LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / University Heights City Council meeting highlights
MARCH 3, 2025 regular meeting
- Public comments
- Directors’ reports
- Council actions
- Council committee reports
Present were Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan and Council Members Michele Weiss (vice mayor), Christopher Cooney, Brian J. King, Threse Marshall, John P. Rach, Sheri Sax, and Win Weizer. Also present were Clerk of Council Kelly Thomas, Law Director Bradric T. Bryan, Finance Director Dennis Kennedy, and City Engineer Brenda Mockbee. The meeting ran two hours and 47 minutes.
Public comments
A resident spoke regarding daily noise coming from the John Carroll University batting cages as well as music that appears to be coming from a sound system. He asked council to look into whether this violates noise ordinances and if a timing restriction could be put in place and/or noise deadening options installed.
Directors’ reports
The finance director said auditors have looked at the finances and, so far, found no issues. Property tax settlement will be in March and hopefully the shortfall will be reconciled.
The fire department offers free home safety inspections. Residents can call for an appointment and the department will send a certified representative to conduct an inspection and make recommendations.
The service director said the second round of recycling carts were distributed and now 59.5 percent of households have opted into the program. Household hazardous waste collection and document shredding is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 7 – 8. Ms. Weiser asked whether residents have been instructed to not leave recycling carts out beyond their waste collection day. The department will review and update information on the website.
The housing department reported that the home inspection map is complete, and letters will go out to residents in the next few weeks.
The city engineer reported that street repair and marking projects are ongoing. She and the mayor will meet with Cleveland Water regarding the water line replacement project and confirm the map and timeframe. They will also meet with the county regarding the Warrensville Center Road repaving project status. Ms. Weiser asked if the county indicated whether federal funding cuts could impact this project. Ms. Mockbee said she would ask about this at the next meeting.
The economic development director reported that Angie’s Soul Food is now open on Cedar. The CVS at 14070 Cedar (near Whole Foods) will close early March. A meeting is scheduled for March 20 to gathering final zoning recommendations to be forwarded to the consultant.
Council actions
Council accepted the bid from Ellet Sign Company for signage at Purvis Park and the Susan K. Infeld Gazebo, not to exceed $72,648. The bid is only for signage; electric connection is not included. Also, no timeframe for completion of the sign was specified in the bid. Ms. Sax and Mr. Rach voted no, claiming insufficient information.
The mayor requested that Mr. Rach lead the discussion regarding University Parkway No Parking Signage as the vice-mayor has a conflict of interest being too closely tied to parties involved. Ms. Weiss denied she had a conflict of interest but nonetheless recused herself for the good of the council. Council discussed how the no parking signs were initially installed and several ideas proposed temporary removal to allow the residents to resolve the issue. Due to potential litigation, council voted to enter executive session to discuss the issue further with Sax and Weis voting nay and Weiser abstaining. After a 20-minute session, council returned to public session and the mayor asked for it to be on the record that Ms. Weiss had participated despite her recusal. After council approved public comment, two residents spoke. Their primary concern was for safety, but the quick action to post no-parking signs created unintended consequences. They requested a temporary suspension of the restrictions and a traffic study. The mayor was open to a temporary removal of signs to explore other options but would not commit to a time frame.
On second reading, council approved amending an ordinance related to apartment building registration, permits and inspection. The mayor questioned the current fee structure – the larger the building, the lower the fee per unit. The fee structure was based on review of that of neighboring communities. The full impact will not be known until a full cycle of inspections is conducted. With new construction in the community, such as Bell Tower, the structure could change.
Council approved purchase of a used 2013 Mack 613LEU Rear Packer Rubbish Truck from FAB-TEX, located in St. James, New York, in an amount not to exceed $61,900, and waived competitive bid requirements. The lead time to purchase a new vehicle would be too long. The insurance from the truck that caught fire was $58,000 and covers most of the purchase price of the used truck.
On first reading and on emergency, council amended the ordinance for non-bargaining unit position salary and pay range to increase the hourly pay for seasonal and part-time pool staff. This is to be competitive with neighboring communities, which are posting jobs with higher pay. Mr. Cooney will provide further data on the budget numbers to determine the impact.
Council discussed the Safebuilt contract, which is up for renewal at the end of March. Ms. Weiser requested referring this to the Building/Housing Committee for review. This discussion revisited prior concerns voiced by the mayor on the length of time taken to address hiring a new staff person for the housing and building development department and the mayor’s tendency to request last minute items from council without sufficient time or information.
Council approved a project with Rust Belt Riders to determine how many households would be interested in composting as part of city waste removal and to perhaps get this into the 2026 budget.
Council committee reports
The Community Outreach Committee reported that new Teams room video was being tested for the current meeting and will collect feedback for council to review at the next meeting.
The Economic Development Committee announced a zoning sub-committee meeting for March 20.
The Finance Committee announced a March meeting to discuss year-end numbers, the audit, and the first quarter of the year numbers.
The Recreation Committee will meet Tuesday, March 4. The agenda is posted on the website.
The Committee of the Whole will meet the first week in April.
LWV observer: Tanis Swan
Meeting packets, legislation, and other information can be found on the city website at: https://www.universityheights.com/council/
Videos of council meetings can be viewed on the “City of University Heights” YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA82j5L_CkQxK9cXP_qrXvw/videos