Southeast Messenger - June 28th, 2020

PAGE 6 - SOUTHEAST MESSENGER - June 28, 2020
Bat houses
According to Groveport Community
Affairs Director Patty Storts, Amanda
Robinson made bat houses for the city of
Groveport for her Girl Scout Gold Project.
Robinson held a informational bat program
last fall in the city.
AUTO HOME BUSINESS LIFE INSURANCE
Beplerinsurance.com
614.837.4379
staff@beplerinsurance.com
3246 Noe Bixby Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43232
Jeffrey Winnestaffer, age 65 of Canal
Winchester, passed away Thursday, June 18,
2020. Born July 4, 1954 to the late Ernest
and Mary Winnestaffer.
Jeff was an avid card player, as well as
loved playing board games and watching
his grandchildren play soccer and baseball.
Jeff is survived by his son, Jordan (Tiffany)
Winnestaffer, and their sons Keagan and
Kallen; son, Jered Winnestaffer and his son
Gabriel; son Justin Winnestaffer and his
children; brothers, Ernest Joseph (Marcia),
Jim (Sue), and John (Diane) Winnestaffer;
and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
A visitation will be held 10-12pm on
Saturday, June 27, 2020 at THE DWAYNE R.
SPENCE FUNERAL HOME, 650 W. Waterloo St.,
Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110, where a
funeral service will follow at 12pm.
All COVID 19 guidelines will be followed
and masks are encouraged.
Online condolences at
www.spencefuneralhome.com
R emember our
Military
Men and Women
All Gave Some and
Some Gave All!
Proudly supporting our
troops
and their families.
5075 S. Hamilton
Rd.
Groveport, OH
614-836-1500
www.mottsmilitary
rymuseum.org
www.columbusmessenger.com
Obetz cuts $2.1 million due to pandemic
By Ris Twigg
Staff Writer
the fun stuff until we figure it out, and
that’s because we spend so much money on
ried” because of the ongoing uncertainty
with the coronavirus.
The coronavirus pandemic has created
fun stuff,” Davisson said. “(We spend) $1.5 Frequent changes to public health
record unemployment and a host of other
million on fun stuff.”
orders issued by Dr. Amy Acton and
economic problems that caused Obetz’s two
Many of those events are free to residents,
but actually create a profit loss for difficult situation, Davisson said. He esti-
Governor Mike DeWine put the village in a
main sources of funding – income tax and
event revenue – to dramatically decrease
the village. For example, Davisson said the mates the coronavirus could cost the village
millions by the time the pandemic
for the remainder of the year.
annual Zucchinifest generates limited to
Obetz officials estimate at least a 10
no revenue for the village and costs about reaches its end, which could result in further
budget cuts that would potentially
percent drop in income tax revenue, and
$300,000 per year to host. Community
this, coupled with additional expenses the
events and programming cost the village affect employees.
village took on to help prevent the spread
more than $1.5 million per year in total. Building services was the only spending
of COVID-19, are what lead to the $2.1 million
cuts in village funding.
“Loss has a negative connotation. That’s category to increase. Davisson attributes
$1.5 million that our residents didn’t have the $80,000 in additional spending to the
“Our council essentially put a pause
to pay to use those amenities,” he said. continued development efforts of companies
throughout the pandemic.
button on any non-essential spending. And
“Our responsibility to the community is to
it will remain that way until the fall,” said
make sure that we are operating these “It’s an increase for money that we get
Obetz Village Administrator Rod Davisson.
things at the right level.”
right back,” he said, adding the money is
“We’re taking our resources and we’re centralizing
those to keep the heart and the
Because of these major cuts and the spent on building inspection services and is
ongoing uncertainty the coronavirus pandemic
brings with it, Obetz Village Council the work has been completed.
paid back by a third-party inspector after
brain of Obetz alive so we can function.”
Davisson said fundamental services -
will begin considering a parking or But Davisson said most areas are feeling
the effects of the budget cuts.
including but not limited to police, fire,
entrance fee for major events later this
water, streets, groundskeeping and facilities
management - are still operating and
year to make up for lost funding. “We made cuts. Everybody’s feeling the
Currently, only non-residents are charged cuts, we want to be responsible with the
have continued to operate throughout the
for some events in the village.
taxpayers’ money. To the extent that I can
pandemic.
