Mayor Mercer focuses on term ahead

COSHOCTON - For the new term ahead, Mayor Steve Mercer has set his sights on improving neighborhoods, revitalizing the downtown, and joining forces with other groups to achieve shared goals.

However, he begins the new year on the heels of the shutdown of Coshocton's WestRock paper mill, which eliminated 225 jobs when it closed its doors in December. With that closing, the city stands to lose about $250,000 in employee income taxes and $1.2 million in water sales, Without its biggest water customer, it is now looking for ways to offset that lost revenue and maintain quality water service.

"The volume of water that WestRock was using was subsidizing one of the lowest municipal water rates in the state," Mercer said. "Without their volume to spread the cost over those rates is requiring us to spread it over our current customer base."

Mercer has asked the city council to consider raising water rates by 34 percent to avoid depleting a $1.19 million carryover in the Water Fund. The Water Department already has cut back in proposed spending and eliminated three jobs to curb costs. The council is expected to host a first reading of the proposed increase when it meets at 7 p.m. Monday.

Meanwhile,Utilities Director Dave McVay has contacted the Rural Community Assistance Program to study those proposed rates to see if they meet or exceed city needs.

In his State of the City Address on Jan. 25, Mercer said the resulting operating shortfall "can only be filled with a rate increase - a very bitter pill to swallow, both for us who provide the service and for our residents."

Losing their jobs has been "gut-wrenching" for the mill's former workers, Mercer said in his speech, adding, "we in the public service have also anguished over this loss. But, we will go forward with the understanding that sometimes in the cycle of businesses and communities, there must be necessary endings before there is room for new beginnings."

In that current financial climate, Mercer is calling for individuals and groups to pull together to improve the city. He said improving neighborhoods and revitalizing business districts can attract new companies to Coshocton.

"We have many organizations that want to help Coshocton be better and continue on into the future," he told The Tribune. "We don't need everyone working in a silo. We all need to be in the same field working."

Mercer and his administrators have been meeting regularly with other groups and leaders to share ideas and resources to develop the city's gateway, transportation corridors, residential neighborhoods, business zones and landmarks. They have been active in talks with the Historic Roscoe Foundation and Central Ohio Technical College, which recently unveiled long-term plans.

Monday, Mercer and Service Director Jerry Stenner plan to sit down with the Community Development Council, spearheaded by Dorothy Skowrunski, executive director of the Coshocton Port Authority. That group is made up of representatives of local government, agriculture, retail, economic development, services, tourism, workforce development, industry, manufacturing and quality of life who are developing plans to mesh into a master plan to maximize efforts and available grants. It meets quarterly.

Mercer and Stenner also are continuing talks with the Ohio Department of Transportation, which plans to complete major work on two bridges at the city's western edge by the end of 2019. The department plans to replace the deck on the Ohio 541 bridge that spans the Muskingum River and fully replace the bridge over Ohio 16. That work should start in 2018, wrap up in 2019, and cost an estimated $13 million, according to ODOT's most recent plans.

City leaders hope to add "finishing items" to the bridgework, Mercer said, but have not yet decided what they want to do there.

'"Just as the (Ohio) 541 repaving project changed the whole face of the city, so will the replacement of those bridges," he said.

In the nearer future, the city is working to improve storm drainage on Vine Street, Otsego Avenue, School Street, Orchard and Adams streets, Seventh and Main streets and Fulton Drive and Atwood Terrace. It plans to use Community Development Block Grant funds totaling $335,000, funneled through county government, along with a city share of $74,600 to cover the total cost of $409,600.

Officials also are trying to secure funding to add water lines to serve 72 customers along South Sixth Street at an estimated cost of $480,000. The residents along the east side of that street live in Franklin Township, but installing water service there would increase the city's customer base and raise revenue.Those homes currently use water wells and septic systems, Mercer said.

In the year ahead, the city plans to repave Otsego Avenue from Seventh Street to the railroad tracks, rework the berm and add storm drains and culverts. It will also pave Highland and Fairview Boulevards, and 12th and Orchard, Mercer said in his State of the City Address last month. Crack sealing and patching will help extend the life of other streets.

The City Council recently strengthened the city's property maintenance code, but has not yet approved creating and hiring a property code investigator. Mercer said he hopes council will act on that position soon.

"As mayor, I've tried to raise the bar, number one, in how we provide services," he said. "The focus now on neighborhood improvements and downtown revitalization is just an extension of raising that standard throughout the whole city."

jwilliams6@gannett.com

740-295-3417

Twitter: @JoeAdvocate