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Russell gives school-bus garage one more year
(by Joan Demirjian - November 25, 2009)
Russell gives school-bus garage one more year
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Russell Township Trustees have approved an extension of the West Geauga School District's lease of property next to the Russell Police Station for its buses and maintenance garage.
West Geauga School Superintendent Anthony Podojil met with Township Trustees Nov. 18 to ask for a year extension on the lease. The lease, for $1 annually, was to expire in January.
The district is planning to move its buses and maintenance operations to a site on the Metzenbaum School property in Chester.
Metzenbaum School is working on the finances to build a bus facility that will be shared by West Geauga schools. Ground is expected to be broken next spring and it should be completed in fall 2010, Dr. Podojil said.
It was 10 years ago that the school board and Russell Trustees entered into a purchase agreement for the old Russell School. The township bought the property and later demolished the school.
The fire station and police station have been built on the site on Chillicothe Road (Route 306), north of Kinsman Road (Route 87).
A decade has passed quickly, Dr. Podojil said. The district has studied options for a site for the buses and, for the past few years, has been working on the shared site with Metzenbaum School. "We're excited about regionalizing," he said. The district could be off the township site even before the year is over, he said.
Trustee Kristina Port said an earlier environmental study of the site was done in 1999, and a second study is recommended.
Dr. Podojil said, "We'll want to leave it clean, environmentally. We've been appreciative being able to be here." It has been a matter of trustees and the school board working together, he said.
Trustee James Mueller said another study should be done, because there are a lot of buses and fuel is being pumped at the site. He said it would be a shared study.
Mr. Mueller said the school district needs to know it left the area clean so anything that comes up in the future is not the district's responsibility.
Dr. Podojil said, "We want to make sure we don't leave you with any issues, but the only way to do that is to do a study," he said.
The school district would not move the buses in the summer because the mechanics are working on the fleet of 30 to 35 buses.
However, once the new bus garage is up, it won't take long to move them, he said. "By the next school year, we'll want to be in the new building," Mr. Podojil said.
He said the district appreciates the cooperation of the police department. "It's worked out better than anyone expected, but now it's time to go."
The new facility on the Metzenbaum property will be more functional and closer to the schools, according to Dr. Podojil.
"I'm confident we're moving in the right direction," he said. "If costs are minimized and shared, it's a win-win situation," Dr. Podojil said of partnering with Metzenbaum. "It will be a more efficient operation."
He said the environmental study would be done within 30 days of vacating the property. The study done in 1999 showed there were no contaminants.
Mr. Dickinson said the second study would involve hydrocarbons and other pollutants. The township and school district will share the costs.
If pollutants are found, the school district will pay for remediation, Mr. Dickinson said. However, they are not expecting to find anything, he said.
The township does not have an immediate need for the property, and once the buses are gone, the maintenance building will be torn down when the buses are moved, he said.
The building is unsalvageable, according to Jack Gallagher, township maintenance supervisor.
Mr. Podojil said the school district would be responsible for two thirds of the cost of the new building at Metzenbaum School, paying on a lease to Metzenbaum School over 30 years. The arrangement eliminates the need to put a bond issue on the ballot, he said.
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