Butler ramp stays open

Tuesday, 14 March 2006

By BRANDI BARHITE
brandibarhite@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY - The Butler Street ramp will remain open, indefinitely.

In between laughs, commission voted 5-1 at Monday's meeting to "stop the experiment," as Ex officio Mayor Dan Kaman put it.

Commissioner Brian Crandall said he took "a beating" after Vice Mayor Dannie Edmon made the suggestion at last month's meeting to close the Butler Street ramp to see if it invigorated Cleveland Road.

Crandall has received several phone calls against the "experiment," which would have been for May.

"Let's talk about this," Crandall said, laughing.

Although Edmon's idea generated a lot of good comments, which is good for democracy, Crandall wanted to put the issue "to bed," he said.

Ever since Edmon made the explosive suggestion, conversation has been overwhelmingly against it.

Kaman said the Butler Street ramp was expanded in the late 1990s for Cedar Point. Also, the Milan Road overpass was built in the 1960s for traffic flow.

"Being a tourist destination, you have to make it easy for them to get to the park," Kaman said after the meeting.

Edmon, who laughed while casting the sole vote for his idea, thanked Crandall for appreciating an idea. Commissioner Dennis Murray was absent from Monday's meeting.

Edmon said most cities do "parade tourists" around their towns. He came up the suggestion after attending a roundtable with Cleveland Road business owners. Edmon heard the Butler Street ramp cuts off much of the Cedar Point traffic to Cleveland Road, he said.

Also at Monday's meeting, commission passed the 2006 budget on first reading. Edmon and Crandall voted against the budget.

Crandall said it's irresponsible of commission and the staff to present a budget March 13 when it has to be approved by March 31, per charter.

Crandall said the budget hasn't been talked about since Jan. 1, when he took office. Last year, there were work sessions in January and February, he said.

Edmon's motion to table the budget so the public could properly look at it failed. City Manager Mike Will said the 2006 budget process started in the summer and public hearings took place in the latter part of 2005.

The city's proposed general fund budget is $16.4 million, compared to $16.1 million in 2005. The general fund pays for the city's day-to-day operations.

The budget does not include more staffing for the police and fire departments, although replacing a fired firefighter is a part of this year's budget, fire Chief Mike Meinzer said.

Also at Monday's meeting, commissioners approved applying for and spending up to $150,000 for a phase II environmental assessment of the Sandusky Cabinets property on 430 E. Market St. and 513 E. Washington St., and property at the foot of Warren Street, owned by Mack Iron. Information about the ownership of the Warren Street property in Saturday's Register was incorrect because of information provided.

FunCoast.com is your online guide to summer fun for Cedar Point, the LakeErie Islands and Sandusky area. Our site offers up-to-date information on area attractions, restaurants, hotels, gasoline prices, ferry schedules, swimming, birding and fishing, along with a complete listing of events happening in the Sandusky/Cedar Point area. To use our Webcam and zoom in on Cedar Point's rollercoasters, go to http://funcam.funcoast.com

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