University Heights City Council meeting highlights 9-21-2015

SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

• Public comments
• New park
• City’s website
• TIFF appointments
• Painting Purvis Pool
• Backyard camps
• Council seat
• Activity around Wiley
• Next meeting
  
  

Councilman Phil Ertel was absent.

Public comments

Thomas Bugg of Cedarbrook Road complained about activity at 3605 Cedarbrook Road, with too many people, too much noise, and possibly illegal activity. He claimed that they were running a professional auto repair shop and using a loud high-impact wrench. The building commissioner Eric Tuck-Macalla, the police, and the police chief have visited the property. Multiple council members had also been aware of the issues for at least five years. Bugg, a former police officer himself, said that the neighbors show no respect for property rights. Mayor Infeld thanked Bugg for raising his concerns and asked him to continue to notify police and the building department as issues occur. She noted that the issues are exacerbated by the small lot sizes and the very large family living at 3605 Cedarbrook Road, but thus far there has been no confirmed illegal activity.

New park

Construction of the new park has begun with the installation of the security fence around the perimeter and securing the adjoining properties.

City’s website

The city’s website has been redesigned, making steady improvement in its appearance and functionality.

TIFF appointments

Council approved the appointment of resident Michael Bohan and Finance Director Larry Heiser to the Cuyahoga County Tax Incentive Review Board, representing the City of University Heights. This updated the records to reflect Heiser’s name. Papers originally filed indicated the previous finance director as the participant. The TIFF agreement for University Square requires one resident and one administrator to meet annually with the bond administrator to file updates.

Painting Purvis Pool

Council authorized bid advertisement for painting Purvis Pool. The paint had worn thin and the concrete is beginning to show through. The service director explained that there is a specific process to painting a pool, including using acid to etch the surface, neutralizing the acid, and then applying a special two-part paint. The painting will probably be done in the spring unless the weather remains mild.

Backyard camps

Councilman Steven Sims reported that a meeting has been scheduled for the Building Committee to discuss the issue of backyard day camps and how they differ from daycare centers.

Council seat

Vice Mayor Susan Pardee reported that the process of determining the appointee for the empty council seat will begin in November, after the election.

Activity around Wiley

Pardee has been monitoring the activity around the temporary high school at Wiley and noted that almost all of the students were walking on the sidewalks, with approximately 80–90 percent walking on the south side of Cedar Road. She noted that there would be a major problem in the winter if University Square does not keep the sidewalks fully cleared of snow.

LWV Observer: Wendy Deuring.

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 of Greater Cleveland. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports.