August 16, 2017 at 3:37 a.m.
Village interested, but at a lower price
Diller says land should be appraised as 'developable ground'
Village interested, but at a lower price
Copyright 2017, The Commercial Review
All Rights Reserved
FORT RECOVERY — The village would be interested in purchasing Fort Recovery High School’s baseball field, just not if it’s being appraised as such.
Fort Recovery village administrator Randy Diller explained to Fort Recovery School Board at its meeting Tuesday that the village would like to have the property, if it becomesavailable, if it is appraised as developable ground.
Discussion about the future of the field, located at the west end of Caldwell Street, popped up in April when the Fort Recovery Baseball Diamond Club expressed interest in constructing a new facility north of the softball field on the Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School property. The village was approached about its interest in the current field, but an appraisal of the land as a baseball field came in at about $180,000 for the approximately 4-acre site.
Diller explained that he feels such an appraisal is irrelevant because there is no market for the land as a baseball field. If the village obtained it, he said, the field might continue to be used temporarily but in the long-term it would make sense as a site for expansion of the adjacent water plant.
He noted that the issue has come up twice before, first about a decade ago — an agreement was in place, but a project to build a new field never moved forward — and then in 2013 when the village bought 0.364 acres at a rate of $10,900 per acre. He said he believes the current going rate would be somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000 per acre.
“We’re willing to pay whatever the true value of that ground is. We don’t want to get a break from you guys. That’s not what we’re after,” Diller said. “But at the same time, I’m not interested in buying an improved baseball field.”
Board member Mitch Ervin commented that appraising the land as developable ground would probably be the most fair way to do so, and explained that the board was simply trying to get a value on the land via the original appraisal. The board took no action on the matter.
Also Tuesday,superintendent Justin Firks explained opportunities made possible through the state’s Energy Conservation Program, which allows school districts to make energy efficiency improvements and then use the savings to pay for them. Funds for such improvements can be borrowed without a ballot issue.
Plans for energy savings include upgrading lighting in the elementary/middle school and replacing one of its two boilers. That work, estimated at a cost of $242,724, is projected to save the school district more than $30,000 per year — a net of more than $675,000 over a 25-year period.
Middle school principal Tony Stahl said efforts to reduce class sizes will result in between 18 and 22 students in each room this year, which is slightly lower than 2016-17. He added that there was also an increase in special education coverage to 16 periods from the previous 12, and also expanded access to intervention programs.
He noted that those steps were taken while maintaining the same level of opportunity for gifted students.
“We were able to … meet all those needs while not sacrificing any of the other students,” said Stahl.
In other business, the board:
•Was updated by athletics director Kurt Rammel, who reported that recent facility updates included redesign and coating of the floor at Fort Site Fieldhouse and upgrading sound systems. The department also has a new website at fortrecoveryathletics.org. Rammel also reported that Jill Schneider has been hired as full-time athletics trainer after the school did not have a trainer last year.
•Got an update from Firks on the new spectator code of conduct, which requires those attending athletic events to act respectfully to others. Penalties for those who are ejected from events for violating the code of conduct range from a 10-day ban from athletic events fora first offense to a lifetime ban for a fourth offense. It also lays out the opportunity to appeal such decisions. Firks said he’d like to see the entire Midwest Athletic Conference take up such a policy in the future.
•Gave Firks permission to hire substitute teachers at a rate of $80 per day on an as-needed basis. There was some discussion about raising the rate in an effort to help attract more substitute teachers. The board approved the $80 rate, but could still revisit the possibility of an increase at a future meeting. It also approved the following as classified substitutes for the 2017-18 school year: Barb Sautbine, Vickie Jutte, Kate Timmerman, Alison Koch and Marilyn Fortkamp.
•Was updated on several events as the start of school approaches. Freshman orientation was scheduled for today, followed by an open building at the elementary/middle school from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 21 and staff orientation Aug. 22. The first day of school is Aug. 23.
•Approved the following: selling a sports super pass to students for $40 for admission to high school volleyball, football and girls and boys basketball; participation in the Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council; allowing Fort Recovery High School senior students attending Tri-Star Career Compact to drive themselves to the St. Marys Tri-Star site; high school principal Marcus Overman, elementary school principal Tracy Evers-Westgerdes and Stahl as credentialed evaluators; a field trip for Sept. 17 through 20 to the national FFA contest in Springfield, Massachusetts; bus routes and the middle school handbook for the 2017-18 school year; and a security services agreement with the Village of Fort Recovery.
•Heard from Diller that a project to pave and widen Williams Street on the east side of the FRHS property may be delayed until the spring, depending on the contractor’s schedule. The school will then be responsible for replacing sidewalks, estimated at just over $24,000.
•Learned Fort Recovery preschool received a 5-Star Award from the Ohio Department of Education.
•Accepted the resignations of Patricia Lefeld as scholastic bowl advisor and Austin Faller as assistant technology coordinator.
•Hired Kathleen Klosterman as a teacher, Francis Knuth as scholastic bowl advisor, Chelsea Kahlig as junior class advisor and Jeff Vaughn as a volunteer assistant girls golf coach.
