2024 State of the Village Address
The State of the Village of Newcomerstown continues to improve. 2023 was a busier year with the administration and 8 departments accomplishing 186 of 215 goals set for the year. To give a you an example, in 2017, we had 70 goals for 4 departments.
By far, our biggest accomplishment was the building of the new volunteer fire department. Jeff Parks was hired as fire chief, and Ricky Patterson as assistant fire chief. Both have put in many hours to build an excellent crew. Last January we had 10 firefighters volunteer. As of today, we have 19, most of which is due to the donation of a resident to fund their training costs. The State of Ohio Attorney General’s Office has just release the vehicles and equipment that was requested by our village to help equip our firefighters. The remaining equipment will be auctioned in the next 45 days. After the auction, the fire department will move back into the building.
The purchase of the northern two acres of the former Berkshire property from the Wm Brode Company provided cold storage for the water and street departments, to get all vehicles and equipment under cover instead sitting outside vulnerable to the weather. The old Clow office building has been currently used for active shooter response training for the schools in the county and for firefighter training with fogging machines. The land purchased will also be the future sight of a new safety building to house both fire and police departments.
We are very happy with our first year in the new administration building. The Council Chambers have been used by many groups for meetings along with the Mayor’s Office and Council such as the Tuscarawas County Mayors’ Association, The Tuscarawas County Visitor and Convention Bureau, Newcomerstown NOW, the Ohio Mideastern Economic Government Association, Cy Young Festival Committee, the Newcomerstown Community Access Network, Newcomerstown Youth League, the Red Cross, and the fire department. The one floor plan has made it easy access for the elderly and orthopedically impaired visitors. The extra storage space has been utilized by the Cy Young Festival Committee, Newcomerstown NOW, and Friends of the Library. We have had many visitors see the building, many who did not miss those steps.
Two events were coordinated by the American Red Cross in the light of the terrible Spaulding Street fire. Three hundred and sixteen new 10 year smoke detectors were installed on twelve streets in the Village.
The progress of the Simonds Industries property continues as the Phase II testing has been completed. The results will be compiled into a report to decide what areas will need to be cleaned out. Once that is completed, the land will be used for housing developer’s plans. The Simonds Heller Park saw a big increase in 2023 in the usage of the boat ramp, trails, and the newly opened Clow Hole. John Resh, the Parks Superintendent, has created new trails and continues to make the area look nicer each year. Several big Newcomerstown NOW events were held at the Park with the Second River Poker Run and the Heller’s Haunted Trail. The Poker Run had 80 kayakers this year, and a great increase from only 20 in 2022.
From Lisa Spillman’s fiscal officer’s office, positive moves were made to create a new budget for funding the fire department, working with Hasseman Marketing to produce a new promotional video about Newcomerstown, saving the village money on IT services and insurance by getting better quotes from different companies, improvements to the downtown with new trash cans, decorative stop signs and hanging baskets with the Newcomerstown Now organization. She receipted and disbursed over $400,000 in grant funds.
Shannon Kincaid, our administrative assistant, created a digital map of Simonds Heller Park and an interactive map with trail names for residents and visitors, improved the newsletter and worked with water department to have it go out with the water bills so every resident could receive it. She updated many forms to make them easier to complete as well as more efficient for our system. Shannon also completed her bachelor’s degree in graphic arts and media arts, a skill she uses a lot for our administration.
Chief Opha Lawson completed the state chief training in 2022, and had trainings for internal candidates for promotional opportunities, Taser Instructor School, Public Records, BAC training, CIT training, evidence room management and school resource officer. A new patrol car was purchased. He also wrote and received a grant for $13,600 for officer recruitment to pay their fees at the Academy to become an officer. Radar units were updated, began researching the idea of a safety building for fire and police.
Water/ Wastewater Superintendent Jared McFarland wrote and received a $50,000 grant for the lead lining service project. Water employees received confined space training. Two workers passed CDL licenses with tanker specification. The SKATA water treatment program was initiated as well the radio reads Phase 2 program. A new truck was also purchased.
