FALL 2017 IN THIS ISSUE ORANGE TOWNSHIP CONSTRUCTION UPDATE NEW BUS STOPS NEWS&VIEWS LAND USE PLAN UPDATE VOLUME 19 ISSUE III FIRE PREVENTION WEEK On October 9, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire started. This tragic fire killed about 300 people, left 100,000 homeless and destroyed more than 17,000 structures (Paramedics, 1998). The Fire Marshals Association of North America (FMANA) believed the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire should be observed in a way that would keep the public aware of the importance of fire prevention (Paramedics, 1998). National Fire Prevention Week is always the week in which October 9th falls. Each year, a specific theme is chosen and is commemorated throughout the United States (Paramedics, 1998). On Sunday, October 8th, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, your Orange Township Fire Department will open Station 361, 7700 Gooding Boulevard, for the public to stop and tour. Your firefighters will be on hand to provide station tours, show apparatus and equipment, provide plastic fire helmets, stickers and fire safety materials, provide firefighter demonstrations and answer your questions. Firefighters will also be accepting a can of food or a new toy for the upcoming holiday season for People in Need of Delaware County. Paramedics, T. S. (1998). The Story on how Fire Prevention Week became a National effort... Retrieved August 25, 201, from San Diego Paramedics: http:// www.publicsafety.net/prevention.htm Orange Township continues to grow. With growth, we continue to expand our abilities to improve and fix our infrastructure, host more community events, provide additional transparency into our operations and strive to be more efficient with your tax dollars. With the reduction of the parks/recreation levy to create a new road levy, we are still able to move forward in developing a park on North Road, begin developing plans for Veterans Park at the corner of S. Old State and E. Orange Roads and increase the number of roads we repave while updating sidewalk ramps to become ADA compliance. In addition, we plan to move forward in repairing and repaving more neighborhood roads in the next couple years. We have also been working aggressively By Robert Quiqley to get the railroads to allow us to build a pedestrian crossing on Orange Road. The Township understands the importance of community, and in 2017 have expanded our commitment to adding more community events. I attended both Summer Nights events at North Orange Park and enjoyed the music, food, movies and most importantly, seeing the community come together. On November 11th we will be celebrating our veterans with the 2nd Annual Orange Township Heroes Not Forgotten 5k race. The Community Park Board has done a great job over the years providing input for the expansion of parks, trails and events. We have developed great relationships with surrounding communities and Delaware County. We continue to work closely with them, focusing on transparency and efficiency. One of the most effective ways to be transparent with finances is our continued participation in Ohio Checkbook; this program allows anyone to search Orange Township s expenditures and other financial information. We are continuing to be proactive with providing information through our quarterly newsletter, website and Facebook page. As the Township continues to look for ways to be more efficient, we continue intergovernmental agreements with other public entities. This year we contracted with the Ohio Auditor of State to conduct a performance audit of all our departments. The goal is to have an outside view of the Township operations and provide us recommendations on how to operate more efficiently. We look forward to sharing the results with you shortly. We continue to strive to do the best for the Township community, you and your family. I have only mentioned a few items and there are many more exciting things going on in our Township. If you would like to learn more, please follow us on Facebook, go out to our website at www.orangetwp.org, join us at a scheduled Trustee meeting or just give as a call. TRUSTEE CORNER Â SUMMER NIGHT SUCCESS This past summer, Orange Township hosted their 1st Summer Night series at North Orange Park; this new and exciting adventure combined both our previous Movie & Music events into one. Franklin Xpress started off both nights with some great music; food trucks and local family friendly vendors provided plenty of activities to keep everyone busy until the movies started. Families enjoyed watching Despicable Me 2 on June 17th and helped pick our August 5th movie, Moana. A big thank you to all our sponsors, staff, Park Board and Trustees for making Summer Nights extremely successful. We look forward to adding more Township events next summer! Be sure to like us on Facebook (Orange Township, Delaware County, Ohio) to keep up with all upcoming activities!
