VILLAGE OF GREENFIELD, OHIO

CITY MANAGER'S 2016 YEARLY REPORT January 18, 2017 Ron Coffey, City Manager

THE YEAR 2016 IN REVIEW

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” –

Chinese Proverb We planted some trees in 2016, literally and figuratively, and hopefully the fruits will be enjoyed

for years to come. Greenfield also faced challenges and enjoyed some unexpected opportunities.

The past 12 months may not have been perfect, but all in all, as Old Blue Eyes used to croon, “it

was a very good year.” Here are a few things that come to mind when thinking of Greenfield’s

last trip around the sun:

AT LONG LAST – RAILROAD PROJECT COMPLETED!

The Greenfield Rail Line Improvement Project that was conceived in 2011, approved by the

Economic Development Administration in 2012 turned into a five-year adventure. The good

news is that all construction work on the project was wrapped up by September of 2016, and

follow-up documentation was completed in the months following.

This was not an easy undertaking for us, and extended over the careers of two Greenfield city

managers (Betty Bishop was the first) and two EDA project engineers. I am thankful that I lived

to tell the tale! The $4 million invested in the project was a collaborative effort to ensure the

sustainability of the Greenfield Rail Line that runs from east of Greenfield in Ross County all the

way through Highland County to Midland in Clinton County. At stake: nearly 1,000 jobs in the

region. Our eternal thanks to Ohio Speaker of the House Cliff Rosenberger, Senators Rob

Portman and Sherrod Brown, Congressman Brad Wenstrup, State Senator Bob Peterson, and a

host of regional, county and local officials who have supported our railroad project that benefits

not only Greenfield but Leesburg and New Vienna as well.

In 2016, we also planted the seeds for another potential railroad project that might increase

traffic along the 29.5 miles of railroad that Greenfield owns. You see, the possibilities and

projects never end. I’ll try to keep you posted as we go along in 2017.

SEEKING SOLUTIONS

“We want solutions, not problems. We all know the problems; what we need to

gather around is the solution.” – Bill Grunkemeyer In spring of 2016, economic development consultants Bill Grunkemeyer and Myra Moss came to

town offering their services to help piece together a plan for Greenfield’s future. An existing plan

from 2009 was dusted off, and served as an excellent starting point. Brainstorming sessions

followed, and the consultants developed a methodology focusing on three initiatives:

1) Economic Development (supporting growth of local businesses and industries and to

help attract new employers)

2) Destination /Tourism (promote Greenfield’s proximity to recreational resources, local

events, and Greenfield’s rich history)

3) Downtown revitalization (encourage and support storefront improvement and growth as

well as residential area improvements)

The group behind these meetings is informally known as Grow Greenfield, and continues to

brainstorm about solutions for our Greene Countrie Towne. Subcommittees have been

established and work continues on ways to improve Greenfield. The meetings have energized

committee and community members, who realize that they are stakeholders in the future of

Greenfield. Where it will lead is anybody’s guess, but a positive course is being charted.

BUSINESS GROWTH AND EXPANSION

As the economy continues to recover, signs were evident in Greenfield as employers added to

their work forces, some new businesses opened and others expanded. Here are a few that came to

mind:

Corvac Grand Opening: June 16 marked the Grand Opening ceremony at Corvac Composites,

1025 N. Washington St. Top brass from the company attended, along with employees, politicians

and others involved in bringing the company to Greenfield with the promise of 175 jobs by the

end of 2018. Initially Corvac has focused on bringing in equipment, hiring staff, and

manufacturing automotive parts. Corvac Composites a leading supplier of airflow management

and water-deflection systems to OEM and Tier Manufacturers. With 30 years of experience,

Corvac is a leader in bringing thermoform manufacturing into the realm of high volume

automotive applications. Greenfield is thrilled to have Corvac as a corporate partner. Jobs are the

key to our continuing sustainability, and Corvac has a successful business model that brings hope

to the entire region.

In 2016, Johnson Controls transitioned to a new name – Adient – and new corporate

structure. Adient has high hopes for automotive business, as well as new forays into furniture,

insulation, etc. Greenfield is proud to continue old traditions dating back to the 1960s with this

company, and to begin new traditions with Adient.