Zucchinifest, Fortress Obetz, and squirrel away money for hard times, as bad
Major cuts were made in spending areas
increased rates for the Obetz Athletic Club as this time is, it could be worse and I don’t
such as printing, training, advertising and
were all potential amenities council discussed
charging more for.
“I want to make sure we are prepared for
know what’s coming next,” Davisson said.
community events.
“Everything’s working just like normal.
Budgets have yet to affect any village whatever the worst eventuality is and so
We just honestly had to shut down some of
personnel, Davisson noted, but he added that we can be supportive of those people
that village staff members “should be wor-
in the hardest of times.”
Obetz Splash Pad to reopen on July 1
By Ris Twigg
Staff Writer
The Obetz Splash Pad is scheduled to
reopen July 1 with state and federal guidelines
in place, Obetz Village Council
announced at its June 22 meeting.
To help prevent the spread of COVID-
19, the Ohio Department of Health issued
a series of guidelines specific to operating
public pools and splash pads in the state of
Ohio. Obetz Village Administrator Rod
Davisson said he hopes his staff will be
prepared to implement each of those
changes by July 1.
“We’re scrambling to pull off the guidelines,”
Davisson said. “The order’s been out
for a minute, but the trick is you have to
absorb the order, understand what the
requirements are, then build those requirements
and make sure you have the appropriate
staffing.”
The Splash Pad – like the Obetz
Athletic Club – is increasing its staff to
ensure regular cleaning and sanitizing of
Dr. Bender 5K Classic
The Dr. Bender Virtual 5K Run and
Walk will be held between July 16 and July
19. Participants can select any time and
location to run/walk their 5K distance in
that time frame. The move to a virtual race
continues the tradition of running for a
chairs, equipment, restrooms and other onsite
areas.
Some of the state’s mandates include
installing physical barriers in high-interaction
areas between patrons and staff, prohibiting
large groups from gathering in the
shelterhouse, increased sanitization, continuing
to test the water and social distancing.
Davisson believes social distancing will
be one of the more difficult guidelines to
enforce, adding he isn’t sure if the Splash
Pad will need an occupancy limit.
“Obviously there is a practical limit and
you have gathering limits,” he said. “I’m
still working my way through whether or
not that park has to have a limit.”
Because of the additional requirements
and staffing needed to run the Splash Pad,
the food service will not be opening this
year, Davisson said.
“The Splash Pad will be open, but it
won't be open in the way people are used to.
It’s just going to be different,” he said. “It’s
an important public asset. We’ll keep adapting
to the changes. We’re trying to make
around the Southeast
great cause in the midst of practicing social
distancing. There will not be a kids 1 mile
fun run this year nor alumni/team competitions.
Proceeds benefit the boys and girls
cross country teams at Canal Winchester
High School. Post-race features include a
random raffle drawing for four $50
Amazon gift cards that will be conducted
sure our residents have the opportunity to
enjoy that this summer in a safe way.”
The government building and the Obetz
Athletic Club are continuing to operate
with limited capacity. Fortress Obetz and
the Obetz Community Center are still
closed. Rental facilities and the Obetz
Senior Center will be closed throughout the
month of July, but could open in August,
Davisson said.
For a small town like Obetz, keeping up
with the changing health orders can be
costly and difficult. One month, the village
could spend a significant amount of money
on one health order, only for a new guideline
– with new costs – to take its place
the next month, Davisson said.
“It's really like starting over again, and
then you rebuild the whole thing in a way
to where it really wasn’t designed to work
that way. It’s certainly not easy for a smaller
town like us, or Groveport, the ones that
don’t have 500 employees to do all this
stuff,” he said.
via Facebook live on the Dr. Bender 5K
Classic page July 20 at 7 p.m.
Registration for the race is open and the
first 50 registrants will receive a $10 gift
card (one per household) to Columbus
Running Company. Entry fee is $25. Visit
www.drbender5k.com for more information
and to register.