They address two issues: saying no to residential gas drilling and the rehiring of Andy Blackley's firm, Stephen Hovancsek & Associates to provide engineering services to the city.
JUST SAY NO
I am here tonight to request that council put a discussion item on its agenda for the next Committee of the Whole meeting.
The item I'd like to see discussed is having the city launch a JUST SAY NO campaign, aimed at informing residents about the financial, health, and safety issues associated with urban gas drilling and encouraging them to JUST SAY NO to residential gas drilling leases.
This is an urgent issue in our community.
I received a call earlier today from a resident on Ridgebury, who was approached by someone from Grubb & Ellis, who was pitching hard to get him to sign a drilling lease with Ohio Valley Energy Company (OVE). OVE is the company that drilled the well in Bainbridge that caused a house to exploed and has polluted acquifers in that community. After speaking with the resident, I am convinced that the Grubb & Ellis agent communicated alot of misinformation, in his effort to get the resident to sign a drilling lease with OVE.
We have heard alot of talk about how the State of Ohio has removed all local control over gas drilling.
That is not exactly the truth.
Our community does have local control.
If people say no to drilling companies, and say no to signing gas well leases, then drilling companies won't be able to pur gas wells in the middle of our residential neighborhoods. It's that simple.
You guys are responsible for protecting our neighborhoods and preserving the quality of life in our community. You must do all you can to keep Highland Heights from becoming another Bainbridge.
I'm hoping you will be willing to put this on the agenda, so we can discuss this further at a future Committee of the Whole meeting.
Hiring Hovancsek & Associates
I am shocked and appalled to hear that you intend to hire Andy Blackley's firm, Stephen Hovancsek & Associates, as the city engineer.
Let me explain a couple of things to you.
According to the Ohio Ethics Commission, it doesn't matter whether you hire Andy Blackley or Stephen Hovancsek & Associates, to do the engineering work for the city. They are both covered by the conflict of interest statutes.
The grim reality is this: the sole reason Bass Energy has a leg to stand on, in its $ 7 million lawsuit against the city, is because Andy Blackley and his firm, Stephen Hovancsek & Associates, chose to work both sides of the street with regard to the Bass Energy drilling deal.
The drilling plat map that Andy Blackley and his firm, Stephen Hovancsek & Associates, produced for Bass Energy is what Bass is claiming constitutes the written consent required under the lease contract.
Mr. Blackley and his firm, Stephen Hovancsek & Associates, have compromised not just themselves, but the city as well, by accepting and performing that work for Bass Energy at the same time Mr. Blackley was working as the city engineer on the Bass Energy drilling deal.
I hope you understand that in hiring Andy Blackley's firm, Stephen Hovancsek & Associates, tonight, you will be perceived as endorsing the conduct of Andy Blackley and his firm, Stephen Hovancsek & Associates.
You will be sending the message that you think that it's perfectly okay to continue employing individuals, and their companies, who have needlessly, and perhaps illegally, exposed the city to millions of dollars in potential liability.
You will be telling the public that this is the best that Highland Heights deserves.
You might think so, but I do not.
Postscript
1. Council agreed to put the JUST SAY NO campaign on its agenda at the May 5th Committee of the Whole Meeting. City Hall. 7 pm.
2. Council approved Mayor Coleman's request to hire Stephen Hovancsek & Associates as the city engineer. The vote was 4-3.
Voting to hire Andy Blackley's firm were: Ed Hargate, Jamie Pilla, Ted Anderson, and Frank Legan.
Voting no were: Cathy Murphy, Scott Mills, and Leo Lombardo.
# # $