Entrepreneur Jamie Popp purchased American Made Corrugated Packaging at 1100 N. Fifth

St. and has ambitious plans to expand the operation. He also owns and operates two trucking

companies, and is making positive changes at the former McMullen Transportation facility north

of town.

Other local industries, including Greenfield Research, Greenfield Products and

Waddell/Ghent, experienced growth during 2016 and continued to support the labor force in

Greenfield.

Pat Friel & Associates: The Grand Opening of Pat Friel & Associates took place on Tuesday,

June 7 at the newly remodeled facility at 1020 Jefferson St. Services offered include intensive

outpatient groups, substance abuse education groups, relapse prevention groups, after-care

groups, individual counseling, crisis intervention, and case management. We wish Friel &

Associates much success.

W & W Dry Cleaners Laundry & Linens relocated operations to 603 Pine St. in 2016 and has

expanded the business to include commercial laundry service. This operation has added jobs to

Greenfield and has the potential for continued growth in years to come. Thanks to Christy

Larrick and staff for investing in Greenfield!

Small Town Fitness at 319 Jefferson St. not only enjoyed a successful year but also focused on

expansion in 2016. Groundbreaking took place December 5, 2016 for the new Small Town

Fitness facility at Jefferson and Fourth Streets in Greenfield. When completed, the two-story,

12,000 square foot facility will offer advanced workout equipment, a locker room with showers,

and evening babysitting services for members. Other features planned include a restaurant

offering sandwiches and smoothies, and a room that can be rented for parties, classes and

meetings. In addition, The Glitz Beauty Salon will be located on the second floor and tanning

services will be offered. Small Town Fitness is owned by Robert and Carolyn Arthurs.

Roman Family Healthcare LLC announced plans to open in 2016, and began setting up at

1440 Jefferson St. The facility officially opened in January 2017 and offers an affordable choice

for basic healthcare needs.

Jerry’s Pizza, a popular fixture in Chillicothe since 1954, opened a pizzeria at 237 Jefferson St.

in Greenfield in 2016. Now local residents can more easily get those delicious Italian dishes.

Highland County Community Action Organization purchased property on N. Fifth St. in

2016 and eventually plans to build a new facility combining operations from several locations

around the area.

Yellow Rose Bed & Breakfast: The local bed and breakfast at 305 S. Washington St. was

purchased in 2016 and the new owners plan to have the facility open in the first quarter of 2017.

Greenfield Family Dentistry opened at 1045 Jefferson St., right next to Pizza Hut, in 2016.

Greenfield welcomes Dr. Jacob Bissonette!

Elizabeth’s Hope Pregnancy Resources has been in Greenfield for a while at the Greenfield

Area Christian Center. It’s been reported that Elizabeth’s Hope will soon be moving to 348

South St. thanks to the generosity of two local physicians, Ed Onusko and Jeannette Morgan.

The Elliott Hotel: McClain grad Doug Karnes lives in Nashville, TN but continues plans to

renovate the historic Elliott Hotel at 139 S. Washington St. He will need time to bring it back to

life, but is philosophical. “Not looking to make a million dollars, just want to bring an old

building back to life and have the community involved in some fashion,” said the architect on his

GoFundMe webpage. The Elliott Hotel was the subject of a limited edition print at the 2016

Greene Countrie Towne Festival. Doug continues to tear down and clean up when he’s in town,

and has some others helping him. It will take time, but Doug has shown a lot of patience and

perseverance. I wish him all the best.

All of this economic development activity is indeed sweet news for Greenfield. And to sweeten

things a bit more, 2016 marked the year that baked goods from The Country Cottage began

making their way into Greenfield. In early 2017, a new coffee shop, the Cream-N-Sugar Café,

plans to open right next to Rancher’s Roast Beef in 2017, and will be selling goods from the

Country Cottage Bakery. That will be a nice way to begin the day!

Property is moving! Quite a few homes in Greenfield have been purchased by individuals and

investors who see the potential our community is showing!

I’m sure I’ve missed some new developments in business, industry and community services, but

hopefully the above information paints a picture of good things that are happening in our

“Greene Countrie Towne.”

