LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights for 10-17-2016 [online]

OCTOBER 17, 2016

• Public comments
• Banks designated for city’s active deposits
• Cain Park concessions proposals for 2017
• Liquor permit application
• Sanitary sewer engineering
• CDBG entitlement process
• Top of the Hill development
• Trick-or-treating events and other announcements
• Nuisance property
• Recent robbery and murder

Jason Stein, vice mayor, and Melissa Yasinow, council member, were absent.

Three new Cleveland Heights police officers were sworn in before the meeting.

Public comments

Motorcycle noise and paving: Resident Dee Spence complained about noisy motorcycles in her neighborhood and presented a petition she had circulated to the law director. She also asked about plans for paving Noble Road and was referred to the Public Works Department. Council member Mary Dunbar noted that a public meeting will be held in the future about plans for the Noble Road project.

Nuisance property and neighbor conflicts: Resident Cheyanne Toole spoke about her efforts to clean up her house and her fear of, and conflict with, her neighbors.

Storm and emergency preparedness: A citizen asked about these matters in reference to the microburst storm in August and the long time it is taking for clean up and repairs. Mayor Cheryl Stephens replied that the city is continuing to put pressure on Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company to improve the electrical system, transformers and lines. City manager Tanisha Briley said this was not a regular storm, nor a simple repair, and that the city government understands what residents experienced, adding that they have applied for and been denied Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, which they are still pursuing.

Banks designated for city’s active deposits

Briley made it a matter of record that the following banks have been designated to handle the city’s active deposits: U.S. Bank, Charter One Bank, Fifth Third Bank and Trust, KeyBank, J.P. Morgan, Third Federal Savings and Loan, Dollar Bank and Bank of New York Trust Company.

Cain Park concessions proposals for 2017

Council authorized issuance of a request for proposals for Cain Park concessions.

Liquor permit application

Tom Raguz, finance director, made it a matter of record that an application had been made to the Ohio Department of Liquor for the Brennan’s Colony liquor permits to be transferred to the new owner, the Tavern Company.

Sanitary sewer engineering

Council amended the agreement with Wade Trim, Inc. of Ohio, for professional engineering services relating to the City’s Sanitary Sewer Overflow Control project and related projects by adding the city’s related Capacity, Management, Operation and Maintenance Program. This raises the compensation limit from $100,000 to $375,000.

CDBG entitlement process

Council heard a first reading of the 2017 Community Development Block Grant budget. Dunbar praised the work of the Citizens Advisory Committee for their comprehensive hearings on grant requests.

Top of the Hill development

With much delight and enthusiasm, council authorized negotiation of a non-binding letter of intent with Fairmount Properties, LLC, concerning the Top of the Hill development at Cedar Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard. There was praise for city staff’s work on poring over the many competitive proposals for this “promising and energizing” project, which will also benefit University Circle. There will be opportunities for citizen input.

Trick-or-treating events and other announcements

Dunbar announced trick-or-treating [events] in the business districts, the Community Improvement Awards, and meetings about the water system transfer.

Nuisance property

Council declared 3171 Oak Road, owned by Jonathan C. Luma, to be a nuisance and ordered abatement.

Recent robbery and murder

The mayor and several council members mourned the death of 15-year-old Sunny [Ravi] Patel in a robbery at his uncle’s [Mr. Hero] sandwich shop on Oct. 14. They praised the safety personnel who tried to save his life and the police work that led to the capture of the perpetrator within 48 hours. All sent condolences to the family. Mayor Stephens spoke directly to criminals about what will happen if they commit crimes in Cleveland Heights. [Observer’s note: the perpetrator has since pled guilty and has been sentenced for this, and other, crimes.]

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