By Amanda Ensinger
Staff Writer
Residents are hoping for more protection from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. At a recent Prairie Township trustee meeting, residents asked for bike patrol this summer throughout the township.
According to the sheriff’s department, while they are hoping to have a bike patrol this summer, they first need more officers to sign up. Officials say two officers must ride together at a time to patrol the region via bike.
Currently, the sheriff’s office is trying to secure more officers for the bike patrol before they can start this program.
However, residents did get some good news in the form of reducing speeding in the region. The trustees approved replacing a speed trailer that was struck last summer with a new one. Costing approximately $8,850, the township would only be responsible for $1,000 of the replacement cost.
In other mews, the board discussed equipment improvements to the community center. Prairie Township Community Center Director James Gant asked the board to approve a new Upper Cycle and a Zero Runner for approximately $14,000
“The Zero Runner received positive feedback from the community center members who have used it,” Gant said. “The Upper Cycle will help with the physical therapy Doctor’s Hospital is performing at the center.”
Gant also asked the trustees to approve an athletic field policy in preparation for the opening of the Galloway Road Sports Complex. The new complex will have a variety of multi-use baseball and soccer fields open to the public.
“As this park sets to open in a year or so, we thought it made sense to have a policy in place,” Gant said. “We plan to have several partnerships and feel we need to create a field usage policy, as well as fees for improper use.”
Trustee Stephen Kennedy said that the policy would be similar to other rules neighboring community have.
“Our policy is geared after a couple other policies around town,” he said.
Officials plan to release the full policy on the township’s website in the near future.
The trustees also approved spending $20,000 on a grant for home improvements as part of the Rebuilding
Together project. The township, along with AEP and Franklin County, each will contribute $20,000 to the project.
Focusing on home repairs to 15 to 20 properties in the Little Farms neighborhood, the national group will be doing repairs to low to moderate income seniors to make their home safer. Some of the improvements will include roof repairs, HVAC, floor repairs and removing tripping hazards.
The non-profit will be covering the majority of the expenses of the project.
The township plans to contribute an additional $30,000 to the project to help with exterior home improvements, including repaving driveways, repainting, landscaping and other cosmetic improvements that can add value to the home.
Officials hope this will be the first of many projects with the group and hope organizers will consider improvements the Lincoln Village neighborhood next.