INDUSTRIAL PARK READINESS Efforts commenced in 2016 to get our 180-acre industrial park certified so that would-be

employers are aware of the opportunities that exist in Greenfield. Council approved our

participation in the State of Ohio’s site certification program, and CTL Engineering was engaged

to conduct at Phase 1 study. Volumes of data were produced describing the park’s history,

geology, wetlands, archaeology, wildlife, etc. When the analysis came back, nearly every box on

the certification checklist was checked. However, some prehistoric artifacts were discovered in a

small section of the park that may need further study. Several options were considered, including

proceeding with a rather expensive study, or segregating the acreage in question to keep it from

development until those archaeological questions can be answered. With help from APEG

(Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth), a site plan is being developed to see how the

park’s development might unfold. Furthermore, a study of records indicating previous owners

has been made and it’s believed there is nothing in such records that would stifle development of

the park.

Also in 2016, the park was officially named the “South Central Ohio Industrial Park” upon a

recommendation by consultants that the name should give a clear indication of the park’s

location within the state.

NEW POLICE CHIEF AND OTHER STAFF CHANGES The official retirement of Police Chief Tim Hester took place early in 2016, but a lawsuit

challenging the selection process delayed the appointment of a new chief for a long time.

Greenfield finally won the court case last fall. By then, Sgt. Jeremiah Oyer had been running the

department as Officer in Charge for nearly a year, and in recognition of his hard work he was

appointed Chief of Police. Chief Oyer is a 17-year veteran of GPD, takes a no-nonsense

approach and is well respected by peers and the public. He has trained our officers for many

years and has taught at Police Academy as well.

Good things are happening in the Greenfield Police Department. Improvements to the jail and

various equipment have been made, and officers are receiving training.

Promotions and employment during the year included:

One new police chief: Jeremiah Oyer

Two new sergeants: Brian McNeil and Shawn Shanks

Two new patrolmen: Joe Voshall and Alex Rosado

One new dispatcher: Jennifer Storer

K-9 news: K-9 units belonging to three of Highland County’s law enforcement agencies all

received badges on Dec. 6 from Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins. Among the

recipients were the Greenfield Police Department’s K-9 Chica with Ptl. Shawn Shanks and K-9

Rony with Chief Jeremiah Oyer.

Also during 2016, K-9 units Rony and Chica received new bulletproof vests thanks to the Ohio

Chapter of Vesting America’s Police K-9’s. The new vests are valued at approximately $3,000!

The K9s were featured in news media and social media. They look great in their new vests!

Staff accomplishments and recognition:

Two employees at our wastewater treatment plant also registered some nice accomplishments in

2016. Chuck Duff passed his Class II Sewer Operator test, and Tate Wagner passed his Class I

Sewer Operator test. We encourage our staff to take training when possible and to seek

professional development opportunities. Congratulations to Chuck and Tate!

Water Office changes: Becky Stuckey retired in October from a career as finance clerk in the

Water Office. We sent her off with a pizza party and wish her well. Soon afterward, Kathy

Patton was employed for that position.

MAINTAINING INFRASTRUCTURE In 2016, Quality Paving completed paving work at S. Second St. and McKell Ave. in late July.

Greenfield secured a CDBG grant to pave Massie Street. That project is to be done in 2017.

Looking ahead, we expect a LOT of paving to be done in 2017! Vectren pipeline replacement projects continued through much of the year, as they have each

year since I’ve been city manager (I started in 2013). More in store for 2017.

Another important event as far as maintenance of our sewer lines was the ordering of a vactor

truck for use by the Sewer Department. The vactor truck will be used for preventive

maintenance as well as when problems occur. Recognizing the usefulness of vactor trucks, the

Ohio EPA had recommended that we get one. With a camera system, our staff can get into

sanitary and storm sewers and see what’s going on. Our current sewer jet system is 30 years old

and only pushes water back into the sewer – sometimes into people’s homes! The vactor truck

can push water, or pull it back into a tank on the truck. The water can be decanted into a manhole

and the solids kept in the tank. The vactor truck will also allow us to hydro excavate around

utility lines, which is safer and greatly reduces the likelihood of damaging utility lines.

