University Heights City Council meeting highlights 9-20-10

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

  • County council district 11 forum
  • Rain garden on Ashurst Road
  • City must repay county auditor
  • Workmen’s compensation coverage lapses
  • South Euclid Community Center rentals
  • Hazardous waste
  • Purvis Park pool
  • KFC and Hollywood Video
  • Waterline replacement
  • McDonalds’ restaurant

All council members were present.

County council district 11 forum

Carol Gibson, of the Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters, informed the council that the league would be holding a forum at Brush High School on Oct. 6 for district 11 county council candidates.

Rain garden on Ashurst Road

Linda Johnson of Ashurst Road congratulated council on obtaining a $10,000 grant to develop a rain garden pocket park at 2603 Ashurst and delivered a letter signed by her husband and her along with pocket-park educational materials. Echoing the hopes laid out in their letter, Joseph Ciuni, city engineer, discussed water/drainage remediation, quiet use, low maintenance, native-planting landscape, and storm water management.

Casey Solis, also of Ashurst, reported that her backyard has been completely flooded during storms since the home at 2603 was razed, and some flooding has occurred in the front yard as well.

The city’s service director, Chris Vild, explained the science underlying a rain garden. He said that a properly prepared and planted rain garden would reduce or eliminate flooding, replenish the aquifer, and reduce toxic runoff. There would be an inexpensive pipe to the sewers to handle a “50-year rain.”

With one dissenting vote, which was cast by Councilman Frank Consolo, council approved accepting the $10,000 grant for the rain garden project.

City must repay county auditor

Mayor Susan Infeld reported that the city missed a TIF (Tax Incremental Financing) payment in 2009 and has made a verbal agreement on a repayment plan with the TIF trustee. The city must repay the county auditor approximately $160,000 for tax advances due to commercial properties being reassessed.

Workmen’s compensation coverage lapses

Also, lapses in workmen’s compensation coverage for the year 2009 were caused by late payments by the city to the Bureau of Workers Compensation. Because of this, the city did not receive the discounted premium rates and will need to pay the full cost for coverage, an additional $80,000 to $100,000 for 2011. Finance Director Jennifer Esarey told council that the city would apply to another discount ratings program.

South Euclid Community Center rentals

University Heights and South Euclid residents can now rent rooms at the South Euclid Community Center at the same rate. University Heights will pay the difference.

Hazardous waste

Beginning in September 2011, a pickup site for hazardous waste will open in Garfield Heights.

Purvis Park pool

Council unanimously passed a motion to advertise for bids for painting the floor of Purvis Park pool. Councilman Steven Sims said that the city needed to cast a wider net to add diversity to contract letting. The cost is expected to be between $15,000 and $20,000.

KFC and Hollywood Video

Building Commissioner David Menn reported that the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant at 2115 S. Taylor had closed, and that Halloween City, a temporary store, had opened at the site of the former Hollywood Video.

Waterline replacement

The city’s engineer, Joseph Ciuni, reported that the waterline project had been completed and that Traymore and Dysart were in line for a future waterline project.

McDonalds’ restaurant

A consultant has been hired to do a traffic study for the planned McDonalds’ restaurant on Warrensville Center Road. McDonalds will pay for the study.

LWV observer: Carol Gibson

These meeting summaries are abstracted from LWV observers’ written reports. The summaries have been edited and prepared by Anne McFarland, Charlene Morse and Maryann Barnes. To receive e-mail postings of full reports, send an e-mail 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.

 

Read More on University Heights
Volume 3, Issue 11, Posted 9:34 AM, 10.18.2010