CARLISLE, OHIO

COUNCIL, THE STAFF, AND THE CITIZENS OF CARLISLE

PURSUANT TO SECTION 733.41 OF THE OHIO REVISED

CODE. THAT SECTION REQUIRES ME TO REPORT TO THE

LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY OF THE MUNICIPALITY AT

THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY CONCERNING THE

AFFAIRS OF THE MUNICIPALITY AND TO RECOMMEND

SUCH MEASURE AS I DEEM PROPER. I HAVE

ALWAYS TAKEN THAT OBLIGATION SERIOUSLY. I VIEW

IT AS MY OPPORTUNITY TO SUMMARIZE THE

EVENTS OF 1998, AND TO HELP FOCUS OUR ATTENTION

ON OUR GOALS FOR 1999.

1998 SAW US ADDRESS ISSUES CENTRAL TO THE WELL

BEING OF OUR TOWN. WE PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST

PHASE OF OUR LONG TERM PLANNING PROCESS; WE

CONSIDERED THE OPTIONS RELATIVE TO THE

UNDERPASS; WE CONTINUED TO PUSH FOR THE

CONSTRUCTION OF A WESTERN MONTGOMERY

COUNTY BELTWAY; WE BEGAN THE PROCESS TO

APPROVE TWO NEW SUBDIVISIONS; WE PURCHASED 12

ACRES IN THE INDUSTRIAL PARK; WE PLANNED OUR

FIRST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR; WE

CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF ROSCOE ROOF PARK;

AND WE REACHED AGREEMENT

WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR THE EXTENSION OF

UTILITIES INTO THE NORTHERN AREA OF TOWN,

THEREBY OPENING THE DOOR TO FURTHER

DEVELOPMENT WHILE PROVIDING TO OUR SCHOOLS

NEEDED FIRE PROTECTION AND ACCESS TO A SAFE

DRINKING WATER SOURCE.

1998 SAW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CONDUCT THE

FIRST DARE CLASSES IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL; EXPAND

THE ACTIVITIES OF THE POLICE EXPLORERS POST; AND

INITIATE A NEW BIKE PATROL; ALL OF WHICH

FURTHERED THE GOAL OF COMMUNITY POLICING.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS WE DISCUSSED IN OUR

BUDGET PROCESS, CONTINUES TO DO A FINE JOB BUT

IS IN NEED OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO CONTINUE

THEIR MISSION.

THE PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT, DESPITE

NUMEROUS INJURIES, HAS ASSUMED A LARGER

WORK LOAD, SPRUCED UP THE PARKS, AND

PRESENTED A NEW PLAN FOR A LONG TERM PAVING

PROGRAM.

THE TOWN HALL STAFF HAS CONTINUED PROVIDING

EXCELLENT SERVICE TO OUR CITIZENS. I

PARTICULARLY WANT TO NOTE THE CONTIBUTION OF

OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, RON HOVELL. IN HIS SHORT

TIME HERE HE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THE

QUALITY OF OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEMS, AND OF THE

INFORMATION PROVIDED TO COUNCIL. ACCURATE,

TIMELY FINANCIAL INFORMATION IS THE KEY TO

GOOD DECISION MAKING. WITH RON, WE HAVE THAT.

MAYORS COURT REVENUES ARE UP DUE TO THE

CONTINUED EFFORTS OF MAGISTRATE EDDIE LAWSON,

OUR CLERK, ANGIE ROSE, AND THE POLICE. WE

CONTINUE TO OPERATE ONE OF THE FINEST

MAYOR’S COURT IN THE STATE.

1998 SAW THE CONTINUATION OF A POSITIVE BUSINESS

CLIMATE IN CARLISLE. WE SAW THE OPENING OF

TOWNE EAST AUTO, DARBYS GIFTS, AND THE

FLOWER CART. WE SAW THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW

AMERISTOP; AND THE FINALIZATION OF THE PLANS

FOR MEADOW CROSSING, OUR SENIORS CITIZENS

HOUSING COMPLEX. WE SAW THE RELOCATION OF

WAXCO TO CARLISLE; AND THE EXPANSION OF

CARLISLE ELECTRIC WHICH IS IN THE PROCESS OF

CONSTRUCTING A NEW BUILDING IN TOWN.

DESPITE THE LAYOFFS AT DOPACO, WE RETAINED

ACUTUS INDUSTRIES, ONE OF OUR MANUFACTURING

CONCERNS. EXPANSION AT THE JUBILEE CENTER

CONTINUED WITH THE OPENING OF FIVE STAR VIDEO

AND CASSANNO’S PIZZA.

1998 SAW A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT IN THE LIFE OF

CARLISLE- THE PASSAGE OF THE SCHOOL LEVY. THERE

CANNOT BE A HEALTHY CARLISLE WITHOUT A

HEALTHY SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE LEVY INSURES THE

HEALTH OF THE CARLISLE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR MANAGER BRAD

TOWNSEND FOR HIS EFFORTS DURING 1998. I THINK

HE IS THE CONSUMMATE MANAGER- PROFESSIONAL,

YET DOWN TO EARTH. HIS SERVICES HAVE HELPED US

TREMENDOUSLY. HIS ABILITY TO REDUCE COMPLEX

DEALS INTO ACCOMPLISHED GOALS HAS BEEN A KEY

TO OUR SUCCESS.

NO ONE CAN CONSIDER THE EVENTS OF 1998 WITHOUT

COMMENTING UPON WHAT HAS BEEN REFERRED TO

AS THE GREAT WATER WARS. I WANT TO

ACKNOWLEDGE THE WILLINGNESS OF MY FELLOW

COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TAKE A STAND ON THE ISSUE

OF THE PROTECTION OF CARLISLE’S ENVIRONMENT.

