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League of women voters Lincoln Village Dispatch article
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While running for office in 2005 I made a couple of statements, the first was the Township needed to live within its means. During 2002 -2005 Prairie Township spent $3,991,287 over their revenue. The previous board had already approved the 2006 budget that was going to pull another $300,000.00 from the township’s rainy-day fund. That first year in office required the Board to make some difficult decisions of cutting some staff and realigning appropriations but by the end of the first year we had succeeded in not only balancing the budget but adding $112,235.00 back to the rainy-day fund. For the last 16 years the boards I have been a part of have worked hard on passing balanced budgets and staying within them. Township currently has a Standard and Poors AA rating. The second statement was that the township could use existing laws to handle most of the weeds, grass and trash complaints the township was receiving at the time. We implemented a very fair nuisance process that gives residents a chance to correct the issue before due process starts. Our current process follows orc 505.86 and 505.87 and has served the town ship well since 2006.
First term accomplishments (Board members Doug Stormont, Nicole Schlosser, Steve Kennedy) 2006 - 2009 2006-2009 road work (click link to see) Nuisance process 5/24/06 Salt shed 6-21-06 Eastham Way Grant $414,000.00 July 5, 2006 Ended 2006 with a balanced budget first since 2001. The passage of the Darby Accord Agreement the board laid the framework for the town ship to develop without being annexed into Columbus.
2007 Noise resolution May 23rd, 2007 Road department shop building $305,000.00 Giant eagle opened June 21st, 2007 First discussion on community center July 2nd, 2007 Inah Ave 1.4 million Road improvement First Rat Complaints July 18, 2007 Jedd & Jedz Aug. 29, 2007 Resolution against OAW rate increase Township Commercial Building Dept Started 12-19-2007 Grener Phase 1 1, $105,845.00 Brought 9 lost on Hubbard Rd for further use $20,000.00 2008 Mix Stiles Apt torn down April 16, 2008 Res 16-08 Mary 5 Tear down 4-9-08 stopped 4-23-08 Roadwork $307,872.24 Inah Rd ProJet $1,420,000 2008 expenditures $7.2 million Transient vendor resolution 21-08 Motion against OAW increase Created Prairie Township Land Bank 35-08
2009 Grener Rd Phase 2 awarded $3,064,953.00 New Medic $194,754.76 Darby Accord Passed Township resurfacing $265,227.00 Started engineering W Broad street scape Road Resurfacing $265,845.35 HR-01-09 opposing OAW increase Fight the Hike Campaign Letter to Ohio Attorney General to investigate OAW 2010 New Road Dept. Truck $68,448.00 Formed Prairie Twp. CIC 324 & 330 Building demolished Fight the Hike success in lowering Rate increase Demolition of 455 Mix Resolution 2410 Supporting HB344 Senate Bill 228 OAW Resolution Supporting Central Ohio Green Pack Passed Jedd Res 3310
2011 Fire Marshal Feb 1, 2011 Road improvement $234,331.10 New Fire engine 9-11-11 C.E.D.A. Agreement with Obetz Opposing OAW increase Nov 2011 Jedz Passes Vote 2351 for 1930 against
2012 Discussion starts on Community center Steering committee Joe Cruz (Home Depot) Phil Wagner (SWCS) Debbie Wilder (Doc Hosp) Sherman Ferguson LVRA Suzie Williams (Senior Center) Jeff Ferrelli (Clover Estate) Julie Eberts (Lake Darby) Tracy Hatmaker (Advisory member) Demolition of Hometown Inn Carl Frye Shelter house approved Started receiving complaints on water & sewer County Updated Township westie & Zoning software Traffic calming policy adopted
2013 Added hours to sheriff contract Leaf & Brush program started Speed Trailer Purchased Bought Community Center Land and Sports Complex land Started township wide electric & gas aggregation programs Woodlawn & Beacon Hill Road Projects Started annual Township Report Walking path Lakota Park Community Center Schematic design 445 & 447 Emmit Ave. demo Fire House meeting over County water & sewer rates ODOT maintain agreement giving township right to maintain the Broad St Corridor Groundbreaking Community Center 11-21-2013 2014 Township website updated Hire Community Center Director 14 Metro West Apt torn down 2014 Road Repair budget Galloway Rd sports Complex started 2015 Remodel zoning office Started Farmers Market Community Center Grand Opening 7-10-2015 2016 Township started posting finances on Ohio Checkbook Street tree program Res 04-16 New Medic $189,763.86 $500,000.00 for Sports Complex New clear Span Salt structure West Broad Zoning overlay New Broad Street signs Bucket truck purchase $105,560.00 Kubota Utility vehicle Broad St. Maintenance New Backhoe $89,294.70 2017 Panhandling & do not knock resolutions Replace all Lincoln Village Curb ramps $410,454.00 Contracted with Grove City for Fire Dispatching Passed Resolution 15-17 Supporting house bill 49 Would turn control of Columbus water to a regional authority Sports Complex Concession stand $494,439.00 Hellbranch Multi use trail Fire levy 2018? 2018 Hometown honors banners program County water & sewer meeting at Westland Conforming boundaries negotiation started with Columbus New Administrator search FEMA Grant for Houses on Tamera 2019 New phone system all township building Passed credit card policy ODNR grant $490,000 sports complex Safe Place Program with Huckleberry House North Grener Speed bumps Website updated New Fire Engine $560,000.00 Prairie Statehouse recognition 200-year Bicentennial Beacon Hill Speed bumps Homes on the Hill partnership 230 & 306 Evergreen Numerous upgrades to Sport complex Fire FEMA Grant $271,570.00 Tamera Road FEMA Grand Awarded BWC Fire Grant $46,564.90 2020 New Backhoe $96,306.21 Covid closure of Community Center March 13, 2020 Meeting closed & live streamed March 25, 2020 Meeting Facebook life FEMA Fire Grand $217,016.00 Continued working on Sports Complex, Ball Diamond Funding Homes on Hill Contributions $50,000.00 Nov. 20, 2020 Notice of Solar coming to township Sixteen years ago, the Township’s Broad Street’s corridor was starting to decline. There were multiple eyesores along the corridor. Remember the vacant Hometown Inn, the old mattress store. The township’s only grocery store (Big bear) was closed and sitting vacant. The whole corridor did not have sidewalks or streetlights. Today we have a corridor that Prairie Township residents can take pride in. The West Broad Street corridor took years of planning to get it right. The board signed agreements with ODOT, to give the Township the right to maintain the corridor instead of ODOT. This means the sidewalks, trees, and plants are the township’s responsibility to maintain. Township residents can take pride in the fact that Prairie Township is one of only a few Townships that have found a way to finance and build a community center. Prairie Township Community Center now is the central hub for all kind of activities. Prairie Township residents have become accustomed to high level of township services. It is my opinion we currently have the best Fire/EMS, sheriff, zoning, and road department of any area in central Ohio. Prairie Township residents can now say Prairie Township is a great place to Live, Work and Play.
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