Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights [8-15-11]

AUGUST 15, 2011  

• Resident claims loss of faith in the city
• Transfer trailer truck bids
• Adaptive reuse legislation
• Hampshire Road apartment parking agreement
• Streetscape improvements for Cedar-Lee
• City hiring of lobbying firm
• Northeast Ohio Advanced Energy District
• Police vehicle trade-in
• Vehicle for the water department

Council members Phyllis Evans and Kenneith Montlack and Vice Mayor, Bonita W. Caplan were absent.

Resident claims loss of faith in the city

Ken Hadden, of Tudor Road, described his loss of faith in the city. After breaking up a scuffle at the community center last year, Hadden was charged with assault. Although he was acquitted in Cleveland Heights Municipal Court, he believes he and his family have suffered as a result, and will move out of the city as soon as it is financially feasible for them to do so. 

Transfer trailer truck bids

Council granted City Manager Robert Downey authority to advertise for bids for purchase of a transfer trailer truck.

Adaptive reuse legislation

Council approved amendments to the zoning code to enable the regulation of adaptive reuse of existing institutional and other nonresidential buildings in residential districts. Based on the premise that adaptive reuse of vacant nonresidential buildings in residential neighborhoods is ecologically sound and can benefit the community, the legislation allows the buildings to be converted to a broad range of uses. An added clause, which incorporated feedback from the public and the city’s planning commission, states that any adaptive reuse must be “compatible with the residential nature of the neighborhoods, with strict controls to avoid negative impact upon neighboring properties.”

Hampshire Road apartment parking agreement

Council authorized an agreement with SP Hampshire LLC, the owner of an apartment building located at 2749 Hampshire Road, for the creation of five parking spaces to be located partially on SP Hampshire’s land and partially on city-owned land known as City Lot #3. The additional parking will increase the value and marketability of the apartment building and thus benefit the neighborhood, where parking is at a premium.

Streetscape improvements for Cedar-Lee

A resolution, presented on first reading, would authorize the city to join with the Cedar-Lee Special Improvement District to submit an application to the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) for federal funding for streetscape improvements for the Cedar-Lee Business District. If the grant is awarded, the city will agree to provide a 20 percent match.

City hiring of lobbying firm

A resolution, presented on first reading only, would authorize an agreement with G2G Consulting LLC for economic development and lobbying services for the city and its business districts. Proposals from two leading consulting firms were reviewed before the city chose G2G to help with:

• Developing a coordinated government affairs strategy to foster growth in the Cedar/Fairmount, Cedar/Lee, Cedar/Taylor, Coventry Village, and Mayfield/Warrensville business districts;
• Building relationships with decision-makers;
• Identifying government resources for infrastructure improvements, redevelopment, brownfield cleanup, crime prevention, and business growth;
• Prioritizing and pursuing opportunities with the highest return on investment; and
• Working with government to attract businesses.

Total compensation for the 12-month agreement would not exceed $75,000. Council Member Dennis Wilcox noted that federal and state cutbacks on local funding necessitate a more creative search for funding sources.

Northeast Ohio Advanced Energy District

The Northeast Ohio Advanced Energy District (AED) enables property owners to finance the cost of installing and operating energy efficiency projects and allows the cost to be repaid over 20 years through a special voluntary tax on the property. Fifteen other suburbs and the City of Cleveland are also participating in the creation of a Solar Special Improvement District (SID), which was first announced in June of last year.  The legislation, presented on first reading, would enable implementation of energy improvements on city-owned property.

Police vehicle trade-in

An ordinance, presented on first reading only, would authorize the sale of two used police motorcycles and the application of the proceeds as a trade-in for the purchase, authorized previously, of new police vehicles.

Vehicle for the water department

A resolution authorizing an agreement with Arena Dodge Inc. for the acquisition of a compact sport utility vehicle for the water department was presented on first reading.

LWV observer: Katherine Solender

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.