LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights [online 6-6-2016]

JUNE 6, 2016

• Zoning variances
• Buffered bike lanes
• Building services
• Police department purchases
• LGBT Pride Month
• CDBG funding allocations

All council members were present.

Zoning variances

Council granted a zoning variance to Neil and Bobbie Stanich of 1991 Lee Road to permit a 48-inch-tall ornamental metal fence in the corner side yard along a property line shared with 3213 East Berkshire Road.

Buffered bike lanes

Council authorized acceptance of a grant of federal funds from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency to transform bike lanes on North Park Boulevard from Harcourt Drive to Lee Road into buffered bike lanes, which provide greater protection to bicyclists. The funding is not to exceed $30,000, which is likely the entire cost of the project.

Building services

Council authorized an agreement with SAFEbuilt Ohio, LLC, to maintain quality building services within the city’s building department. Beginning in July, the city will turn over all of building department duties to SAFEbuilt, including return to full-time office staffing at city hall, which has been impossible, as the department staff has dwindled. Council will still set permit fees, which will be split between the company and the city. This arrangement will be reviewed in one year.

Police department purchases

Council authorized the purchase of three new 2017 Ford Utility Interceptors (Explorers) for the police department from Statewide Ford Lincoln of Van Wert, Ohio, at a total cost not to exceed $102,516. The purchase will be made through the Ohio Department of Administrative Services Cooperative Purchasing Program.

LGBT Pride Month

Council passed a resolution declaring June 2016 as LGBT Pride Month. Council Member Michael Ungar commented that Cleveland Heights is a community that values and seeks diversity, and that this resolution reflects well on this city.

CDBG funding allocations

Council granted six allocations of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to local nonprofits. These include:

• $10,000 to Cedar Taylor Development Association for assistance with streetscape enhancements for the business district
• $7,000 to the Cleveland Tenants Organization for assistance with telephone information services that provide information about the Ohio Landlord–Tenant laws and Fair Housing laws to low– and moderate–income residents of the city
• $30,000 to FutureHeights for assistance with personnel and operating costs of the Community Capacity Building Program, which includes programs for resident engagement, leadership development and ongoing community building in neighborhoods.
• $3,500 to Heights Community Congress for assistance in its educational programs on “Diversity in our Community”
• $11,000 to Heights Emergency Food Center for assistance with operating expenses
• $139,000 to the Home Repair Resource Center (HRRC) for home repair and improvement programs and operating expenses, to be allocated as follows: $95,000 for HRRC operating expenses; $5,000 for Senior Home Stability grants; $15,000 for Assist Incentive grants; $7,500 for Deferred Loan Match; $16,500 for housing counseling

LWV Observer: Blanche B. 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.