LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / University Heights City Council meeting highlights [2-6-2017]

 FEBRUARY 6, 2017

  • Black History Month speaker
  • Public comments
  • Mayor’s report
  • Mikvah on South Green Road
  • 3505 Tullamore Road demolition
  • Home address signs
  • Amendment for advertising for bids
  • Service credit resolution passed
  • Amended vehicle trespass ordinance
  • MOUs for EPA services

Mayor Susan Infeld and council members Susan Pardee (vice mayor), Pamela Cameron, Phillip Ertel, John Rach, Steven Sims, Mark Wiseman and Michele Weiss were present. Also present were Luke McConnell, law director; and Kelly Thomas, clerk of council. The meeting was held from 7:05 to 9:30 p.m.

Black History Month speaker

Sandy Womack, the director of principal leadership and development for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, informed council that Carter G. Woodson introduced Negro History Week in 1926 to honor Abraham Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglass’ birthdays; Black History Month was recognized by the U.S. government in 1976. Womack praised Lewis Latimer, who invented the carbon filament in the 1880s; Daniel Hale Williams, who performed the second successful open heart surgery in 1893; and Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Council thanked Womack for the presentation.

Public comments

Sanctuary city: Several UH residents, including a Dysart Road woman whose family emigrated from Chile in the 1970s, asked council to declare University Heights (UH) a sanctuary city. This would allow sponsors to help immigrants find jobs and housing. She noted that her father was sponsored by a Cleveland family and has operated a dental lab in UH for 26 years. Other community members said the police department should not be tasked with enforcing federal immigration laws. Later in the meeting, council declared it would discuss the issue as a committee of the whole.

Vicious dog policy: A Grenville Road resident expressed concern that certain breeds would be singled out in the city’s vicious dog policy. Councilman Ertel assured her that this was not the case.

Pet issues at new park: A Bushnell Road resident reported that many dog owners are not picking up after their pets at the new park. The mayor will address this in her next newsletter.

Litter: A Washington Boulevard resident said she has seen more litter in recent months. The mayor said minor offenders are often tasked with litter cleanup, and said she would ensure the area is cleaned up.

JCU student council: A John Carroll University (JCU) student council member said that the student council is invested in building a relationship with the UH community and looks forward to attending upcoming city council meetings.

Mayor’s report

Premiere Smiles will open above the CVS on Cedar Road, and a new laundromat will open on South Taylor Road. The city is also examining proposals for businesses at Cedar Green.

The Wright Family Singers will headline the third annual gospel concert at Forest Hill Church on Feb. 18, at 6:30 p.m. The church is located at 3031 Monticello Blvd.

On Feb. 22, the Cleveland Leadership Center is sponsoring Accelerate 2017: Citizens Make Change at the Global Center for Health Innovation at 1 St. Clair Ave. NE. The event starts at 5:30 p.m.

Mikvah on South Green

Council approved the planning commission’s recommendation to approve the Cleveland Community Mikvah’s application to build a Mikvah at 2588 South Green Road.

3505 Tullamore Road demolition

The Cuyahoga Land Bank has determined that the property will be demolished. The land bank expects to demolish the home by Feb. 10, and will restore the land with grass seed.

Home address signs

Council tabled an ordinance to update and correlate the height of home address signs. The ordinance will be revisited after UH updates its building codes in an upcoming building committee meeting.

Amendment for advertising for bids

Council amended an ordinance for advertising for bids, on second reading. Councilwoman Weiss praised the ordinance, saying it was equitable and inclusive.

Service credit resolution passed

Council approved pickup of service credit for bargaining unit members. This incurs no cost to the city, and allows employees to buy back service time on a pre-tax basis.

Amended vehicle trespass ordinance

On emergency, council amended an ordinance on the unauthorized use of vehicles. Unauthorized users of vehicles can now be charged with trespass.

MOUs for EPA services

Council authorized the mayor to enter two memorandums of understanding (MOU). The first is for a small municipal storm-water discharge permit with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. The second is for a small municipal storm-water discharge permit with the Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District. Both services are required by the EPA and come at no cost.

Next meeting

The next council meeting will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m.

LWV Observer: Siobhan Leftwich.

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

Read More on University Heights
Volume 10, Issue 3, Posted 3:17 PM, 02.28.2017