Greenfield exploring annexation of area properties

The village of Greenfield is submitting informal surveys to area residents to gauge the interest of annexing some properties so they will have access to village water and sewer services. The village could receive the added benefit of increasing the population to city status again. 

Greenfield Village Council President Betty Jackman told council during their regular meeting Tuesday that she had been working on the survey and planned to send it out soon. 

"I just want to see if there are people interested in the water, sewer or both," Jackman told council members. "This is a very informal survey on annexation. It would have to be put on the ballot."

According to council member Bob Bergstrom, people outside Greenfield are paying three times as much for water and sewer services as the people inside the village. 

Jackman said that once people fill out the survey, if they are interested, they can contact the city to see what their water and sewer rates would be if their properties was annexed. 

The cost savings to water and sewer would be lessened, however, because they would then be subject to Greenfield's 2.5 percent income tax. 

Jackman said that the survey is the first step in what could be a much longer project. She said that she is trying to see if there is any interest in annexing the approximately 247 properties. 

"This could affect our status as a city," Jackman said. "I'm just trying to see what the general consensus is." 

As of March 30, 2011, the city of Greenfield received notification that the official 2010 Federal Census results indicated that the municipality now had a population fewer than 5,000 people. Accordingly, the city received a proclamation of village status with a population of 4,639 residents.

Jackman said that approximately six months ago she and other council members had been in touch with the trustees of townships in the Greenfield area and discussed possible annexation.

"Their funds from the state have decreased, and it's hard on everybody," Jackman said. "The ball is sort of in my court now to see if there is interest in moving forward." 

Also during the council meeting, Greenfield City Manager Betty Bishop said that repairs were under way on the railroad bridge, where two cars were derailed last week. 

Inspectors have determined that anchors came loose on the railroad bridge, causing ties and spikes to space out and come apart. As that happened, the wheels of the cars came off the rails, and the underside came to a rest on top of the tracks. 

"General wear and tear," according to Bishop, is what caused the anchors to come loose. 

Bishop said that crews with Indiana and Ohio Railway (I & O) went forward with repairs and have not consulted yet with the village on costs.

"I believe they finished with the repairs (Tuesday), but I have not received conformation on that," Bishop said. "As soon as I & O get all the costs together and a determination is made who will share what costs, we will be trying to see what we can do to get our portion funded. In the meantime, work is being done to get the line operable again. I have already started talking to different agencies, letting them know what our funding concerns are. This is the bridge that (the Ohio Department of Development) committed to fund, but none of the funds have been released and won't be until we get an answer from EDA (Economic Development Administration)."

The morning of March 8, the village submitted the final paperwork toward a grant for railroad funding. 

"This village is very blessed how this derailment turned out," Bishop said. "No one was hurt, and no product was on the ground."