2 Orange Township News & Views CONSTRUCTION UPDATE Thank you for your continued patience during road construction season; however, once completed, these updates will improve safety and traffi c fl ow throughout the Township and County. For road closures and updates sign up for Notify Me on our Orange Township website, www.orangetwp.org, sent directly to your e-mail or text. Lewis Center/Bale Kenyon Intersection - This Delaware County project will be completed this fall. The roundabout is open and contractors are putting the fi nishing touches on the project. This project includes pedestrian and bicycle connections through the roundabout. Bale Kenyon Widening - Widening and improvements to drainage culverts will require closures but two-way access is available from the north and south to those closures. Improvements will be completed in late 2017 and will include an extension of the Orange Township trail system TOWNSHIP REQUESTS PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS Last December, Orange Township entered into an agreement to engage the Ohio Auditor of State s Offi ce in providing a Performance Analysis of all the Township Departments. These include: Fire, Maintenance and Parks, Fiscal, Human Resources, Zoning and Administration. The objective is to review and analyze these areas of Township operations in relation to other similar operations, industry standards and/or leading practices. The Auditor of State s Offi ce has extensive experience in evaluating state and local government operations, identifying opportunities for process improvements, and providing objective, data-driven analysis to improve overall results. Most communities that utilize this type of analysis are in a current state of fi nancial concern or crisis. Orange Township is NOT in any fi nancial concern or crisis, but in fact, IS fi nancially sound and fi scally strong. To be proactive, we want to make sure that we are doing all that we can today to maintain our solid foundation as our community continues to grow into the future. along the east side of Bale Kenyon Road. Construction funding includes an Ohio Public Works Commission grant of $494,000 (OPWC) for the roadway improvements and a Clean Ohio Trail Fund grant of $149,323 (COTF) for the trail construction. S. Old State - This Delaware County and City of Columbus project is projected to continue through fall 2018 and spans S. Old State from Wynstone Drive north to Abbey Knoll Drive. During construction, S. Old State will maintain two-way traffi c; however, short delays will occur, as needed. Alum Creek Pedestrian/Bike Bridge - With the assistance of the US Army Corps of Engineering (USACE) and Alum Creek State Park, Orange Township is currently constructing a bridge over the Alum Creek spillway. This connection will provide access to the Alum Creek picnic and playground areas. This project received a grant totaling $450,000 from COTF for the bridge and trail connection as well as $22,000 from USACE Alum Creek State Park. North Road park - Construction of Phase 1 is currently underway on a new 22 acre park on North Road, just east of the Olentangy School complex. Phase 1 includes fi ve soccer fi elds, a cricket pitch, parking, pond and trails. Construction plans on Phase 2 are starting and will include restrooms, shelter, playground and concessions area. The park will open once grass has been established, we are anticipating summer 2018. Additional information on Delaware County Road Projects can be obtained at http://www.co.delaware.oh.us/ engineer/currentprojects.htm LEAN SIX SIGMA In February, the Delaware County Commissioners, through the Economic Development Department, offered local communities the opportunity to participate and receive free Lean Six Sigma Training. In response to this offer, several Orange Township employees attended this training opportunity. Lean Six Sigma is not simple or easy to defi ne. Lean Six Sigma is the utilization of a methodology that relies on a collaborative team effort to improve processes and performance. The methodology employs statistical analysis rather than guesswork, and focuses on providing the tools to examine in-place processes with the goal of stream-lining and/or improve them. The Orange Township LEAN TEAM has reviewed the Township s Invoice Approval Process, and recently tackled the process utilized in Ordering Offi ce Supplies. Though, both these items seem relativity simple, they both involve multiple people doing multiple tasks at different times throughout the entire process. The utilization of the LEAN Six Sigma offered the tools and the opportunity to address these processes with the goals of eliminating duplication of labor, reducing time factors, synchronizing efforts and developing an understanding among all involved of what the complete process currently looks like - and what it can become through working together.
