University Heights City Council: Highlights of November/December meetings

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2008

All Council members present.

Animal control with South Euclid

Council passed a resolution to authorize an Animal Control Services Agreement with South Euclid.

Road salt shortage

Service Superintendent Chris Vild gave an update on the road salt shortage. Although he continues to contact vendors and salt is available, he hasn’t yet received a quote for an acceptable price for a reasonable quantity. Cleveland Heights will sell University Heights salt if their supplier, Cargill, will permit it. University Heights is currently considering using a salt-cinder mix. The storage unit in Cleveland Heights is not set up for such a mix. Using this mix also entails an increased cost for cleaning sewers.

University Parkway project

Engineer Joe Ciuni reported that 30 of 59 homes on Silsby Road have been disconnected from the temporary water hoses. Weather permitting; the remaining 29 homes should be disconnected by the end of the week. Ciuni also stated that the University Parkway project was completed on Nov. 10.

Bushnell Road repaving

Community Coordinator Walter Stinson announced that an application for Community Development Block Grant funding had been submitted. If granted, the money would be used to repave Bushnell Road.

Website vendors

Councilmember Frank Consolo stated that three website vendors had made presentations. A decision will be postponed until 2009 due to budget constraints.

LWV observer: Wendy Duering.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2008

Peter R. Bernardo excused.

Charter Review Commission

Speaking from the audience, resident Kate Uhlir requested a well-publicized town hall meeting, including councilmembers, to discuss the pros and cons of changing the city government and to state the approximate cost of such a change. She requested a citywide mailing in January to inform the community of the meeting.

Concerns about NEO/SO

Former University Heights councilmember Susan Infeld expressed concerns about hiring NEO/SO (the Northeast Ohio Sourcing Office) to evaluate the city’s efficiency and cost saving process. Her issues included the identification and evaluation of city functions, an efficiency review, a study of fees and service charges, and shared services. Infeld was also concerned that there was no plan to interview residents or John Carroll University community members.

Results of "Voices and Choices"

Former University Heights Councilman Steve Bennett reported that the agenda for Advance Northeast Ohio focuses on four areas: business growth, talent development, racial and economic inclusion, and government collaboration and efficiency.

UH reaches a milestone

Mayor Beryl Rothschild announced that University Heights has been a member of the League of Cities for 25 years.

Ochoa to be part-time director

Council reappointed Arman R. Ochoa as director of finance on a part-time basis for 2009. Ochoa will be employed full-time with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District but offered to continue to work part-time for University Heights since the mayor is in the last year of her term. [Ochoa’s full time position with the city had included several roles in addition to finance director]

Road salt

Service Supervisor Chris Vild reported that University Heights had been placed on a list for road salt that ODOT had stockpiled.
Vice Mayor Adele Zucker reported that a policy of “sensible salting” was discussed at the Service and Utilities Committee meeting. Sensible salting means plowing and salting busy intersections and main roads while just plowing side streets. Residents will be informed of this via the City Watch reverse telephone system.

LWV observer: Sue Pardee

Disclaimer: These reports contain member observation and selected highlights of public meetings and are not official statements of the League of Women Voters-Cuyahoga Area, Heights Chapter. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports.

To receive email postings of full reports, send an email to lwv_chuhreports-request@chuh.net with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.

Meeting summaries have been edited and prepared by Charlene Morse, Marilyn McLaughlin and Maryann Barnes.