Council OKs repaving funds, easement

CHILLICOTHE — Chillicothe City Council on Monday night approved a pair of items connected to projects regarding the Carlisle Building and Glatfelter.

One of the items was the appropriation of $38,000 to cover the costs incurred with the paving of two parking lots as part of the Carlisle Building restoration — one behind the old municipal court building and the other off West Main Street next to the Eastern Star building. The amount involved in the ordinance ended up higher than the $25,000 to $30,000 involved in the initial estimate for the work because of an unforeseen problem, according to Mayor Jack Everson.

"The increase in cost is primarily due to the concrete stops in the parking lot between the Chinese restaurant and the Eastern Star (building)," Everson said. "When (the contractor) tried to pull those up, they pretty much crumbled under the force of the piece of equipment (used)."

Everson acknowledged turning those two lots over for use by residents of the newly renovated Carlisle is a contentious issue, but that "it was a necessary aspect of that project or the project would not have happened." Paving the lots was involved with The Chesler Group obtaining some of the funding for the renovation project.

Councilman David Tatman was the only "no" vote on appropriating the $38,000.

Council also approved a measure authorizing the mayor to do what is needed with regard to granting a permanent easement to Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc., in connection with a boiler conversion project being undertaken by Glatfelter. The easement is needed in the vicinity of the High Street parking lot near the bike path, with work done by Columbia Gas to include trimming and some removal of vegetation, burial of pipes and repair of any land disturbed by the work.

In other council action Monday:

• Everson announced that the next budget meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers at 26 S. Paint St. and will focus on the water and sewer funds. That will be followed by a Dec. 1 budget meeting at the same time and location to deal with remaining budget lines such as miscellaneous, HUD, economic development and grants. Then, a Dec. 8 meeting will offer a final overview of where the 2016 budget stands before it begins the process to go through three readings before passage by the end of the year.
• Council accepted and appropriated $3,000 received from the Ross County Juvenile Court to be used by the Chillicothe Police Department for anti-bullying education. It also extended the Chillicothe Municipal Court Victim Witness Assistance Program and accepted grant money for the program received through the Victims of Crime Act and State Victims Assistance Act. The legislation provides for extension of employment through Sept. 30, 2016, of a full-time victim advocate at a pay rate of $15.52 per hour.
• Council heard an update on activity during 2015 at the Chillicothe Railroad Museum located in a pair of cabooses near the Water Street entrance of Yoctangee Park. The museum operated a total of 744 hours covering 149 days thus far this year, welcoming 1,360 visitors. The numbers are down slightly from a year ago.