Greenfield council discusses equipment
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The Greenfield City Council discussed the need for potentially purchasing new equipment after a dump truck at the pumping station "broke in two."
City manager Betty Bishop reported to council during their regular session May 18 that a truck the city put $4,000 toward repairing last year once again needs repairs. Bishop said that she asked the same mechanic who repaired it last year to take a look at it again.
"He says that he could fix it again but he could not guarantee that the same thing wouldn't happen again," Bishop said in her report. "We have asked them to look around and get estimates for us for a replacement, and we are also looking at state bid costs. This truck is a 1989 model and I believe trying to repair it again is not wise. We need to look hard at equipment replacement. The tractor that was in the one accident last month was equipment failure, and also the street department's big dump truck is a 1983 model. Bad things start to happen with equipment failure and also the street department's big
dump truck is a 1983 model. Bad things start to happen with equipment this old. We will be bringing a recommendation to you shortly as this is the season where all of our equipment is needed."
Council member Harvey Everhart questioned which machine had broken. Bishop said it was her understanding that there were two machines that were repaired last year, and this one in particular was made by putting two trucks together.
"They built a new subframe and extended the frame," said Nathan Campbell of the water treatment plant. "The new metal split at the pivot point. It could come apart and hurt someone."
Everhart questioned whether the machine was properly put to together and if the right parts were used. Campbell said "the metal failed."
When asked if it could be repaired again, Campbell said, "We're going back and putting a Band-Aid on something that has had a Band-Aid put on it 100 times."
Campbell said the second vehicle was "condemned" during an inspection by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and is used sparingly on special projects. However, the first vehicle mentioned is something that is used on a daily basis.
"We need to spend wisely," he said. "(To repair the truck) we'd spend $4,000 on a truck that's only worth $3,500."
In other business, Bishop reported that the city has looked into whether or not the lift station on State Route 28 had the capabilities to handle the flow of new businesses and housing. Bishop presented a report that showed the new constructions do "not appear that these quantities will have an adverse impact on the city's water or sewer
service."
"We know that much of our future growth and development will be in that area, so we have also requested that it be addressed (in phase II construction of the lift station)," Bishop said. "I do not want to be in a position again that people need to be held up on their work when this question needs to be addressed. We need to be able to proceed
with growth and development on request. Part of this problem stems from lack of communication between us and Ross County."
She said she met with Ross County representatives and discussed that "we would prefer that all requests for building permits would originate with our office."
Since that doesn't always happen, "we are setting up a procedure for double-checking," she said.
In other business, council:
• Heard the third reading and voted 4-0 to pass a resolution repealing Resolution Number 31-09 of the city of Greenfield pertaining to the city's withdrawal from the Community Improvement Corporation of Greenfield.
• Council member Bill Bergstrom was not in attendance, and council voted to excuse the absence.
• Heard the first reading of a resolution to authorize the public services director to advertise for bids for certain street paving projects, and to declare and emergency. Council voted to waive the three-reading rule and voted to pass the resolution 4-0.
• Heard the first reading of a resolution authorizing Bishop to approve and accept the Technical Assistance Work Plan from the Rural Community Assistance Partnership for phase II of the wastewater treatment plant and declare an emergency. Council voted to waive the three-reading rule and voted 4-0 to pass the resolution.
• Heard the first reading of an ordinance providing benefits and overtime compensation for non-bargaining unit employees and repealing Ordinance numbers 05-03, 14-04, 05-09, 06-09 and 36-09. Council said repealing the ordinance consolidates several pieces of legislation under the one new pending ordinance.
• Council will meet in a special session prior to the regular council meeting on June 11, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss advertising for a permanent city manager.
• Bishop said during her report that she would like to thank the voters "for the vote of confidence they gave in allowing for tax for safety to remain in place. We will do our best to provide the best safety possible with the money you allow for this purpose."
• Bishop said that she is continuing to work on grant applications and that the city often gets calls from wind and solar energy companies wanting to set up appointments.
"I want to listen to everyone that shows interest and can help us reach the goals we have set out in the proposal, to 1.) Create another reason for people to want to come to Greenfield 2.) Create an avenue of finance to help relieve the budget woes of Greenfield, and 3.) Cooperate with Southern State Community College to create a virtual outdoor classroom for the study and exploration of Green Energy.
Earlier this month, Interim Bishop proposed two pieces of legislation that she described as an "aggressive economic development project that if successful could drastically change the economic future and landscape of the city of Greenfield as well as the surrounding area, and moving forward with a feasibility study for the Green Field Alternative Energy Resource and Education Center. The center would be located on 87 acres off Lovers Lane in the Greenfield Industrial Park and would be home to eight to 11 energy-generating wind turbines.