FALL 2017 3 DON T FORGET TO VOTE NOVEMBER 7TH! NEW BUS STOPS You may have noticed that DATA Bus recently added several additional bus stop locations along the US Route 23 corridor and on Green Meadow Drive. The addition of these new bus stops are the end-result of discussions that began last year at the Orange Township Business Appreciation Day. Limited public transportation was identified as a major concern of the local businesses that attended this event which led the Township into discussions with DATA Bus, COTA and Delaware County. In April, the Township hosted an Open House to solicit local feedback on this topic, and as a result, new bus stops were added in July. The next Business Appreciation Event is scheduled for October 24, 2017. If you are a local business owner, please consider attending or contacting the Township Administrator, Lee Bodnar, for more information. ÂELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 7 Did you know the Delaware County Board of Elections, http://delawareboe.org/, can provide you with information on registering to vote, ballot issues, candidates, polling locations and hours? The BOE is always looking for volunteers to help staff voting locations on Election Day on their website or 740-833-2080. COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN UPDATE The Township was recently awarded the opportunity to partner with students from The Ohio State University s Master of City & Regional Planning (MCRP) program to help update our 2010 Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Due to the Township s exponential growth, the time is right to being working on this update to sustain the continued growth in our community. Through this course, the Zoning Department and MCRP students will collaborate to complete the Plan s update. A crucial component of this process will be reaching out to the public for comments, ideas and input. The intent of the process is to create a plan that is influenced and supported by our community. To accomplish this, we have scheduled the following public meetings at Orange Township Hall starting at 7:00pm: Tuesday, September 12th Thursday, November 2nd Tuesday, December 5th We encourage all residents to attend. If you are unable to attend the above meetings and would like to share your thoughts or ideas please contact Ms. Michele Boni, Planning & Zoning Director at 740-548-5430 or mboni@orangetwp.org. ÂPAPER SHREDDING Over 2,500 pounds of paper was dropped and shredded off at our Paper Shredding Event, August 19, 2017; thank you to everyone who participated in this event. ÂVOLUNTEERS NEEDED Orange Township is always looking for volunteers to fill vacancies and alternate spots on our Outreach and Communications Committee and Park Boards, as well as our Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals. For more information check out our website at www. orangetwp.org.
1680 East Orange Road Lewis Center, Ohio 43035 (740) 548-5430 www.orangetwp.org TODAY> SIGN UP NOTIFY ME Orange Township is now offering email alerts and reminders from the Township. Sign up today at the Township website www.orangetwp.org. Robert W. Quigley Chairman rquigley@orangetwp.org Debbie Taranto Vice Chairman dtaranto@orangetwp.org Lisa F. Knapp Trustee lknapp@orangetwp.org Joel Spitzer Fiscal Offi cer jspitzer@orangetwp.org ORC 9.03(B) allows for public funds to be used for newsletters. COMMUNITY EVENTS RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE, Township Hall on 10/18 and 12/13. Visit www. redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment. CPR/AED: 12/9 at 9:00-11:30am and BASIC FIRST AID 12:30-3:30pm at OTFD Station #361 (7700 Gooding Blvd). Check out www.orangetwp.org for more details. TRASH, RECYCLING AND YARD WASTE PICKUP SCHEDULE: Trash service will be delayed one day during the week on September 4th (Labor Day). Service will NOT occur on November 23rd (Thanksgiving Day), and will be delayed one day during the rest of the week. Offi ce Closed-Orange Township Administrative, Fiscal, Maintenance, Parks and Zoning Departments WILL BE CLOSED on September 4th in observance of Labor Day, November 10th in observance of Veterans Day and November 23rd-24th in observance of Thanksgiving. THE DELAWARE GENERAL HEALTH DISTRICT holds a Your Neighborhood Clinic at Township Hall the 1st Wednesday of each month from 10-11:30am. Contact them at www.delawarehealth.org or call 740-203-2040 for more information. THE OLENTANGY AREA SENIORS meet the 1st Wednesday of each month in the Orange Township Moffett Room starting at 11:45am for lunch and activities. Contact 740-591-8077 or www.olentangyseniors.org for more information. VISIT YOUR OTFD FIREFIGHTERS on Sunday, October 8th from 1pm-4pm at Station #361 (7700 Gooding Blvd.) to kick off Fire Prevention Week. JOIN YOUR FELLOW RESIDENTS on Tuesday, October 31st from 6-8pm for Trick or Treat. Orange Township will hold its 2ND ANNUAL HEROES NOT FORGOTTEN 5K on Saturday, November 11th. To register go to https://racepenguin.com/events/ orangetownship. ORANGE TOWNSHIP, DELAWARE COUNTY, OHIO