WITHOUT REHASHING THE ENTIRE EVENT, SUFFICE IT

TO SAY WE TOOK THE NECESSARY ACTION TO

PREVENT DAMAGE TO OUR CITIZENS INCLUDING THE

DECLARATION OF A MORATORIUM ON HIGH CAPACITY

WELL CONSTRUCTION IN CARLISLE. WE HAVE

PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO REGULATE HIGH

CAPACITY WELLS. IN ADDITION, WE HOSTED A

GROUND WATER SYMPOSIUM SO WE COULD EDUCATE

OURSELVES ON THE AQUIFER. YOU WILL EXCUSE US

IF WE VIEW WITH SKEPTICISM THE RHETORIC OF

COMMUNITIES WHO

SEEK TO EXPLOIT OUR RESOURCES IN THE NAME

OF SO CALLED REGIONALISM.

IF WE HAD NOT TAKEN DECISIVE ACTION, WE WOULD

HAVE BEEN NEGLIGENT. ITS ALWAYS BEEN MY MOTTO

THAT YOU DON’T LEARN MUCH FROM THE SECOND

KICK OF A MULE. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE HIGH

CAPACITY WELL LEGISLATION, WE WILL HAVE DONE

ALL WE CAN DO AS A MUNICIPALITY TO PROTECT OUR

CITIZENS. YET MORE IS NEEDED.

1999 OFFERS US MANY CHALLENGES. AS WE SEEK TO

IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF OUR

NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE PLANNING PROCESS,

WE HAVE TO ANSWER SOME VERY FUNDAMENTAL

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY.

I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THOSE ISSUES THAT

I BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE PRIORITY IN 1999.

FIRST, WE MUST FINALIZE AND IMPLEMENT THE

HIGH CAPACITY WELL LEGISLATION EARLY IN

1999. OUR CITIZENS NEED THAT PROTECTION.

SECONDLY, WE MUST ENCOURAGE THE STATE

LEGISLATURE TO ENACT LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE

A GROUND WATER WITHDRAWAL PERMIT FOR ALL

LARGE USERS. I BELIEVE THAT WATER POLICY SHOULD

BE BASED ON REASONABLE USE BY REASONABLE

PEOPLE. THOSE AREAS THAT FAIL TO CONSERVE, AND

THAT FAIL TO MANAGE GROWTH SHOULD NOT

EXPLOIT THE RESOURCES OF OTHERS. TO ALLOW THAT

WOULD BE TO REWARD THOSE WHO WASTE OUR

NATURAL RESOURCES.

CONVERSELY, THOSE WHO HAVE THE RESOURCES

SHOULD NOT ACT UNREASONABLY IN DENYING

ACCESS TO OTHERS.

THIS IS WHAT I REFER TO AS REGIONALISM. HOWEVER

THIS CAN NOT BE ACHIEVED BY SMILES AND

HANDSHAKES. IT MUST BE CONTROLLED BY A STATE

OR REGIONAL AGENCY WHICH HAS THE AUTHORITY

TO GRANT PERMITS AND TO POLICE THEM. ONLY THAT

APPROACH WILL PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE

CITIZENS OF CARLISLE AND OF OHIO.

IN 1999, WE MUST ACQUIRE OR RESERVE ADDITIONAL

LAND FOR INDUSTRIAL GROWTH. COMMUNITIES HAVE

TWO CHOICES. THEY CAN GROW OR THEY CAN DIE. WE

NEED TO BE A CATALYST FOR THE CREATION OF JOBS

AND THE EXPANSION OF OUR TAX BASE.

WE MUST ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF FUNDING FOR THE

FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE MUST EXPLORE ALL OF THE

POSSIBLE LONG TERM SOLUTIONS TO ENSURE THE

SERVICE OUR CITIZENS DESERVE.

WE MUST IMPROVE THE CONSISTENCY AND

QUALITY OF SERVICES SUCH AS ZONING AND BUILDING

INSPECTION TO RETAIN EXISTING BUSINESS AND

POPULATION, AND TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS AND

RESIDENTIAL GROWTH.

LASTLY WE MUST BEGIN THE PROCESS OF TRANSITION

FROM VILLAGE TO CITY STATUS WHICH WILL RESULT

FROM THE 2000 CENSUS. I CALL UPON THE

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE TO BEGIN

CONSIDERATION OF THIS ISSUE.

I MENTIONED TO YOU THAT 1999 WOULD INVOLVE

CHALLENGES THAT WOULD REQUIRE US TO

DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF COMMUNITY WE ARE.

WHENEVER I PONDER THAT QUESTION I ALWAYS

THINK OF

ROSE POAST. ROSE HAS LIVED IN CARLISLE FOR OVER

70 YEARS. SHE RAISED HER FAMILY HERE. SHE RAN

IN THE FIRST COUNCIL RACE IN 1959 AFTER

INCORPORATION, AND SHE CONTINUES TO BE

INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY SERVING ON

COMMITTEES AND HELPING OUT IN MANY WAYS. ROSE

IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL CARLISLE RESIDENT. CHERISH

THE PAST, STRIVE FOR THE FUTURE IS NOT ONLY OUR

MOTTO, IT IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR CITIZENS LIKE

ROSE. THE DEBATE OVER THE UNDERPASS WAS MORE

ABOUT RETAINING OUR SMALL TOWN IDENTITY THAN

IT WAS ABOUT SAFETY. SAFETY MAY HAVE LOST OUT,

BUT THE TOWNS SPIRIT WINS.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL

AND STAFF DURING 1999. I BELIEVE AS WE STRIVE

FOR THAT FUTURE WE DESIRE, WE WILL DO ALL THAT

WE CAN DO TO PROTECT THAT PAST THAT IS SO

IMPORTANT TO OUR CITIZENS.

THANK YOU.