.
Infrastructure projects include: several specific street repairs, gas line replacement, fire hydrant replacement, communications to town, sewer realignment, Perry and Grove Street water line, a new gas and water meter reading system, second source of gas to town, improvements to Honey Creek, projects at the Industrial Park East, Safe Route to schools, sewer plant improvements, replace generator, repaint King Park water tower, equipment at the airport, city hall remodel and expansion.
Council members were asked to take the spreadsheet home, study it and return for a special meeting before the Sept. 21 meeting to discuss the projects, get them assigned to either councilmen, department heads or city employees and prioritized.
The council also tabled the rezoning of property on East Perry for a bee museum, a project proposed at the last city council meeting by Bob Evans.
“He found out he has to do a lot more work with the state as far as licensing and so forth,” Mendenhall said. “He is in the application process now.”
Also, discussed was parking around the square. Mendenhall and the council instructed Ann Moffitt, city clerk to send letters to all affected business and ask for their input.
Police chief Michael Starman reported all officers in the department have body cameras and all squad cars have been outfitted with in-car cameras.
