CALCUTTA - In the State of the Township Address, trustees assured St. Clair Township is doing well through tough economic times and will continue to seek expansion and growth through the Calcutta business district
"I don't want to paint a picture where it is all roses, but we are in the black," Robert M. Swickard, trustee, said, at the administrative building Tuesday. "Even from our budget that we had to submit last July, we've had two notices of reduction from that forecast already - a lesser gas tax and also a local government fund reduction."
Swickard and fellow trustees James Sabatini II and James N. Hall addressed completing a positive year regarding the completion of the state Route 170 road project, upgrades to Arby's and Wendy's, the opening of The 170 Drive Thru and the possibility of attracting more dining restaurants. In addition, the Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center, which Swickard dubbed his "pet project" received a $300,000 grant in early summer to possibly expand and relocate the building in the park.
Swickard said he believed the types of businesses in the Calcutta business district can cater to people's needs as the economy may also lead to local residents staying in the area instead of venturing away on vacation or travelling outside of the township.
"People have to eat, so our grocery stores are doing good," Swickard said. "The businesses that we do have out here that are flourishing are the ones that cater to middle class. We fit that niche."
With the state Route 170 work behind them, the trustees, along with Fiscal Officer Deborah Dawson, can focus on completing the Columbia Drive project and the Calcutta Community Park. According to the trustees, these two ventures are very likely to become a reality in the township.
"Our projects that we have had started are still very much viable projects and that includes the park that Mr. Sabatini has been working so hard on and Columbia Drive," Swickard said. "Our plan from the get-go, clear back from 1999 when this was originated, has been all infrastructure projects. Everything we have done has been infrastructure upgrades whether it's been McGuffey Drive that was put together and Columbia which is next. We even have projects listed that ... once this is done, we're not done."
Most of the energy will be towards Columbia Drive which will link state Route 170 and McGuffey Drive and open up around 70 acres of land for future businesses.
All three trustees and the fiscal officer are currently visiting the state Capitol for the Ohio Township Association Winter Conference this week and setting up meetings with state officials to seek grants and funding to finish the funding of Columbia Drive and other township projects.
"We've been very lucky in the awarding of the grants, we work very hard to get those, but what the untold story of that is, how many of those lines we cast come out with an empty hook," Swickard said. "Although we have gotten some nice ones, we sure have lost a whole lot. You just have to keep trying and keep trying and keep trying. That's what these next three days is going to be. Knocking on a lot of doors and everybody down there is vying for that same penny."
The Columbia Drive project already has received a $750,000 state grant, but will need another $1.25 million dollars for completion.
In May, the state grant was announced during a Columbiana County Commissioners meeting where Jim Hoppel, commissioner, said, the three-quarter of a million dollar grant is a prime example of what can happen when the county commissioners, engineer, development office and township officials cooperate for the greater good of the area.
The $750,000 will go towards developing about 400-500 feet of roadway from state Route 170. That takes Columbia Drive halfway to McGuffey Drive and past the wetland area, which is something Swickard said they were aiming towards.
The remaining $1.25 million, once received, will be set towards completing the remaining roadway and turn lanes on McGuffey Drive, Swickard said.
"Even though the project of Columbia Drive is in phases we do have completed design for the road and unfortunately we don't have all the money to complete it at this point," Hall said. "That's why we are trying to find more avenues to research and find money to complete it. Hopefully with us going to Columbus and talking with some of the people that have the power to maybe help us to receive these grants, something good will out of this."
The township officials will be trying to obtain face-time with the people that can help secure money for the township so they can understand, firsthand, the benefit to the community and remember the names with the faces if St. Clair Township paperwork every goes across their desks.
"The more we can communicate with these people and let them know who we are, learn our names and get them familiar with our projects, the less we can get that [unfamiliar] look," Sabatini said. "I think that has worked in our favor over the years. I think that is a goal we should continue to do. Whether or not they expect to see us, we expect to see them."
Swickard said he believes this one-on-one approach with state government officials has worked in the past and can work for upcoming projects.
"There is no doubt in any of our minds that if it were not for our constant knocking on doors from the county to the state to Washington D.C. ... state Route 170 would not have gotten done," Swickard said. "We showed a proven track record putting a consortium together to get McGuffey done."
The project involved six different land owners, Columbiana County officials, the Buckeye Water District, utility companies, the Ohio Department of Development, the school board and several other committees.
The trustees and fiscal officer will look to build a consortium again with land owners, nearby county officials and with government offices in Columbus.
On Wednesday, trustees met with Lisa Duvall, Gov. Stirckland's regional director for economic development. Today, Swickard said they plan to visit State Representative Linda Bolon's office and stop to see Brad Biggs from the The Office of Business Development.
A meeting with Senator Jason Wilson had to be rescheduled, but the trustees said they planned on sitting down with the senator sometime in the near future.
The meetings will fall between seminars regarding police, fire, road, legislative, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and fiscal-oriented topics.
"I think we all sort of pick seminars that pertain to our individual duties that we've been accountable for and then there's many that we can attend together," Sabatini said. "I think it's important to point out, too, that Deb [Dawson] goes through a pretty rigorous schedule."
All the seminars, meetings and travelling are for one goal - to help St. Clair Township prosper.
"We believe that the economic industry indicators that made township businesses to look at this [area] in the first place has not changed," Swickard said.
"That's why we want to be ready," Sabatini added.
