Galion willing to help residents who can’t reach city streets from driveways

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If access to your driveway from a city street was washed away by the early-summer rain, Galion is willing and able to help city residents.

That’s the message Galion Mayor Tom O’Leary, Safety-Service Director John Swain and Service Department Superintendent Al Baker shared Thursday following criticism earlier in the week from Treasurer Paula Durbin.

She alleged during Tuesday night’s Council meeting that the city misused public resources in July when city crews used asphalt grindings to repair a private drive.

O’Leary, Swain and Baker say that’s not true.

“Anyone who would call up here and couldn’t reach their driveway, we would repair the drive area between the surface of the street and the private property,” O’Leary said.

The mayor said that’s exactly what they did when a resident contacted Swain saying he had a problem with access to Nazor Road.

“His driveway was washed out, he couldn’t access the city street,” O’Leary said. “We sent a dump truck load of grindings to the property to (help) his access back to the city street and we spread the grindings. We couldn’t very well just leave a lump of grindings for him to deal with. We had to reconnect the road the right way.”

Durbin said she is upset that city equipment and city employees were used to repair a private lane.

“It’s illegal,” she said. “You can’t use public resources for private use. Public funds have to be used for public use.”

Asphalt used on this road off Nazor Road in Galion was at issue during Tuesday night’s Galion City Council.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2015/10/web1_Aspalt.jpgAsphalt used on this road off Nazor Road in Galion was at issue during Tuesday night’s Galion City Council.

By Deborah Elaine Evans

[email protected]

Reach Evans at 419-468-1117 ext. 2049 or on Twitter at @deborahevans31

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