The proposal calls for the city to use $25,000 from CIP Fund No. 301 for testing, cleanup and abatement of the mold in the city building.
Until there is a resolution, however, the Police Department offices are scattered around the city.
“Right now we’re split up,” Horner said. “The Patrol and Records are operating out of the Fire Department; the administration — effective Monday — will be operating out of Scioto County Emergency Management Agency (Life Ambulance Headquarters); and then the Detective Bureau and the Drug Units are working out of the red building next to the Police Department.”
Horner said the Records Division, as of Wednesday, is operating out of the Fire Department’s Dispatch Center.
Horner said residents can pick up accident reports at the temporary location.
“If we don’t have the reports there, it will be the next day when they will be able to pick them up,” Horner said. “What they (police personnel) will do is, at the end of the day, they’ll have a list of names, and they will put down contact numbers, and if they have a report they need copied, if it is on hard file, a person from Records will go down the last half hour of the day and get those out of the Police Department.”
On Monday, Portsmouth City Council failed to discuss the purchase of the former Columbia Gas Company offices on Clare Street. Council President David Malone said it was supposed to be on Murray’s conference agenda, and she wasn’t at the Council meeting. Murray was, instead, at Scioto County Common Pleas Court, where the Scioto County Board of Elections was ruling on the protests to the petitions calling for a special election for her recall as mayor.
Horner was asked if he had received any indication that anyone in city government is going to look into the possible purchase of the former Columbia Gas Company building.
“No. Nothing at all,” Horner said.
Frank Lewis may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.
Rittenhouse & Associates, a commercial appraiser in Hillsboro actually appraised the Marting building. Martings paid to have the property appraised for a loan. It was later reviewed by a local real estate company.
The money went to The Marting Foundation, a non-profit organization with interest in redeveloping the downtown area. Actually, the city could petition the foundation to use the money for economic development or for the renovation of the Marting building.
The Marting Foundation was initially set up to extend the life of the department store, because it was such an integral part of downtown Portsmouth. This did extend the life of the store for several years, but ultimately they just couldn't keep the doors open.
This was a pretty innovative idea that got sidetracked.
Was this building just purchased for a city souvenir???
If the city doesn't intend to use it, why has it not been sold??? Is it beause that nobody in their right mind would be willing to pay what the city paid for it??? If I recall, the city paid close to $2,000,000 for it and it still sits vacant in the middle of our "thriving" ghost town.
I strongly agree with the last commentor that with all the past and present bull and inner fighting that goes on in our city government that maybe we should recall the whole bunch and start over!!!
Next time I would start by electing a mayor that isn't in the process of sueing the city that she is supposed to be leading and supporting!!!
The public never did here the rest of the story behind this purchase including:
Who got the money???
Didn't the building have to be appraised prior to purchase the same as purchases by normal buyers???
If so, who was paid to appraise the building and how much were they paid???
The questions go on and on, however, there never seems to be any answers!!!
Looks like the BOE and city council uses the Port Authority's playbook for scheduling meeting conflicts.
Looks like the Mayor was absent like the Auditor, Solicitor and previous Mayor Kalb are with regularity without adequate excuses except for being absent on key nights when they should have been there to respond to their responsibilities, etc. not just any typical night. They were visibly absent, etc.
Ain't Ptown a hoot?
I support recalling the current mayor, but I would support recalling council as well and starting over.
In my opinion, the idea of spending $460,000 at a time when the city is too broke to fix streets that are full of potholes and having to do away with jobs to save money seems to be completely absurd!!!
Maybe the Mayor (if still in office) and City Council can work TOGETHER to get this accomplished and get the police back to a healthy work area.
Nothing is ever accomplished by continuously banging heads except for a huge headache!!!
I don't think anybody would argue with the fact that black mold is a serious health issue, however, people that get this in their homes get it cleaned up and move on. They don't abandon their home forever. It is a temporary and fixable problem.
Also, doesn't the mold have to be cleaned up anyway to avoid the mold posing a threat to the building as a whole rather than just in the basement???
It can't just be left to grow without increasing the problems and liabilities. So, come on guys and gal, please work together on this one and get-er-done.