• Heard upcoming events: Rail Cars coming to Greenfield on May 29; on June 5, the annual Darrell Unger memorial fishing derby at Mitchell Park, followed by the Duck Race on Paint Creek; Annual Rotary Wheels of Progress Festival July 16-18.[[In-content Ad]]
City manager Betty Bishop reported to council during their regular session May 18 that a truck the city put $4,000 toward repairing last year once again needs repairs. Bishop said that she asked the same mechanic who repaired it last year to take a look at it again.
"He says that he could fix it again but he could not guarantee that the same thing wouldn't happen again," Bishop said in her report. "We have asked them to look around and get estimates for us for a replacement, and we are also looking at state bid costs. This truck is a 1989 model and I believe trying to repair it again is not wise. We need to look hard at equipment replacement. The tractor that was in the one accident last month was equipment failure, and also the street department's big dump truck is a 1983 model. Bad things start to happen with equipment failure and also the street department's big
dump truck is a 1983 model. Bad things start to happen with equipment this old. We will be bringing a recommendation to you shortly as this is the season where all of our equipment is needed."
Council member Harvey Everhart questioned which machine had broken. Bishop said it was her understanding that there were two machines that were repaired last year, and this one in particular was made by putting two trucks together.
"They built a new subframe and extended the frame," said Nathan Campbell of the water treatment plant. "The new metal split at the pivot point. It could come apart and hurt someone."
Everhart questioned whether the machine was properly put to together and if the right parts were used. Campbell said "the metal failed."
When asked if it could be repaired again, Campbell said, "We're going back and putting a Band-Aid on something that has had a Band-Aid put on it 100 times."
Campbell said the second vehicle was "condemned" during an inspection by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and is used sparingly on special projects. However, the first vehicle mentioned is something that is used on a daily basis.
"We need to spend wisely," he said. "(To repair the truck) we'd spend $4,000 on a truck that's only worth $3,500."
In other business, Bishop reported that the city has looked into whether or not the lift station on State Route 28 had the capabilities to handle the flow of new businesses and housing. Bishop presented a report that showed the new constructions do "not appear that these quantities will have an adverse impact on the city's water or sewer
service."
"We know that much of our future growth and development will be in that area, so we have also requested that it be addressed (in phase II construction of the lift station)," Bishop said. "I do not want to be in a position again that people need to be held up on their work when this question needs to be addressed. We need to be able to proceed
with growth and development on request. Part of this problem stems from lack of communication between us and Ross County."
She said she met with Ross County representatives and discussed that "we would prefer that all requests for building permits would originate with our office."
Since that doesn't always happen, "we are setting up a procedure for double-checking," she said.
In other business, council:
• Heard the third reading and voted 4-0 to pass a resolution repealing Resolution Number 31-09 of the city of Greenfield pertaining to the city's withdrawal from the Community Improvement Corporation of Greenfield.
• Council member Bill Bergstrom was not in attendance, and council voted to excuse the absence.
• Heard the first reading of a resolution to authorize the public services director to advertise for bids for certain street paving projects, and to declare and emergency. Council voted to waive the three-reading rule and voted to pass the resolution 4-0.
• Heard the first reading of a resolution authorizing Bishop to approve and accept the Technical Assistance Work Plan from the Rural Community Assistance Partnership for phase II of the wastewater treatment plant and declare an emergency. Council voted to waive the three-reading rule and voted 4-0 to pass the resolution.
• Heard the first reading of an ordinance providing benefits and overtime compensation for non-bargaining unit employees and repealing Ordinance numbers 05-03, 14-04, 05-09, 06-09 and 36-09. Council said repealing the ordinance consolidates several pieces of legislation under the one new pending ordinance.
• Council will meet in a special session prior to the regular council meeting on June 11, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss advertising for a permanent city manager.
• Bishop said during her report that she would like to thank the voters "for the vote of confidence they gave in allowing for tax for safety to remain in place. We will do our best to provide the best safety possible with the money you allow for this purpose."
• Bishop said that she is continuing to work on grant applications and that the city often gets calls from wind and solar energy companies wanting to set up appointments.
"I want to listen to everyone that shows interest and can help us reach the goals we have set out in the proposal, to 1.) Create another reason for people to want to come to Greenfield 2.) Create an avenue of finance to help relieve the budget woes of Greenfield, and 3.) Cooperate with Southern State Community College to create a virtual outdoor classroom for the study and exploration of Green Energy.
Earlier this month, Interim Bishop proposed two pieces of legislation that she described as an "aggressive economic development project that if successful could drastically change the economic future and landscape of the city of Greenfield as well as the surrounding area, and moving forward with a feasibility study for the Green Field Alternative Energy Resource and Education Center. The center would be located on 87 acres off Lovers Lane in the Greenfield Industrial Park and would be home to eight to 11 energy-generating wind turbines.
• Heard upcoming events: Rail Cars coming to Greenfield on May 29; on June 5, the annual Darrell Unger memorial fishing derby at Mitchell Park, followed by the Duck Race on Paint Creek; Annual Rotary Wheels of Progress Festival July 16-18.[[In-content Ad]]