Special Report: Investment of Public Funds INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS Joel Spitzer, Fiscal Offi cer In an effort to bring transparency and education regarding Orange Township s investments, as Fiscal Offi cer, I have drafted an accurate history and reasoning regarding your public money. It is lengthy but worth your time. Thank you. PART I: INVESTMENT HISTORY Upon entering Orange Township as Fiscal Offi cer in 2008, Orange Township was undergoing several changes in the Orange Township Board of Trustees. One new member to the Board, John Cassady, sought and succeeded at changing the Orange Township Investment Policy restricting all Township funds to be held in a local bank depository or the State s STAR Account. This would continue until sometime in 2013. A new Board decided to revamp the Investment Policy to allow the Fiscal Offi cer to diversify Township Investments. One topic of discussion was whether or not the Township could invest in an investment product called brokered certifi cates of deposits (brokered CDs). After extensive and exhaustive legal research by Township Counsel and Counsel for 5/3 Securities, it was decided that Ohio Revised Code Section 135.14 restricted investments in brokered CDs. However, the language is not entirely clear and several government entities throughout Delaware County and Ohio invested in brokered CDs. With legal counsel advising against the brokered CDs product and for investment in government agency bonds, the Township decided to construct an Investment Policy that provided for investing in government agency bonds. At the same time, the State of Ohio Treasurer s Offi ce created a new product called STAR Plus, which provided for a higher return (weekly liquidity) on money held in their account. The next topic for consideration was grounded in liquidity and timing of investments. Around this time, the Township was facing a renewal option on the fi re levy. With the uncertainty of its passage, ALL three members of the Board of Trustees decided that it was best to wait the outcome of the fi re levy. Unfortunately, the fi re levy failed. This unfortunate circumstance left the Board with the confl icting decision to use the Township s General Fund to fund the $6.5mm fi re budget or apply for a loan to supplement the budget. Given the aging roads in the Township, the full Board decided a loan was the best option. The full Board also decided that any investments should be short term and laddered to provide liquidity in case of emergencies, major purchases, and ongoing projects. This decision would have a lasting impact on investments earnings but provided stability in Township fi nances. PART II: INVESTMENTS As the investment plan moved forward, the Township began to engage 5/3 Securities to manage investments and purchasing of government agency bonds. 5/3 Securities was chosen due to their long term history with government entities, their sound fi nancial advice and the fact that they do not charge fees or commission from this management of funds. So, with the fi re budget in fl ux, major purchases and major Township build out projects, the full Board decided that shorter term lower earning government agency bonds was a better fi t. Shorter term means lower earnings in the overall scheme of investing. The full Board opened the general Fund investment account in November 2013 with $3mm and then an additional $3mm was added March 2014. No additions or disbursements from the General Fund investments have happened since this time. In March 2015, we established the Orange Township Parks/Recreation and Orange Township Fire investment accounts. No additions or disbursements from these accounts has happened since they were originally opened. The STAR Ohio daily rate sheet dating 11/29/2013 (0.02), 12/31/14 (0.07%), 12/31/15 (0.30%) and 12/30/16 (0.80%) shows that the decision to move to government agency bonds was a good decision where government agency bonds were gaining over 1.0% at the time. What this illustrates is that for the money moved from STAR Ohio to the 5/3 Securities account, it earned signifi cantly more compared to if nothing was done at all and left at Star all of this time. This information