Lamb delays TIF conversation with Liberty trustees

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An executive session was scheduled for Liberty Township Trustees’ Monday night, but it was canceled at the beginning of the meeting.

According to the trustees’ agenda, the closed-door session was for considering negotiations with other political subdivisions for matters of economic development.

“I’m here just to let you know we’ll not be continuing the discussion tonight of the item I came to speak about,” said Bob Lamb, county economic development director. “We’ll be working on it further and engaging you over the next week.”

No meetings have been scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon. A notification is required should trustees meet as a group with Lamb to discuss the issue.

Lamb said he was there to talk about the Steitz Road Tax Increment Financing (TIF) but delayed the conversation because he wanted time to work on the concepts.

Lamb introduced the TIF to Concord Township Trustees May 10. It would create a partnership with both townships and the county to pay for a $12.5 million infrastructure project along Sawmill Parkway and US 42. He said the project was to encourage commercial development along the corridors and that he would be discussing the proposal with Liberty Township.

Concord trustees voted unanimously to oppose the county’s proposed TIF.

According to the Ohio Development Services Agency’s website, “Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is an economic development mechanism available to local governments in Ohio to finance public infrastructure improvements and, in certain circumstances, residential rehabilitation.”

Liberty Township Trustee Melanie Leneghan attended the Concord trustees meeting.

“They’re going to build those properties with a TIF or without a TIF,” Leneghan told Lamb at the time. “Because they’re not farmers, they didn’t buy the land to farm it … it’s going in.”

In other business Liberty trustees:

• Heard a presentation by Delaware County Board of Elections on poll worker recruitment, chargebacks for cost to run an election and changes in laws governing elections.

Ali Solove, elections support specialist , said the deadline for petitions for the November ballot is Aug. 9.

• Approved a Flexible Spending Arrangement provided through the township’s health benefits cafeteria plan that meets the Internal Revenue code. The plan was retro-effective May 1.

Trustee Tom Mitchell asked Nancy Denutte, fiscal officer, why a resolution wasn’t passed before implementing the plan.

“This was an oh-by-the-way to appease the fire department,” Denutte said. “This wasn’t something I put in the original benefit package. They requested it, I tried to accommodate as quickly ae possible. So I got it together as fast as I could get it. It’s not costing us anything.”

• Authorized an expenditure for the annual physicals of the firefighters through Mount Carmel Hospital up to $20,000.

Trustee Shyra Eichhorn asked Chief Tom O’Brien to make sure he received the data from the Mount Carmel physicals because in the past the township did not receive it.

• Authorized the hiring process for one full-time firefighter-paramedic from among the part-time pool.

• Authorized the expenditure for the Orange Road stabilization not to exceed $5,755 payable to Paul Peterson Company of Columbus. The repairs are to include a stabilization wall and guardrail replacement.

• Authorized the hiring Syler Dyer as a part-time park and road services worker at the rate of $11 per hour.

• Authorized the purchase of mastic material for sealing road cracks through the Ohio Department of Transportation Cooperative Purchase Program not to exceed $6,176.

• Authorized a payment of the 2017 Bureau of Worker’s Compensation Group Rating Program Annual Administrative fees of $3,590.

• Approved the compensation in pay for Andy Curmode with a 3 perecent merit pay increase to $40.11 per hour.

• Authorized payment of $45,751 to the Township Association Risk Management Authority in insurance payments for the township and its assets.

By D. Anthony Botkin

[email protected]

D. Anthony Botkin may be reached at 740-413-0902 or on Twitter @dabotkin.

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