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Answers to the most frequently asked questions. Submit a question

ORDINANCES and RESOLUTIONS

Question: Where do I find ordinances that are specific to Canal Winchester? Answer: Government - City Ordinances

FINANCE

Question: Who do I contact when I need information about my speeding ticket? Answer: Finance Department       Phone 614.837.7691 or sbrandon@canalwinchesterohio.gov

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

Question: Who do I contact regarding Senior Activities? Answer: Community Affairs Department - Donna Warren       Phone 614.837-8276 or dwarren@canalwinchesterohio.gov Question: Who do I contact when I need information about events going on in Canal Winchester? Answer: Community Affairs Department - Carrie Hoover      Phone 614.834-9727 or choover@canalwinchesterohio.gov

COMMITTIES and BOARDS

Question: How do I contact one of the Committees or Boards? Answer: Learn more

PLANNING AND ZONING

Question: Who do I contact with zoning questions? Answer: Development - Planning and Zoning   Andrew Dutton   Phone 614.834-5101 or adutton@canalwinchesterohio.gov Question: Who do I contact when I need information about building or development in Canal Winchester? Answer: Development Department Lucas Haire       Phone 614.834.1894 or lhaire@canalwinchesterohio.gov

PUBLIC UTLITIES

Question: Who do I contact when I need information about my water bill? Answer: Finance Department - Janet Armentrout      Phone 614.837.7716 or jarmentrout@canalwinchesterohio.gov  Question: Who do I contact when I need information about building or development in Canal Winchester? Answer: Development Department - Lucas haire       Phone 614.834.1894 or lhaire@canalwinchesterohio.gov Question: Who do I contact when I need information about an outside water meter? Answer: Public Works - Chris Hartung       Phone 614.837.5623 or chartung@canalwinchesterohio.gov  Question: Who do I contact when I need information about sewer backups? Answer: Public Works - Steve Smith       Phone 614.837.2254 or ssmith@canalwinchesterohio.gov

Question: I just changed the oil in my car. Where can I take the used motor oil?
Answer: Used motor oil should not be put into household garbage, dumped on the ground or poured down the drain.
	Used motor oil is accepted at all Valvoline Instant Oil Change, AutoZone, and BP ProCare (full-service stations only) locations.  Contact the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio for more information.

Question: What do I do with my old car battery?
Answer: State law bans lead acid batteries from landfill disposal. You can dispose of your lead acid batteries at the Crown
	Battery Company and at all locations of Parts America, AutoZone, and BP ProCare (full-service automotive repair). Contact the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio  for more information.

Question: Do you know someone who is dumping oil and used paint down the drain?

Answer: Contact the Franklin County Public Health's Enviromental Crimes Task Force of Central Ohio to leave an    anonymous tip.

Question: Who do I contact or information on responsible land use decisions for conservation, protection and implementation of
	soil and water resources
Answer: Contact the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District.

Question: Who do I contact for information on the impact of Storm Water to the environment?
Answer: Contact the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
	The City of Canal Winchester is required to submit a storm water management plan in accordance with 40 CFR 123.25(41) and Ohio law (OAC 3745-39). This document outlines the City's program to develop, implement and enforce a storm water management program designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants to the maximum extent practicable, to protect water quality, and to satisfy the appropriate requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in accordance with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II program.

SAFETY

Question: What do I need to do to get my USV (Underspeed Vehicle) certified for on-street use? Answer: An underspeed vehicle is described as a four-wheeled vehicle, other than a truck, that is either originally designed and constructed with a top attainable speed of 20 MPH or less, or is not originally designed and constructed for operation on a street or highway. Most golf carts fall under this description and therefore are considered an underspeed vehicle. Review the process for certifiation and sample certification document

STREETS

Question: What department handles street maintenance, storm sewers, street signs, traffic signals, leaf and snow removal? Answer: Street Department  - Shawn Starcher      614.837-8276 or sstarcher@canalwinchesterohio.gov

Question: When does my steet get plowed? Answer: The City of Canal Winchester is committed to providing safe, accessible streets during inclement weather. Street Salting and Snow Removal Policy

Question: Why does it take so long to fix my street? Answer: Repairing or repaving a street is usually a rather short process. It's when the street needs to be totally reconstructed that the process becomes very long and detailed.

Question: Why are so many streets being reconstructed? Answer: When voters approved an additional 1% income tax in 1996, the City council agreed to spend 40% of this additional revenue for infrastructure improvements, mainly streets. At that time most of the City's major streets were in need of improvements due to lack of revenue in past years to repair them. Since then the City has been very successful in obtaining money from the state's infrastructure improvement grant and loan program to assist in the improvement of Gender Road, Washington Street, High Street, and  West Waterloo Street.

Question: Why Reconstruction versus Repair? Answer: The City's engineer determines when a street requires total reconstruction instead of just an overlay. Also decided is whether water, storm or sanitary line upgrades are also needed. Past experience shows that many of these lines are in excess of 40 years old. In order to minimize future problems, most of these lines are being replaced at the same time the street is reconstructed.

Question: Why aren't all street projects started in early Spring? Answer: While the City tries to begin street work as early as possible, there are some things that preclude this. The City budgets money to spend on a street project based on the engineers cost estimate. Sometimes, for various reasons, the bids come in higher than the estimate. The project must then be either re-bid or held until the following year. This happened with Trine Street. The project was re-bid the second year because contractors had fewer state road projects to perform, were hungrier for work, thus bid the job much lower.

Question: Why does it take so long to get started? Answer: In order to limit continued opening of new streets, the City also works with the telephone, gas and electric companies to upgrade their service lines and services to properties at the same time. Usually, it appears that street work has begun; however, the first one to two months of construction is actually the utility companies upgrading their lines.

Question: What determines if a street is closed or kept open during a street project? Answer: If the street is a major entrance into the City or if more than a few businesses are located on the street, the street will usually be kept open during construction. However, this means a much longer total project schedule. If the street carries mainly local traffic and is primarily residential, we will usually close the street. This means a much faster schedule. Trine Street is a good example of this. The project was actually completed two months ahead of schedule because we were able to close the entire street.

Question: Who oversees street projects? Answer: The City actually has a number of representatives assisting with this. First, the Citys engineer designs the project and is also available if design problems arise during the project. A construction administrator, Bill Sims, and inspection company, Quality Control Inspections, Inc., is also used by the City to oversee the project on a daily basis. These people work with the Citys Street Department Manager, Shawn Starcher, to handle the day-to-day issues that come up during the project. Lastly, the mayor and council must approve any proposed changes or additional costs during the project.

Question: When is construction complete? Answer: Not until all problems and miscellaneous items are handled to the City's satisfaction. Usually a small amount of the contractor's pay is retained for a period of time after the project appears to be complete. This retainer handles things such as dead grassy area of tree lawns and cracks in sidewalks among other things.

URBAN FORESTRY

Question: Who do I call if a tree falls on an electrical line? Answer: South Central Power Vegetation Manager     Phone 740.689.6170 Question: Who do I call if there are fallen limbs and leaves in the right of way? Answer: Canal Winchester Street Department - Shawn Starcher      Phone 614.837.1922 or sstarcher@canalwinchesterohio.gov  Question: Who do I contact when I have questions regarding trees and vegetation in the City right of way, need to prune, remove trees or grind stumps, check stock for give-a-way trees, street tree or City floral displays, general tree questions? Answer: Canal Winchester Urban Forester - Dick Miller    Phone 614.834.5100 or dmiller@canalwinchesterohio.gov