ENERGY SAVINGS, AGGREGATION AND ENERGY CHOICE Since 2011, Greenfield has taken part in aggregation programs that benefit participating

residents. Those savings continued in 2016. If you live in Greenfield and would like to save

money on your utility bills, a good starting point is the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s

“Apples to Apples” website at:

http://www.energychoice.ohio.gov/

Also, I’ve posted the basic information below for the rates, vendors and phone numbers of our

current aggregation suppliers. Check it out and see if you can save by joining!

Electric Aggregation - FirstEnergy Solutions, 1-866-636-3749. Until May 2017 the rate is

5.27 cents per kWH. May 2017-2020 will be 5.35 cents per kWh.

Natural Gas Aggregation - Volunteer Energy Services, 1-800-977-8374. Rate for 2016-2017

is $.44 per Ccf.

BEAUTIFICATION

Greenfield’s application to be a Tree City USA Community for 2016 has been approved and

marks the third consecutive year we have attained this status! During 2016 we planted 10 trees

downtown and met all criteria for this status. The members of the Greenfield Tree Commission

include Betty Jackman, chairman, Larry Hayes, Patsy Smith, Kandy Wilson and Phil Clyburn.

Congratulations to them for all their hard work to beautify Greenfield!

Also under community beautification, hundreds of McClain High School students painted,

mowed, washed and generally helped clean up Greenfield during their second annual McClain

High School Day on May 13. It’s great to see this emphasis on community service by our local

school system!

That same day, several employees of Johnson Controls (now Adient) were seen cleaning up

brush and bushes at Mitchell Park.

G3 project: Last year the Greening Greater Greenfield organization erected a lovely picnic

shelter at Felson Park thanks to a $5,000 grant from South Central Power Operation Round Up

Foundation.

VOLUNTEERISM!

As a small community with a relatively small budget, there are limits on what we can do at any

given time. It’s like 4,639 people living under one roof, with one family budget. However,

through the help of clubs, organizations and individuals, many good things have happened in

Greenfield down through the years without relying on taxpayer money.

Wonderful organizations, including the Greenfield Rotary Club, Lions Club, Greening

Greater Greenfield, Y-Gradale, the Mothers Club, the Eagles, Spark! Creative Artspace,

Boy and Girl Scouting organizations, and others, contribute to the life of this community in

many ways!

I encourage every citizen to find a way to get involved in community life. It can be fun, and we

can all make a difference.

SOUND FINANCES Thanks to the guidance of Greenfield Village Council, with excellent cooperation from our staff,

Greenfield ended 2015 with a General Fund balance of $336,217.87. Throughout the year, we

attempted to keep spending in check, and to save money where possible in our everyday business

operations. Our income tax collections for 2016 totaled $1,335,439.58, up from 2015 collections

of $1,225,902.36.

GREENFIELD WORK FORCE Our work force is largely unchanged from previous years, but job descriptions have been

changed and positions are being looked at in news ways. Here are the positions and numbers for

each at the end of 2016:

VILLAGE OF GREENFIELD STAFF 2016

City Manager 1

Finance Director 1

Finance Clerk 1

Administrative Secretary 1

Income Tax Administrator 1

Utility Billing Clerks 2

Public Service Director 1 (part-time)

Public Service Laborers 6

Water Operator of Record 1 (part-time)

Sewer Operator of Record 1

Sewer Operators 2

Mechanic 1

Police Chief 1

Police Sergeants 3

Police Patrolmen 4

Police Dispatchers 3

Total employees at end of 2016: 30 (including two part-time)

IN CONCLUSION

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you

find out why. – Mark Twain

It’s hard for me to believe I have been city manager for four years now. It’s challenging, tiring

and humbling, but never boring. And when good things happen for Greenfield, I get a great

feeling of satisfaction because I love my hometown. A friend of mine told me this was the job I

was born to do. I told him I could get some second opinions to the contrary! To the best of my

ability, I try to get along with the members of Greenfield Village Council, the citizens of

Greenfield, and our staff members. We are responsible for the welfare of this community, and

that’s a great privilege and responsibility. In any event, I expect 2017 to be my final year in this

position. I want to finish strong and still be planting seeds of progress until it’s time to say

goodbye.

Thanks for reading, and please continue as we present facts and figures from the people who

really do the work -- our staff!

- Ron Coffey, Greenfield City Manager

DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS: