Greenfield submits application for railroad grant

The Greenfield Village Council has passed legislation allowing for the city manager to submit an application for grant funding toward the Greenfield railroad improvement project. If funds are ultimately approved, city leaders say it will mean "better in every way for Greenfield."

In her report to council Tuesday during their regular meeting, city manager Betty Bishop said that although the application did not need to be submitted until March 1, the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission has suggested they submit it earlier so the application can be given a thorough review.

Greenfield has been mandated to comply with Public Utilities Commission of Ohio inspection rulings and Federal Rail Administration regulations "in order for the rail line to remain open to provide shipping to local industry. Greenfield is eligible to file for federal funding through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for at least 80 percent of the project."

Bishop said that the rail improvement project will include everything from cross ties and bridge repairs to covering ditch issues and replacing missing railroad spikes. 

Greenfield received a commitment letter from the Ohio Department of Development of a $500,000 award for crossing improvements, along with funds from the Community Development Block Grant of $494,000. Bishop told council Tuesday that the entire project was estimated to cost $3.6 million, and in the past year approximately $400,000 in improvements have been made to the railroad. She said they are hoping that the final bid comes in around $3 million.  

Approximately $50,000 in local matching funds will also go toward the projects, Bishop said, with $10,000 from the village of Leesburg; $10,000 from the Highland County Board of Commissioners; $23,000 from the Highland County Engineer Dean Otworth's Office; a $2,300 grant and a $5,000 loan from Candle-lite; a $2,500 grant and a $5,000 loan from Huhtamaki. Bishop said that, "Johnson Control's expansion is being used as in-kind also."

"If we can pull this off, it will be better in every way for Greenfield," Bishop said.

Bishop said that the project is being furthered by Johnson Controls and "introducing so many jobs is good for the community" and other companies potentially saying there will be "job offers in the next 18 months." 

If the village fails to obtain the EDA grant, Bishop said Greenfield will attempt as many repairs as it can using the dollars that have already been secured from the state and local matches and in-kind contributions. 

"A lot of people have worked very hard on this, (including) the (Highland) county commissioners, and Rep. Cliff Rosenberger and his staff, and Michelle Throckmorton with the OVRDC," Bishop said. "This project is so important to the community."

Council voted to waive the three-reading rule and voted 4-0 to pass the resolution as an emergency. 

Council member Bob Bergstrom was not in attendance Tuesday. 

In other business, Bishop said that council's finance committee will need to meet soon to review the North/North Eighth Street water line project's accidental omission from the 2012 budget. Bishop said that it was an oversight because the the project was completed in 2011, and there was no further thought into putting it in the 2012 budget. However, the village is still paying on the project. Council member William Redenbaugh, finance committee vice chair, said that they would schedule a finance committee meeting as soon as possible. 

Additionally, Bishop said that there was no money to operate the Civil Service Commission in the 2012 budget. Initially it was thought that since Greenfield went from city to village status that the commission would no longer exist. However, Bishop said Greenfield Law Director Brian Zets said that whether Greenfield is a village or a city, it operates under the city manager form of government, as mandated by voters. 

Council voted 4-0 to appoint Tom Morello to another term on the commission. Commission James Walker asked to step down, Bishop said, and council voted 4-0 to appoint Neal Brewer to fill the remainder of Walker's term, which ends in 2014.

A $50,000 misquote from a supplier has caused the village to utilize contingency funds in the Phase II of the wastewater treatment plan improvement project. Bishop said that the construction company being contracted for the project receive an inaccurate quote from a company for UV lighting. Bishop said the UV lighting requirement was made by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency after bids were accepted by Greenfield. The lighting, Bishop said, will treat sewerage during overflow situations. 

Council member Brenda Losey asked why Greenfield should have to cover the costs the misquote was someone else's problem. Bishop said that it was because a contract not been entered into at the time. 

Redenbaugh and council member Chris Borreson said they agreed with Losey. 

"If (the construction company) was given the misquote, that is something they should be resolving, not (Greenfield)," Redenbaugh said. 

Council President Betty Jackman said, "It seems like this happens all the time. It's always something, and it comes back to bite us." 

Bishop said that situations like this were what contingency funds were for, although there would be little left in contingencies for the remainder of the project. 

"I think someone really dropped the ball," Redenbaugh said. "And as always, Greenfield has to pick it up and dribble with it. One of these days we need to get our backs up." 

In other business: 

• Redenbaugh was reappointed to serve on the board of trustees for the Paint Creek Joint Fire and EMS. He reported that during the board's meeting last week they reviewed preliminary plans for renovations to the fire house. He called the plans a "Christmas wish list" that included the potential to put a second story on the building. 

"That's also real expensive when you start putting dollars to it," Redenbaugh said. "But we're trying to live within our means and utilize what we have." 

Redenbaugh also reported that six new volunteers have been hired by the district, and that a truck bought through the state purchasing system has arrived and is currently being lettered and put to use this week. 

• Bishop reported that the met (meteorological) tower, installed last year to track wind data for possible development of a wind turbine system for alternative energy, will be taken down this week. It had been scheduled to be taken down Monday and then again on Tuesday, but winds were too high. Bishop said, "Green Energy Ohio will then continue the work on the feasibility study of the wind project." 

• In response to a resident's concern that motorists are using excessive speeds in the area near Greenfield Schools, the village has borrowed a solar-powered speed sign "to remind motorists of their speed as they travel in that area." Bishop said that officers have been tracking speeds in the area, and "all were within the speed limit."