University Heights City Council meeting highlights 6-5-2017
JUNE 5, 2017
- Public comments
- NOACA grant request
- Nuisance property on Silsby
- Silsby Road project
- New dumping hours
- Executive session
Present were council members Susan Pardee (vice mayor), Pamela Cameron, Phil Ertel, John Rach, Michele Weiss and Mark Wiseman. Mayor Susan Infeld and Councilman Steven Sims were absent. Also present were Law Director Luke McConville, Finance Director William Sheehan and Clerk of Council Kelly Thomas. The meeting was held from 7 to 8 p.m.
Public comments
No confidence in fire chief: Keith Kanner, president of University Heights Firefighters Local 974, read a statement saying that the union has no confidence in Fire Chief Douglas Zooks’ ability to lead the fire department. Kanner said that the fire chief refuses to send fire trucks to motor vehicle accidents, has eliminated the fire prevention officer position and public education classes, and has reduced the number of firefighters on each shift. He also noted that firefighters have responded to 75 calls from East Cleveland in the past two years. Kanner said the union has yet to meet with Chief Zook and Mayor Infeld, both of whom were absent from the meeting.
A Claridge Oval resident expressed support for the firefighters union, saying she also has no confidence in the fire chief and has questions for the mayor, who serves as safety director. She said that while she realizes that University Heights responds to contiguous cities, she doesn’t think her tax dollars should pay for East Cleveland.
NOACA grant request
Council presented an ordinance, on first reading, authorizing the mayor to submit a grant request to the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) to replace traffic signals on Cedar and Warrensville Center roads.
Nuisance property on Silsby
Council tabled a resolution declaring 3886 Silsby Road a public nuisance. University Heights is a lien holder on the vandalized property, which also has mold and water damage.
Silsby Road resurfacing
Council passed a motion approving TC Construction’s $389,054 bid for Silsby Road resurfacing, from Taylor Road to Edgerton Road. The project was bid separately from the 2017 road program because Cleveland Heights is funding 25 percent [of it].
New dumping hours
Service Director Jeff Pokorny reported that University Heights citizens can drop off non-recyclable [waste] from Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. He said the new restrictions were enacted because the service department has seen an increase in dumping, and needs to monitor what is being dropped off.
Executive session
Council passed a motion to hold an executive session to discuss 3886 Silsby Road and the departure of Building Commissioner Larry Brown. Council was informed of Brown’s departure at the meeting.
LWV Observer: Siobhan Leftwich.
To receive regular 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.