Clinton-Massie stadium lighting becoming a safety hazard, says superintendent

0

WILMINGTON — Saying the stadium lights are becoming a safety hazard, Clinton-Massie’s superintendent asked county commissioners Wednesday whether there’s an opportunity from the county to get dollars at low interest.

Elaborating, Clinton-Massie Superintendent Matt Baker said the stadium lighting includes two light poles from the 1960s, a couple poles starting to lean, and a 7,000 amps live un-insulated wire that goes across the field.

“I think it’s such a concern that it needs to be addressed, and we simply don’t have the money to do it,” Baker told commissioners.

The cost of a new stadium lighting system is estimated to be between $300,000 and $350,000, he said.

In response to Baker’s question about funding opportunities, Clinton County Commissioner President Kerry R. Steed pointed to the planned creation of a Legacy Fund from money that remained from the operations of then-county owned Clinton Memorial Hospital.

There would need to be more conversations about the request, added Steed, but he said the request “would be a perfect fit” for the Fund.

“We would have liked to have had that Fund operational last year, but we’re waiting on an [Ohio] Attorney General opinion to come back to us that gives us direction which way we can move [on the Fund’s board],” Steed said.

According to the Attorney General’s website, the county’s request for a legal opinion regarding board membership is the oldest opinion request currently pending at the state agency, with an attached date of April 2016.

An Attorney General’s Office spokesperson said Wednesday the inquiry is being actively worked on, and the “hope is for it to be ready soon.”

Clinton County Commissioner Patrick Haley said Wednesday he continues to feel that schools should be a strong candidate for some of the Legacy Fund dollars — not for operations or salaries, but for projects that schools might not be able to afford to do.

The first-year Clinton-Massie superintendent touched on other things during his Wednesday appointment with commissioners, which he said in part was an opportunity to introduce himself to them.

His goal, he said, is not only a strong school district but a strong community, as well, commenting that the Massie school facilities and campus form the community center in that part of Clinton County.

Development in the areas of business, housing, and in higher education is limited in Clinton-Massie territory largely because of a lack of sanitary sewer capacity, said Baker.

As an example, he said he’s been in touch with University of Cincinnati officials concerning land the university owns in adjacent Warren County “on the other side of Interstate 71” where, if UC wants to build a branch campus, the big issue is lack of a sewer system that could handle it.

Likewise, if the school district were to consider building a fieldhouse, there wouldn’t be capacity there to put in restrooms, said Baker.

The district plans to re-open the former elementary school building on campus and currently is trying to get an institution of higher education to make a branch campus there. Baker said he has talked to two institutions. The effort pertains to post-secondary enrollment options — now called College Credit Plus — that provides students an opportunity to take courses and earn high school and college credit.

If that option could be brought to the C-M campus, that would make it more accessible to students, safer as youths would not be driving additional miles, and have the added benefit that students would “still be part of the Clinton-Massie experience,” said Baker.

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.

Clinton-Massie Superintendent Matt Baker, left foreground, speaks with county commissioners on a number of things Wednesday. In the background is Wilmington Savings Bank’s Business Development Officer Jonathan C. McKay.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2017/01/web1_commish_baker_p_f.jpgClinton-Massie Superintendent Matt Baker, left foreground, speaks with county commissioners on a number of things Wednesday. In the background is Wilmington Savings Bank’s Business Development Officer Jonathan C. McKay.

By Gary Huffenberger

[email protected]

No posts to display