South Messenger - June 26th, 2022

PAGE 2 - SOUTH MESSENGER - June 26, 2022
Splash Pad open
The Splash Pad in Obetz will operate
until Sept. 5. Use of the facility is free and
it is open to residents and non-residents.
Hours are Monday - Sunday 11 a.m. to 7
p.m.
According to the city of Obetz, “The
Splash Pad is intended to be used by individuals
12 years and under. Individuals
under the age of 12 must be accompanied
by someone who is 16 years of age or older.
Individuals that are 13 years of age or
older may enter the Splash Pad if supervising
children 6 years of age and under or an
individual with special needs.”
The Lancaster Park shelter house is
available for all Splash Pad visitors. It is
not available for rentals.
Call 614-491-1080 for information.
New director of operations
and athletic director
•Ryan Fitzgerald, current athletic
director for Hamilton Local Schools, was
named the new director of operations for
the district during the Hamilton Schools
Board of Education meeting on May 16. He
will assume full responsibilities on Aug. 1.
•Matt Thompson, current assistant
principal at Hamilton Middle School, was
named the new athletic director for
Hamilton Local Schools during the
Hamilton Schools Board of Education
meeting on May 16. He will assume full
responsibilities on Aug. 1.
Road projects
Upcoming area Franklin County road
projects this summer:
•In Lockbourne, $382,165 in road
improvements and truck turn around construction
for Commerce Street, Vause
Road, and Canal Road until October.
Includes a 42 day detour closure.
•In Hamilton Township, $1.8 million
roundabout construction, drainage, and
street lighting improvements at
Lockbourne Road at London-Groveport
Road from July until October. Includes 60
day detour closure.
•In Madison Township/city of
Columbus, $1.2 million for bridge replace-
www.columbusmessenger.com
ment on Winchester Pike over Georges
Creek from July to October. Includes 110
day detour closure.
Obetz City Council
The Obetz Council is made up of six
elected officials who are elected at-large
and serving staggered four-year terms
under the rules of the Charter of the
Village of Obetz. Council meets the second
and fourth Mondays of each month at 6
p.m. in the Council Chambers at 4175
Alum Creek Drive, Obetz, to review and
pass legislation and hear concerns from the
residents.
If the meeting date occurs on a holiday,
the regular meeting is held on the next
Tuesday following the holiday. Call (614)
491-1080.
Messenger
South
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Columbus Library - High St. & Highview
CVS Pharmacy - High St. & Williams Rd.
Walgreen’s - High St. & Williams Rd.
Kelly’s Market - 3453 Parsons Ave.
K & M Market - 4305 Andy Groom Blvd.
Stoney’s Market - 3517 Lockbourne Rd.
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CITY
Continued from page 1
know, if gas goes to 10 bucks a gallon, we’ll
run out of that pretty quickly, too. So we’re
doing what we can to conserve and keep
operations going in what’s turned into a
very dangerous economy. So we’re keeping
an eye on that to see how it goes.”
BTIFS and Buckstone development
There was also an emergency reading
on an ordinance that creates two TIF districts
within the city.
Davisson explained, “The TIF districts
are part of the overall larger project. There
is a tax increment financing district. It is a
way for us to redirect tax monies that
would usually go to other political subdivisions
(back) to the city for the purpose of
constructing the infrastructure related to
the Buckstone development.”
It had been tabled in order for it to be
enacted at the right time to create a New
Community Authority of the three farms
that had been sold for development -
Younkin, Warner, and Wilburn farms.
Obetz Law Director Eugene Hollins
explained in previous meetings that the
laws creating a New Community Authority
had to be passed in a certain order, and
Obetz is close to passing all of them to create
the Buckstone development.
Emergency passage of legislation means
the law will go into effect immediately,
rather than waiting 30 days for it to go into
effect.
Resident Andy Borders asked, “I read
that Franklin county is not really behind
this. What does that do to the structure of
the payments?”
Davisson responded, “It does nothing.
We planned for the county to want its
social services money, which is exactly
what they did. It doesn’t necessarily mean
that they’re against the project. We had a
meeting with them to discuss the project
generally, which they seem to favor. So we
weren’t surprised by their objection.”
New personal fireworks law
Ohio’s new personal fireworks law was
on the agenda, but Hollins said council
would discuss it at its June 27 meeting.
The new Ohio law, that goes into effect
July 1, allows individuals to possess consumer
grade fireworks in Ohio, eliminating
a requirement that purchasers transport
consumer grade fireworks out of the state
within 48 hours of purchase.
It also allows any person authorized to
possess consumer grade fireworks to discharge
them on their own property or on
another person’s property with permission
on the following days: New Year’s Day;
Chinese New Year; Cinco de Mayo;
Memorial Day weekend; Juneteenth; July
3, 4, and 5 and the Fridays, Saturdays, and
Sundays preceding and following; Labor
Day weekend; Diwali; and New Year’s Eve.
According to a statement from Governor
Mike DeWine, “The bill I signed limits the
discharge of fireworks to the more traditional
holidays that Ohioans celebrate,
while recognizing our numerous culturally
diverse holidays.”
The law permits local governments to
restrict the dates and times when individuals
may discharge consumer grade fireworks
or to impose a complete ban on the
use of consumer grade fireworks.
The law also:
•requires licensed retailers, manufacturers,
and wholesalers selling consumer
grade fireworks to offer safety glasses for
free or for a nominal fee and to provide
purchasers with a safety pamphlet;
•prohibits discharging fireworks while
in possession of or under the influence of
alcohol or a controlled substance or on
someone’s property without permission;
•allows the State Fire Marshal to suspend
a fireworks manufacturer or wholesaler
if they have violated the fireworks
law or State Fire Marshal rules; prohibits
the State Fire Marshal from unreasonably
withholding a variance to allow hobbyists
to manufacture, possess, and use individual
display grade and consumer grade fireworks
and requires cause for revocation of
a hobbyist variance; and
•requires hobbyists seeking variances
to demonstrate they can engage in the
hobby safely and legally and limits hobbyists
to possession of five pounds of raw
materials and finished fireworks produced
through the hobby.