Risner placed on paid administrative leave, 120 housing units to be built along Dille Rd.
Representatives from several Clark County governmental entities came together Monday evening at Tecumseh High School for a Joint Government Meeting, during which, they discussed important developments in their respective agencies.
Bethel Township Trustees Nancy Brown and David Phares spoke of the new building developments along Dille Road near State Route 235 and Park Layne Elementary School. The parcel on the south side of Dille Road just behind the elementary school was recently approved for zoning changes that would allow single-family homes and duplexes to be constructed. One parcel on the north side of the road was also approved for single-family homes and duplexes, but the other northern parcel’s request for Industrial zoning was denied by the rural zoning commission.
Brown said that it was recently announced that 80 duplexes will be built on the southern parcel, behind the elementary school, and 40 homes will be built across the street on the northern lot. Phares said it had been discussed with the former property owner many years ago that if development were to occur on these lots, that Dille Road would have to be moved to align with Bellefontaine Road, which would create the need for a traffic signal. Brown said she attended the Rural Zoning Commission’s meeting to rule on the recent zoning changes, and asked them to consider restructuring the road before approving zoning that would bring so much traffic to such a small road and awkward intersection. She strongly requested that the industrial changes be rejected because of the types of businesses that would be permitted to open there, as well as the stress to the road and to traffic patterns, especially school buses. Brown said that while 120 housing units have been proposed for the area, that the intersection of Dille Road at 235 will remain the same, which she expects will cause some problems for motorists and bus drivers.
Brown said she felt it necessary to voice the board’s input at the Rural Zoning Commission because Bethel Township does not have its own zoning board, and is subject to the county’s rulings, but noted that residents turn first to their local township trustees when they notice an issue arise. Brown encouraged Tecumseh superintendents and board members to attend the next zoning commission meetings if they were troubled by the bloom in development so close to the elementary school.
Just before the joint meeting, the Bethel Township Trustees held an emergency meeting to discuss the employment of James Risner, who recently received federal charges involving child pornography. The board decided in executive session to place Risner, a member of the Bethel Township Fire Department, on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. When asked why the board decided on paid leave, Brown said they had been advised by the county prosecutor to place Risner on paid leave until the township conducted its own investigation using either the fire chief or a private citizen as the investigator. She confirmed that Risner is paid per call.
Brown told the New Carlisle News earlier that day that the township had performed a background check on Risner, as is standard with all new hires, and did not find anything alarming on his record, or he would not have been hired in the first place.
New Carlisle City Manager Randy Bridge extended his thanks to Councilman Ethan Reynolds for his request for a community Christmas tree lighting this year, saying that the city was “already buzzing” about Saturday’s event, as he had received several calls about the event from excited residents. Bridge also addressed an article in a Springfield publication that implied that the city of New Carlisle was asking for 2.5 million dollars for turning the Madison Street School into a civic center. Bridge said the group involved in that project is comprised of private citizens working together to develop the old school into a civic center. Although Bridge said he thought the idea was good for the city, he wanted to stress that the city government was not asking for the funds.
Councilman Reynolds said the group spearheading that project consisted of a few pastors who had tapped him for his input also. Reynolds said they would likely seek out grants to achieve their goal for the old school building, noting that they now meet twice per month to discuss possibilities.
The Board of Education announced that the school would be holding its annual Senior Citizen luncheon on Friday at 1 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. School Board president Peter Scarff also recognized outgoing board member Gary Cochran at what was Cochran’s last meeting, saying that the board had truly “benefitted from (Cochran’s) participation.”
