Cleveland Heights City Council—meeting highlights
NOVEMBER 16, 2009
All council members present.
School-neighbor-city communications
Melvin Russell of 3432 Euclid Heights Boulevard related progress on agreements with Mosdos Ohr Ha Torah School, which is razing the house next door to his, and requested more space between the school’s planned playground and his property line. Law Director John Gibbon pointed out that the school had received a conditional use certificate to place the playground equipment and suggested that the Russells talk to the school and then again with the planning commission. Russell thanked Planning Director Richard Wong for facilitating communication and expressed appreciation for the planting of a natural fence. Later in the meeting council approved amendments to the complex resolution involving variance requests in setback and drive aisle specifications by the school and then voted for continuance for 30 days with the consent of the school principal so that further progress could be made on this unusual situation.
Water rates set
City Manager Robert Downey reported that water rates for the fifth year of the current five-year plan will be $56.50 per 1,000 cubic feet for a home and $42.77 for homes qualifying for the homestead rate. Negotiations have begun for the next five-year plan.
Truck purchases approved
Council authorized the purchase from the International Truck and Engine Corporation of a 2008 International Model 8600 truck cab and chassis with a wet line kit for the Public Works Department for $90,769.
City employee wins Oscar
Linda Dulick, the administrative assistant to the service director, was given an award at the Solid Waste Oscars event.
Garage variance granted
A variance in the required three-foot setback of a two-car garage from the side and rear property line was granted to Majid Taibzadeh, doing business as Postulate Investment, at 3296 Berkley Road. Because of the small lot size and the location of the house, the second bay of the garage would not be accessible to a car and two-foot setbacks had already been established.
Occupancy permit revocation modified
Council approved an amendment to the city code providing for the revocation of a certificate of occupancy in cases in which a residential structure is being maintained or used in such a manner as to constitute a public nuisance. Council Member Bonnie Caplan commented on how well council has responded to quality of life concerns, providing more avenues to protect neighbors.
Cadwell property declared nuisance
The property at 1779 Cadwell Road, at the corner of Hampshire Road, which had been vacant with numerous violations since 1990, was declared a nuisance and abatement authorized, up to and including razing the house.
LWV observer: Blanche Valancy.
DECEMBER 7, 2009All council members present.
Monticello and Community Center bids
Council granted the city manager authority to advertise for bids for the first phase of resurfacing Monticello Boulevard from Taylor Road East to Noble Road as well as for the Community Center Energy Efficiency Project.
Budget proposals
An ordinance amending the 2009 budget to ensure that it would be balanced at the close of the year was introduced for first reading. Overall the final budget of $39,691,575 represents a $2,796,203 decrease from the original proposal. Also introduced for first reading was the appropriations budget for 2010. The proposed expenditures come to $40,178,177, a 1.2 percent increase over the 2009 budget, with the largest increase in the police budget.
Monticello engineering work approved
Council authorized a $52,100 contract with CT Consultants to provide the engineering services needed to replace the water main on Cleveland Heights Boulevard between Monticello and the Kirkwood/Oxford intersection to coincide with the Monticello Boulevard paving project.
Electric power agreement extended
The city’s electric power aggregation agreement with First Energy was extended by three years from the current end point of May 2012 to May 2015. For this contract First Energy will pay the city $338,436 by December 31, 2009.
Secondhand merchandise regulations proposed
Council Member Mark Tumeo introduced for first reading new legislation proposed by the police department to regulate all businesses that deal in the purchase and sale of used merchandise. Existing legislation regulates pawnshops in part to make it more difficult for people to sell stolen property.
Citizen reappointments
Council approved five residents for reappointment to city boards and commissions: architect Todd Anderson for a new three-year term on the Architectural Board of Review, architect Michael Benjamin for a four-year term on the Board of Zoning Appeals, and three-year appointments for James Edmondson, Marjorie Kitchell and Charles Miller to the Landmarks Commission.
Recreation fee proposals for 2010
Council Member Phyllis Evans introduced for first reading three ordinances to set rates for recreation programs. The first opened access and set fees, effective February 1, 2010, for use of the Field House at the Recreation Center to certain nonresidents: people who live within the school district, are employed in Cleveland Heights or have children in the ice skating program. The rates for an annual pass would be $330 for those 18-24 years old and $384 for those over 24. The other ordinances proposed the 2010 rates for recreation programs in Cain Park and at Cumberland Swimming Pool with about a 10% increase.
LWV observers: Susie Kaeser and Lisa Peters.
This is an expanded version of the report published in the printed Heights Observer.
These meeting summaries are abstracted from LWV observers’ written reports. The summaries have been edited and prepared by Charlene Morse, Marilyn McLaughlin and Maryann Barnes. To receive e-mail postings of full reports, send an email 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.