Greenfield’s rail spur in the future could serve a purpose beyond delivering materials to the manufacturers along its 29 miles.
City manager Ron Coffey said during his report to Greenfield Village Council at its regular meeting on Wednesday that the village had been contacted by Ray Kammer, president of the Cincinnati Railway Company and Lebanon, Mason & Monroe Railroad, about running passenger excursions on Greenfield’s rail line, and he’s interested in getting things started this year, possibly May and October.
Coffey said that things like this have previously “been prohibited by a requirement in (Greenfield’s) operating agreement with the Indiana & Ohio Railway that such operators show proof of $100 million in liability coverage.” However, Coffey said Kammer “is hopeful something can be worked out” since his organization currently operates on other rail lines controlled by the Indiana & Ohio Railway.
Greenfield Law Director Brian Zets has been contacted on the matter and it is believed, Coffey said, that once all the details are known, “a suitable agreement can be drawn up.”
The proposed excursions would likely be an hour or so long, Coffey said, and great for people curious about traveling on the railroad. He said that Kammer even discussed the possibility of those shorter excursions expanding to, perhaps, a day trip to Cincinnati.
An executive session was held during Wednesday’s meeting for the expressed purpose of considering “the appointment, employment, and/or compensation of a public employee.” According to councilman Chris Borreson, the closed meeting was held, in part, so that council members could review applications that have been submitted for the city manager position as Coffey is retiring at the end of next month. How many applications are being considered at this time was not disclosed.
Council chair Phil Clyburn presented a proclamation to Bill Lee naming Feb. 7, 2018 as Bill Lee Day, recognizing the former educator for his 25 years of broadcasting the council meetings on GCTV-3.
“That’s quite a service to the community,” Clyburn said of Lee’s tenure televising the regular meetings. “We appreciate it very much.”
The televised meetings are important because they allow the community to see its local government in action, Coffey wrote in his report for council.
Coffey also reported that another massive cargo load is scheduled to move through Greenfield on Friday, bound for a manufacturing plant near Circleville. The industrial load will depart Hillsboro on Friday morning, Coffey said, travel U.S. Route 50 to Bainbridge, and then move on to Greenfield as a similar load did just a couple weeks ago.
The Greenfield administration’s annual report for 2017 is now available for viewing on the village’s website. The city manager’s portion of the report highlights things such as the several new businesses that opened in 2017 in the village, the effort that has gone into getting the village’s industrial park certified, the work of community organizations, and “unprecedented paving.” The annual report also contains the year-end reports of all the village offices including clerk of council, public service director, finance, police, street and water. Go to greenfieldohio.net to view the report in its entirety.
Grow Greater Greenfield’s (G3) seventh annual Blues, Brews & Stews is slated for Feb. 24, Coffey said. The yearly winter extravaganza will feature live entertainment at two venues, as many as 20 soups, stews and chilis to sample and vote on, and a silent auction. For more information go to Grow Greater Greenfield’s Facebook page or visit g3greenfield.org.
Greenfield Village Council meets in regular session the first and third Wednesday of each month. Meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. in council chambers located on the first floor of the City Building. The meetings are open to the public.
