Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 6-3-2013

JUNE 3, 2013

  • Water rate increase
  • Payday lending
  • New fire engine
  • 1935 Coventry
  • LGBT Pride Month
  • Cedar Lee SID
  • Legal research services
  • Powell Caesar
  • Purchase legislation amended
  • Waterline survey
  • Replacement snowplow
  • Mayfield Road resurfacing
  • Bonnie Caplan to retire

All council members were present.

Water rate increase

A water rate increase from $56.60 per Metered Cubic Foot (MCF) to $70.04 per MCF was read into the record. Cleveland Heights buys water from the City of Cleveland but maintains it’s own lines. The lines are old, and new lines are needed throughout the system. Susanna Niermann O’Neil, acting city manager, noted that response time for correcting water problems is currently less than six hours.

Payday lending

Council approved a moratorium on any new business proposing to issue payday loans without being licensed under the Short-Term Loan Law until the Ohio Supreme Court issues a ruling in Ohio Neighborhood Finance Inc. v. Scott. During the citizen comment portion of the meeting, two residents spoke out supporting the legislation and criticizing high-fee loan practices. Dennis Wilcox, council member, thanked the public for their comments and said council will continue to watch closely that citizens are not being taken advantage of. Jason Stein, council member, commented that payday lenders are predatory by nature and the moratorium will send a message that they are not welcome in Cleveland Heights.

New fire engine

Council authorized an agreement with Rosenbauer Minnesota, LLC for the purchase of a fire engine for the fire department through the Ohio Department of Administrative Services Purchasing Program at a cost not to exceed $492,630.

1935 Coventry

Council declared the property at 1935 Coventry Road, owned by Michael M. Stevens and deteriorating since January 2012, to be a nuisance and authorized abatement.

LGBT Pride Month

Council declared June 2013 “LGBT Pride Month.”

Cedar Lee SID

Council approved a petition for the adoption of a public services and improvements plan for the Cedar Lee Special Improvement District (SID).

Legal research services

Council authorized a renewal agreement with West, a Thomson Reuters business, for Westlaw electronic legal research services for the law department and municipal court, for three years commencing June 4 at a cost not to exceed $1,138.56 per month, with a 3 percent increase for the second and third years.

Powell Caesar

Cheryl Stephens, council member, relayed condolences from the city and the council to the family of Powell Caesar, who died recently. Caesar, a well-known public figure, was a longtime Cleveland Heights resident and the first African-American police officer on the city’s force.

Purchase legislation amended

Council amended ordinances approving two purchases, for a power unit for the city’s transfer station and a replacement tink bucket, through the Cooperative Purchasing Program as they are not available through that program.

Waterline survey

Council authorized an agreement with Consulting Engineering Inc. for a waterline survey, not to exceed $46,000. This survey would find leaks and thereby save water that would be wasted.

Replacement snowplow

Council authorized the purchase of a replacement snowplow for the public works department from Newell Equipment at a cost not to exceed $9,866.40.

Mayfield Road resurfacing

Council authorized an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation establishing administrative and other responsibilities for the resurfacing of Mayfield Road. 

Bonnie Caplan to retire

Bonnie Caplan, council member, announced her intention to not run for another term this November. Noting her 20 years as a council member, she claimed that it has been like a university education. She said she has enjoyed her interaction with residents and the opportunity to make a difference.  

LWV Observer: Blanche Valancy.

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 Cleveland Heights
Volume 6, Issue 7, Posted 9:58 AM, 06.14.2013