Close Window
Print Window

"AROUND OUR TOWN"
By Mayor Chuck Haney

SNOW PLOWING AND BUDGETS

We got through the last big snow storm with few problems; and, yes, there were some rough streets as a result of melting snow and then re-freezing overnight. Even as I write this column, the street department continues the massive job of removing the huge piles of snow from the downtown area and adjacent streets.

Photos by Catherine Stortz-Ripley, CT 02 19 10

There was a big plus because the bulk of 9 to 10 plus inches of snow fell late Saturday night and throughout Sunday. That allowed the street crews to work long shifts and get a real head start on Monday morning traffic, according to Street Superintendent Hugh Musselman.

CT Photo

There have been a number of inquiries about why the snow ordinance wasn’t placed in effect by the mayor and what is the procedure of snow plowing on city streets (in other words is there a priority list?).

First I will address the city snow ordinance not being placed into effect. I made calls to the Street Commissioner as did the City Administrator on the Monday following the big snow. In each instance, the street superintendent said that his department had things under control, and people on emergency snow routes and in the downtown area were cooperating and there were few problems and that in his opinion it would not be necessary to have it in effect.

There is a city snow emergency committee consisting of the Street Commissioner, Chief of Police, Mayor and City Administrator. However, only the Mayor or Chief of Police may call for the emergency snow ordinance and proclaim an emergency. Normally, it is a committee decision, and if needed, the mayor calls for the ordinance to be placed in effect and notifies the news media.

Photos of two Chillicothe murals during the snowstorm taken by Catherine Stortz-Ripley, CT 02 19 10

There is a plan for the plowing of streets that includes the posted emergency snow routes of 17 city streets. There is a priority list beginning with those streets on and near schools, police and fire/rescue/ambulance areas and city hospital.

Photo by Laura Schuler, 02 22 10 CT

The Street Superintendent has the sole power to proclaim that an emergency no longer exists and fix the time when the emergency should be terminated.

There are also ordinances on the books that make it unlawful to park on an emergency snow route or leave any vehicles parked on the route. The ordinances also allow for the vehicle to be towed at the owner’s expense and a fine of not less than $10and more than $100.00.

There was also a street/alley that was noticed being plowed by a citizen, and the question arose if the city did plow alleys (they do not under any circumstance plow or blade private drives). Alleys are plowed that can be reached by snow plows, but the alleys are last on the snow plowing list and not a priority. The alleys are plowed for city services and the public’s use to have access. (Photo at left by Doug Denison, 02 26 10 CT.)

The street/alley that was being plowed was Clinefelter Drive and is the main entrance and exit to a state operated school facility behind and above the Knights of Columbus hall at the intersection of Easton and Polk.

I hope that this official information is helpful to our citizens.

A new Code Enforcement Officer began duties on March 1 and is now undergoing training from acting code enforcement officer Ron Urton.

Donald Paul Vandevender of Trenton was officially employed by the city council at its last meeting in February. He will be joined in the near future by a code enforcement assistant and a city engineer. Applications are now being accepted for those two positions and interviews and a selection will be made within the next 30 days.

Vandevender has been making the rounds and going over daily training with Urton. Vandevender has owned his own construction company in Trenton since 1974, having over 30 years of experience in construction and management of building residential homes and light commercial construction work. He has extensive background and familiarity in products in all aspects of the construction field, electrical, plumbing, building materials, etc.

The city of Chillicothe currently has a contract for engineering services with Shafer-Kline & Warren.

Donald O’Dell, who has reached his term limit on the Zoning and Planning Commission, soon will be departing from the city advisory board. O’Dell was first appointed to the commission in 2002 and was re-appointed for a second four-year term in February of 2006. Public Notice was given recently for the vacancy asking interested persons to apply by picking up an application at the city clerk’s office. A new member is expected to be appointed soon, perhaps by the next regular council meeting.

Much training has taken place for employees of the Department of Emergency Services in recent weeks in regard to emergency operations classes, a video conference on the art of reading smoke, a video class on fire ground operations, a class on aerial operations and a class on advance cardiac life support. Classes were held at the new Comfort Inn, department of emergency services, and the Grand River Technical School. Class instructors were from Missouri Fire and Rescue Training and Life Flight Eagle.

It is down to the final three weeks of budget work by the city as preparations are made for a new fiscal budget that must be approved and in place by midnight, March 31, 2010. No less than 13 meetings have been held with department heads by the city administrator Dean Brookshier and City Auditor Theresa Kelly, and two city finance committee meetings have been held in the past month.

March is busy with budget workshops, finance meetings and a proposed budget. On March 11, the city council will meet with CMU on their proposed budget; and on March 15, a city budget workshop is scheduled with the possibility of a second public workshop, if needed, on March 22.

Once a proposed budget is in place and approved it will go before the public for a hearing and final approval on March 29.