is available on the State Treasurer s website and on the Township s website. Where Orange Township initially invested $6mm in short term lower earning government agency bonds other local townships (Genoa Township) invested upwards of $11mm for longer periods (60 months) in more risky long term brokered CDs. The Township was buying government agency bonds that matured in 6 months which caused lower returns but safer investments. The same philosophy continued with the creation of the Parks/Recreation and Fire investment accounts where an additional $2mm was again invested in short term lower earning government agency bonds. PART III: WHERE ARE WE NOW? Orange Township has been good stewards of your public money. The following rates and descriptors provides a general basis for comparison: STAR Ohio current rates - 1.14% (overnight liquidity): Orange Township currently houses $7.6mm here. STAR Plus 0.65% (weekly liquidity): Orange Township currently houses $0 here. As a comparison for investments, brokered CD rates are returning the following yields: 3 month 1.20% 24 month 1.70% 6 month 1.30% 36 month 1.90% 9 month 1.40% 48 month 2.10% 12 month 1.45% 60 month 2.35% 18 month 1.55% continued on back
Special Report: Investment of Public Funds INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS continued from front As you can see, brokered CDs at longer terms has greater returns on investments. Additional comparison and where Orange Township currently houses investments in government agency bonds outside of STAR Ohio/STAR Plus has the following rates: Yields on new issue government agency bonds change daily. For investments that mature inside of 36 months, yields are less than brokered cd s. Here is a snapshot for right now of new issues that matures 24 months out to 60 months: FFCB 1.40% 7/24/19 FHLB 1.75% 8/28/20 FHLB 1.85% 7/6/21 FHLB 2.05% 8/8/22 As you can see shorter term investments in government agency bonds have lower returns than long term investments and even lower returns than the more risky shorter or longer term brokered CDs. In summation, as a Township, the authority to invest is dictated by the Ohio Revised Code. This includes how a township invests public money. In general, this can be strict because of the oversight to keep public money safe from risk. The smart and responsible choice is legal investing that comports with the Ohio Revised Code; yet, yields the highest return while at the same time laddering investments to protect the fi scal wellbeing, safety and quality we enjoy in Orange Township. As previously discussed, this was determined through extensive conversations with Township legal counsel, the Ohio Auditor s Offi ce and Counsel for 5/3 Securities. The question remains, as elected representatives, do we accept the potential risk of loss without legal clarity or be as prudent as you can by investing public funds that will have more attractive returns within the law? The answer is clear. FISCAL REPORT JOEL SPITZER, FISCAL OFFICER Fund Name Beginning Balance YTD- YTD- Adjustments Ending Balance 01/01/2017 Revenue Expenditures 06/30/2017 General $3,070,892.83 $1,507,132.89 $2,364,094.72 $2,213,931.00 Motor Vehicle License Tax $186,083.67 $20,431.19 $84,605.22 $121,909.64 Gasoline Tax $345,664.56 $92,448.04 $29,914.19 $408,198.41 Cemetery $61,766.12 $34,376.00 $11,403.81 $84,738.31 Road Levy $0.00 $273,908.99 $3,470.74 $270,438.25 Special Fire Levy $3,682,404.07 $4,109,712.00 $3,706,781.42 $2,637.94 $4,087,972.59 Permissive Motor Vehicle License Tax $561,491.75 $107,572.66 $128,770.95 $540,293.46 Parks/Recreation $5,906,310.84 $868,309.33 $811,183.14 $5,963,437.03 Parks & Recreation Improvement $641.54 $0.61 $0.00 $642.15 Permanent Improvement (Fire Station) $1,940.00 $0.00 $0.00 $1,940.00 Future Fire Station $55,067.15 $0.00 $0.00 $55,067.15 Perm Improv (GM/HM Roundabout) $997,690.00 $0.00 $0.00 $997,690.00 Perm Improv (E. Orange Road #1) $995,050.00 $0.00 $0.00 $995,050.00 Perm Improv (E. Orange Road #2) $999,400.00 $0.00 $0.00 $999,400.00 Perm Improv (Orange Road/US 23) $1,290,467.23 $0.00 $663,561.21 $396,287.28 $1,023,193.30 Perm Improv (W. Orange Road) $999,500.00 $0.00 $0.00 $999,500.00 Perm Improv (Bale-Kenyon Road) $1,778,076.85 $221,923.15 $0.00 $2,000,000.00 Permanent Improvement $0.00 $500,000.00 $0.00 $500,000.00 Permanent Improvement $0.00 $250,000.00 $0.00 $250,000.00 Permanent Improvement $0.00 $250,000.00 $0.00 $250,000.00 Public Works Commission Projects $50,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $50,000.00 Cemetery Bequest $3,698.34 $3.68 $0.00 $3,702.02 $20,986,144.95 $8,235,818.54 $7,803,785.40 $398,925.22 $21,817,103.31