•Agreed to make the following transfers: $350,000 to the permanent improvement fund, $10,000 each to public school preschool and Title I disadvantaged children and $7,000 to improving teacher quality, all from the general fund.
•Designated $1 million worth of certificates of deposit as inactive until their maturity dates in 2018 and 2019.
•Accepted nearly $4,000 in donations.
•Was reminded that the election for school board seats is in November.
All Rights Reserved
FORT RECOVERY — The village would be interested in purchasing Fort Recovery High School’s baseball field, just not if it’s being appraised as such.
Fort Recovery village administrator Randy Diller explained to Fort Recovery School Board at its meeting Tuesday that the village would like to have the property, if it becomes
Discussion about the future of the field, located at the west end of Caldwell Street, popped up in April when the Fort Recovery Baseball Diamond Club expressed interest in constructing a new facility north of the softball field on the Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School property. The village was approached about its interest in the current field, but an appraisal of the land as a baseball field came in at about $180,000 for the approximately 4-acre site.
Diller explained that he feels such an appraisal is irrelevant because there is no market for the land as a baseball field. If the village obtained it, he said, the field might continue to be used temporarily but in the long-term it would make sense as a site for expansion of the adjacent water plant.
He noted that the issue has come up twice before, first about a decade ago — an agreement was in place, but a project to build a new field never moved forward — and then in 2013 when the village bought 0.364 acres at a rate of $10,900 per acre. He said he believes the current going rate would be somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000 per acre.
“We’re willing to pay whatever the true value of that ground is. We don’t want to get a break from you guys. That’s not what we’re after,” Diller said. “But at the same time, I’m not interested in buying an improved baseball field.”
Board member Mitch Ervin commented that appraising the land as developable ground would probably be the most fair way to do so, and explained that the board was simply trying to get a value on the land via the original appraisal. The board took no action on the matter.
Also Tuesday,
Plans for energy savings include upgrading lighting in the elementary/middle school and replacing one of its two boilers. That work, estimated at a cost of $242,724, is projected to save the school district more than $30,000 per year — a net of more than $675,000 over a 25-year period.
Middle school principal Tony Stahl said efforts to reduce class sizes will result in between 18 and 22 students in each room this year, which is slightly lower than 2016-17. He added that there was also an increase in special education coverage to 16 periods from the previous 12, and also expanded access to intervention programs.
He noted that those steps were taken while maintaining the same level of opportunity for gifted students.
“We were able to … meet all those needs while not sacrificing any of the other students,” said Stahl.
In other business, the board:
•Was updated by athletics director Kurt Rammel, who reported that recent facility updates included redesign and coating of the floor at Fort Site Fieldhouse and upgrading sound systems. The department also has a new website at fortrecoveryathletics.org. Rammel also reported that Jill Schneider has been hired as full-time athletics trainer after the school did not have a trainer last year.
•Got an update from Firks on the new spectator code of conduct, which requires those attending athletic events to act respectfully to others. Penalties for those who are ejected from events for violating the code of conduct range from a 10-day ban from athletic events for
•Gave Firks permission to hire substitute teachers at a rate of $80 per day on an as-needed basis. There was some discussion about raising the rate in an effort to help attract more substitute teachers. The board approved the $80 rate, but could still revisit the possibility of an increase at a future meeting. It also approved the following as classified substitutes for the 2017-18 school year: Barb Sautbine, Vickie Jutte, Kate Timmerman, Alison Koch and Marilyn Fortkamp.
•Was updated on several events as the start of school approaches. Freshman orientation was scheduled for today, followed by an open building at the elementary/middle school from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 21 and staff orientation Aug. 22. The first day of school is Aug. 23.
•Approved the following: selling a sports super pass to students for $40 for admission to high school volleyball, football and girls and boys basketball; participation in the Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council; allowing Fort Recovery High School senior students attending Tri-Star Career Compact to drive themselves to the St. Marys Tri-Star site; high school principal Marcus Overman, elementary school principal Tracy Evers-Westgerdes and Stahl as credentialed evaluators; a field trip for Sept. 17 through 20 to the national FFA contest in Springfield, Massachusetts; bus routes and the middle school handbook for the 2017-18 school year; and a security services agreement with the Village of Fort Recovery.
•Heard from Diller that a project to pave and widen Williams Street on the east side of the FRHS property may be delayed until the spring, depending on the contractor’s schedule. The school will then be responsible for replacing sidewalks, estimated at just over $24,000.
•Learned Fort Recovery preschool received a 5-Star Award from the Ohio Department of Education.
•Accepted the resignations of Patricia Lefeld as scholastic bowl advisor and Austin Faller as assistant technology coordinator.
•Hired Kathleen Klosterman as a teacher, Francis Knuth as scholastic bowl advisor, Chelsea Kahlig as junior class advisor and Jeff Vaughn as a volunteer assistant girls golf coach.
•Agreed to make the following transfers: $350,000 to the permanent improvement fund, $10,000 each to public school preschool and Title I disadvantaged children and $7,000 to improving teacher quality, all from the general fund.
•Designated $1 million worth of certificates of deposit as inactive until their maturity dates in 2018 and 2019.
•Accepted nearly $4,000 in donations.
•Was reminded that the election for school board seats is in November.
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD