University Heights City Council --meeting highlights
NOVEMBER 16, 2009
All council members present.
Disposition of property
Sheila Hubman asked the present council [the newly elected council will be installed in January] to resolve the disposition of the property at 2603 Ashurst Road. Although the house had been demolished and the property cleaned, Mayor Beryl Rothschild doubted there would be a decision whether to sell the lot or use it as public space before January. Hubman also asked for the efficiency report to be reviewed by the current council. The report, compiled by David Akers of the Northeast Ohio Sourcing Office, had been delayed awaiting the outcome of the election and the voters’ decision regarding the city administrator position. It has since been delayed due to scheduling conflicts. Several council members expressed the desire to see a copy of the report if the presentation must be delayed.
Public service director receives award
Mayor Rothschild announced that Public Service Director Chris Vild had been awarded a 2009 Trash Oscar by the Solid Waste District in recognition of his commitment to composting, recycling and environmental concerns.
Water and sewer bills combined
Mayor Rothschild reported that as a requirement of the Federal Clean Water Act, the city’s water and sewer bills would be combined into one bill and would include an added fee of approximately $4.75 monthly for storm-water containment. The mayor felt the fees were excessive, given that University Heights is located at the top of the watershed; therefore, she is applying to receive some of the funds collected to help pay for storm drain repairs and maintenance.
Report on NOPEC meeting
Councilman Steven Sims reported on the Nov. 10 Northeast Ohio Public Energy council meeting (NOPEC). Founded as a utility aggregator in 2000 to provide gas and electricity to communities, and to serve as a watchdog over the utilities, NOPEC now serves 106 communities in nine counties and continues to expand.
Temporary appropriations
As a standard practice, an ordinance to establish temporary appropriations for the period commencing Jan. 1, 2010 and ending March 31, 2010 was presented on first reading. The budget is open to revisions and Council member Sims stated that some of the categories are still blank.
Smoke detectors and safety training
Fire Chief John Pitschler announced that the department had installed more than 350 smoke detectors since July 31, completed the fire safety training programs in the schools and nursing facilities, and had given 80 flu immunization shots.
LWV observer: Wendy Deuring.
DECEMBER 7, 2009
All council members present.
The rift caused by the charter review process
Sarah Wilder presented suggestions about how council could heal the rift created by the charter review process and at the same time improve the future effectiveness of the council. Her suggestions included regularly scheduled town hall meetings, reinstatement of the “Series of Discoveries” programs, events to recognize the work of city employees, and a search for new ways for elected leaders to meet with the residents.
Could council install an administrator?
Ken Eiker expressed concern that council could still vote to install a city administrator despite the clear vote against such an action by residents. Mayor Rothschild noted that she could not say what council might decide to do next year, but she certainly hoped they would follow the wishes of the residents.
Update on the Exception Report
Mayor Rothschild announced the availability of the completed Exception Report (or efficiency report) at City Hall. David Akers of the Northeast Ohio Sourcing Office will present a preliminary report to Rothschild on Dec. 8 and summary reports to council the following week. A formal presentation of the complete report is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2010. Mayor Rothschild announced she plans to attend that meeting because the process began during her term. The report has been paid for in full. Councilwoman Frankie Goldberg suggested that the January meeting be moved to a larger room to accommodate members of the community.
Acting law director
Council unanimously approved the appointment of Dennis A. Nevar as acting law director. According to PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) rules, Ken Fisher was required to retire. The mayor swore in Nevar.
Audio-visual surveillance
Council approved a contract for audio-visual surveillance equipment for the police department to American Inc. for $24,750. Stimulus funds will be used to cover this cost.
Five-star rating
Council commended the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Library for its recent five-star rating from the Library Journal.
Payment to Cleveland Heights
Council authorized payment to Cleveland Heights for resurfacing the east half of South Taylor Road from Cedar to Silsby. The cost of $56,344.98 was $800 more than the original bid. The work has been completed and approved.
Arman Ochoa, former finance director
Mayor Rothschild and acting law director Dennis Nevar stated that discussions regarding the current case against Arman Ochoa, the former finance director, do not need to be held in executive session since Mr. Ochoa was no longer a city employee and the case was now a criminal matter.
Final leaf pickup
Service director Chris Vild announced the city’s final leaf pickup of the season. Any further pickups would be handled on an individual basis.
LWV observer: Wendy Deuring.
This is an expanded version of the report published in the printed Heights Observer.
These meeting summaries are abstracted from LWV observers’ written reports. The summaries have been edited and prepared by Charlene Morse, Marilyn McLaughlin and Maryann Barnes. To receive e-mail postings of full reports, send an email to mbarnes9515@gmail.com or join through google groups using “lwv-chuh observer reports” as a search phrase.
These reports contain member observation and selected highlights of public meetings and are not official statements of the Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports.