Over the past several years, the increase of development and traffic on White Road has not escaped the attention of commuters, as well as city officials.
At the July 16 Grove City council meeting, members of the council voted to pass an ordinance that will allow EMH&T (an engineering firm) to study the need to determine potential future widening and intersection improvements.
The study will also evaluate the right-of-way availability, the possible future signal locations and warrants at McDowell Road and White Road, and the evaluation of utility conflictions and relocation requirements.
The portion of White Road between Kelnor Drive and Buckeye Parkway will receive the most attention in the $30,000 study.
Also at the meeting, council members approved a resolution that will authorize the Grove City Chief of Police, Dennis Deskins, and Mayor Cheryl Grossman, to apply for funding from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Grants Program.
The DARE Grants program assists in providing funds to local law enforcement agencies, specifically for the salaries of the certified DARE officers teaching, or planning to teach, the approved DARE curriculum in the South-Western City School district.
Prior to entering the DARE program, officers must undergo 80 hours of special training in areas such as child development, classroom management, teaching techniques and communication skills. To instruct at the high school curriculum, officers must have an addition 40 hours of training.
"Since this program started, we have been dedicated to it and will continue to apply and receive grants for as long as DARE is around," said Deskins.
In other news:
•The Board passed an ordinance that will appropriate $96,622 from the general fund to the current expense of the severance payment to retiring Finance Director Robert Behlen. Finance Committee Chairman Richard "Ike" Stage noted his surprise that it was not more due to Behlen’s years as finance director, as well as his unused vacation and sick time.
