VAULT AT CEMETERY

By Ed Richter

Staff Writer

Friday, September 21, 2007
Middletown Journal, Middletown, Ohio

MIDDLETOWN — It's an important project, but the city just doesn't have the cash to do it.

Middletown City Council on Tuesday agreed that the vault in the Middletown Historic Pioneer Cemetery is in need of immediate repair, but they were also cognizant that there is only so much money in the city's budget to pay for special projects.

Extras

For the past few years, Vivian Moon and others have volunteered to clean up the cemetery where many of Middletown's founders are buried.

Moon and the city have recently applied for a grant from the Middletown Community Foundation, but Interim City Manager Steve Husemann said he could not recommend spending $18,700 in city funds as a match for the grant, even though he believed it was "a valid project."

The vault is used for storage.

The council approved a motion to endorse the project and to encourage others to donate funds or in-kind services and materials for the project that will cost about $65,000 to complete.

The foundation is expected to make a decision on the grant in late October, according to Husemann.

In other business, the council also:

• Approved a motion to send a letter to Gov. Ted Strickland expressing the council's "strong concerns and objections over any 'incentives' or 'abatements' that would offer an undue advantage" to assist a steelmaker interested in locating in Ohio.

The letter expressed the council's desire to ensure a level playing field in the steelmaking industry as well as ensuring "AK Steel's ability to compete is not compromised."

Russian steelmaker MMK and state officials are discussing the possibility of locating a $1 billion steel mill near Portsmouth that would create 1,000 jobs.

• Approved an emergency resolution accepting the amounts and rates approved by the Butler County Budget Commission and authorizing the necessary property tax levies.

• Approved a pair of ordinances to increase the city's water and sewer rates over the next three years. If approved, the water rate would go up 5 percent in 2009, while the sewer rate would be increased by 10 percent in 2008 and 5 percent in 2009. The rates also reflect the city's change from a quarterly to a monthly billing schedule.

• Approved changes to the city's zoning code regarding downtown development standards.

• Approved a lease to allow Butler County to construct an emergency telecommunications tower near the city's Blue Ball water towers.

• Went into executive session to discuss contract negotiations.

The council's next meeting will be Oct. 2 at the Middletown City Building, One Donham Plaza.