Scott Powell Cemetery Superintendent put in a new dump road, replaced broken fence, had new camera system installed, had six large trees removed, cleaned all military monuments, and purchased a new mower and weed eaters.
The Street Department under Travis Goodwill had 19 catch basins repaired, provided a village wide OUPS training, BWC Ohio Safety Council training, provided maintenance for police cruisers, had paving completed on Cross St., Elizabeth Street, Nugent Street, North Bridge Street and 4 alleys this year. The crack seal program was changed from paying $20,000 to have a company seal road cracks, to the Street Department doing it themselves, saving $18,000. New more ornate stop signs were installed on Main Street, and new traffic lights were installed at State and College and State and River, both with sensors to better manage traffic. Chris Belt was responsible for the installations.
All three parks had work done this year. Southside had 2 very large trees removed. The equipment garage received a new roof at Cy Young Park. Simonds Heller Park had new trails installed as well as the Clow Hole area cleaned and opened up for fishing. The large parking lot was opened across from the high school baseball field, and made a big difference with the larger events that went on there. Save the Pool donated funds for new lounge chairs at the pool, and a new chlorine pump was installed by Superintendent John Resh.
Jim Johnson, Zoning Officer, signed off on 49 various permits, took 9 complaints, and continues to learn more about municipal planning, zoning and has done a good job creating the formats of tracking its progress.
The Fire Department under Chief Jeff Parks has done a great job of finding the equipment needed to run a volunteer fire department. Much of that gear was donated from many of the fire departments around us. We thank the various fire departments in Coshocton and Tuscarawas Counties for their encouragement and support. A fire engine was purchased from the Village of Tuscarawas for much less than it was worth. A good working relationship was formed with Tri County Ambulance. We thank them also for allowing us to station our engine in their facility until we can get back in the firehouse. 99 runs were made in 2024.
The next four years have many projects planned already for our Village. The Industrial Park has a new company building at the end of Enterprise Drive, a familiar name -Plymouth Foam. The former Caito Foods Building is under review by Chicago based firm and looks promising. We have several larger companies looking at the land where the former George house stood. I really believe something big is coming for the industrial park.
We have housing developers starting to think our area as a good place to build. We are getting more interest and questions about land in and around our village, and are working to support those interests to also encourage those bigger corporations that there will be places for their employees to live.
By far the most exciting news is Newcomerstown is part of a huge grant application with 9 other counties. The Ohio Appalachian Community Grant was applied for in December after working on it for the past year and a half. We will know in February if our consortium will receive it. Our portion will be approximately $600,000 for the painting of the buildings on Main Street, and development of the former Landmark and Agland parcel into a Train Station for the summer excursion train from Dennison to Newcomerstown to Coshocton.
As a side bar to the train project, Newcomerstown was fortunate to named as a part of the Amtrak route from Pittsburgh to Chicago that recently received a $500,000 grant to study for development.
It has been a busy year, and I didn’t mention half of what each department accomplished this year. Know that your work is appreciated very much.
There are new owners of buildings with big plans and ideas for new businesses and restaurants. We will work with you as much as we can.
I would like to thank our residents for all their hard work this year keeping their properties up. It has made a difference when visitors come to our town. As we remove the eyesores, your properties are seen in a much better light. Thank you to all the businesses for their work in our village and for all the donations they make to all the groups that ask for help. To everyone who has stepped up to help their neighbor, their co-worker- your community spirit provides a great example.
And lastly, I would like to thank our Council. David, Allen, Susie, Jan, Michael and Jay. We are fortunate to have a group that cares as much about our community as you do. You make my job easier and I appreciate your support.
We have 139 goals for this year so far. We have a lot of exciting plans and projects for the next 4 years to work on.
The best is yet to come and it’s time to get started on the next part of Newcomerstown’s Future!!!
