Greenfield budget delayed; Coffey’s job renewed

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The Greenfield Village Council will meet in a special session next week to approve a temporary budget as the audit for 2015 has yet to be completed by the state auditor’s office.

Finance director Carolyn Snodgrass said that, typically, the audits are done every two years, but because the village received more than $750,000 in federal money in 2015, a single audit of that year was required.

The federal money was for the multi-million dollar railroad repair and upgrade project that was recently completed on Greenfield’s 29-mile rail spur.

The financial report for 2015, Snodgrass said, is supposed to be completed by the state auditor’s office by April. Since the council had its last regular meeting of the year on Wednesday, and since the final numbers for 2015 are not available, a temporary budget for the first three months of 2017 will come before council for approval in a special meeting on Dec. 28.

In other business, council members approved legislation renewing an employment agreement with city manager Ron Coffey to remain in the position through the coming year. Coffey has been Greenfield’s city manager since January of 2013.

The resolution renewing the agreement states that council “is very pleased with the level of service and hard work” provided by Coffey.

In Coffey’s report, he noted that members of a local grassroots effort to revitalize Greenfield had met with Heritage Ohio.

According to its website, heritageohio.org, Heritage Ohio is “Ohio’s official historic preservation and Main Street organization.” The organization “fosters economic development and sustainability through preservation of historic buildings, revitalization of downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts, and promotion of cultural tourism.”

Coffey said the organization has requested the members of the grassroots effort to recruit volunteers interested in downtown development who can work together on focused planning. These volunteers will form the Downtown Assessment Resource Team (DART). The Heritage Ohio representative will return in January to present to “the core group of stakeholders” about the program.

Coffey said that if anyone is interested in participating to contact him. He can be reached at the city building by calling 937-981-3500.

The city manager also reported that he and council member Brenda Losey recently attended a local committee meeting for Hope Over Heroin, a large, two-day event that council in June said it was receptive to the village hosting.

Coffey and Losey at the recent meeting “made (their) pitch” for Greenfield to host the event next spring, the city manager said. He said there are several other locations being considered, too. He said a decision on where the event will be held will come at the group’s next meeting in January.

As previously reported, the faith-based event is geared toward raising awareness, providing education and information on treatment, wellness, and recovery in Highland County.

Updates are available on the Hope for Highland County Facebook page. For more information about Hope Over Heroin, go to hopeoverheroin.com.

The Greenfield Village Council meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in council chambers on the first floor of the City Building. The meetings are open to the public. To be put on the agenda, call the village offices at 937-981-3500.

Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.

Greenfield Village Council members (l-r) Chris Borreson, Betty Jackman, Bob Bergstrom, Mark Clyburn, and Brenda Losey are pictured at a council meeting earlier this year.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2016/12/web1_council1.jpgGreenfield Village Council members (l-r) Chris Borreson, Betty Jackman, Bob Bergstrom, Mark Clyburn, and Brenda Losey are pictured at a council meeting earlier this year.
Council awaits 2015 state audit

Angela Shepherd

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