POST-STORM BRUSH COLLECTION STIRS CONTROVERSY

POST-STORM BRUSH COLLECTION CONTROVERSY
A week before Halloween, the city was hit hard by a wet, early snow storm that snapped branches and downed trees.

In a recent blog I posted a picture showing a long line of shoulder-high brush that sat next to Bishop Road for almost 2 weeks before finally being cleared away.
I also mentioned that during Halloween week I watched a Service Department crew go up and down my street on leaf collection duty---looking for leaves and ignoring the piles of uncollected brush that lined Hawthorne.

Service Director Thom Evans discussed his department’s post-storm brush collection efforts at the November 12^th  Council meeting.
According to Evans, residents were “overwhelmingly supportive and appreciative” of the service they received.

Evans’ spin didn’t jibe with Council members’ experience of the storm aftermath.
They reported receiving lots of calls from upset residents demanding to know when the brush was going to be cleared from tree lawns and neighborhoods.

Councilwoman Lisa Stickan discussed calls she received from parents, who were alarmed when uncollected branches blew across city streets and sidewalks around trick-or-treaters on Halloween night (a week after the storm ended).

Council President Cathy Murphy told Evans that she had:

“..received many calls from residents 10 days after the storm. I know there were a lot of frustrated residents. I’m glad we were able to get some help in to expedite things, so we could get the city cleaned up.”

The “help” Murphy referred to was provided by the City of Bedford Heights.

That city provided a crew, a truck and a chipper to assist cleanup efforts in Highland Heights and several other surrounding communities.

Talk about being a good neighbor!

I recently heard from someone who was in the thick of the post-storm cleanup effort.  With his permission, I share some of what he wrote me, sharing his take on the situation:

“My name is Dave (Soros). I am a full-time … Highland Heights Service Department (employee)…and a Highland Heights resident… Your (Nov. 5^th blog) really struck a nerve with me.

On the morning of October 24th I was called in to plow the city streets… Instead, I .. cleared … downed tree limbs. It was cold and wet but we still managed to break a sweat. My department has not stopped collecting brush since the morning of the storm…We have taken every feasible measure to clear as much storm debris as possible, including renting another brush chipper and sending out our dump trucks to haul away brush.

… most residents do not understand how some of our services work. The efficacy of brush collection relies heavily on the brush piles themselves. We have encountered countless brush piles that look like one of Tolkien's Ents cleaned out his hairbrush on a tree lawn. People don't realize how much faster and easier brush collection would be if they left the limbs long and narrow, with the butt-ends toward the street/aiming with traffic…

This storm clean-up is a slow and taxing process for our department. …It… doesn't expedite our services when residents ..(mix) their garden waste/leaves with branches…(cut) limbs too short, and carelessly (pile)  brush on their lawns. We have worked long hours. We are tired. We are sore. We are bruised and scratched…”

 

So there you have it.

Like they always say:

There are always (at  least) 2 sides to every story.

Thanks, Dave, for sharing yours.

OSBORNE UPDATE: A SIGN…BUT STILL NO CLOSING?

A “Shoppes at Brainard Crossing” sign has been installed along Wilson Mills Road in front of the closed Catalano’s grocery store.

It appears to be the same sign that developer Lance Osborne used during his unsuccessful mega GetGo rezoning campaign.
You know... the one one that promoted retail businesses without mentioning the16 pump gas and diesel station that Osborne wanted to put in front.

Now there’s an example of creative recycling for you…

The sign made me wonder: is the redevelopment project finally moving forward?
I checked the county auditor’s website this afternoon.
it doesn’t show that Osborne has purchased the property.
County records still list a Giant Eagle-affiliated company as the owner.

Once again, is it a case of (more) "Promises, Promises" from Lance Osborne? 

 

This is the GetGo rezoning sign used by Osborne 2 years ago

ELECTION 2013: A FEW SURPRISES

SOME SURPRISES.... BUT NONE IN HIGHLAND HEIGHTS

There were only 2 contested races in Highland Heights this year and, not surprisingly, neither challenger won.

It’s extremely difficult to unseat an incumbent in a balanced budget environment… and the fact of the matter is that neither challenger seemed to gain much traction in their races.

Nonetheless, a tip of my hat to them for running.

It takes courage to run for office, it’s always nice for voters to have choices and the city benefits when residents are willing to get involved.

The most interesting local races ended up being the mayoral races in Richmond Heights and Mayfield Heights and the Mayfield School Board race.

Mayfield Heights will hold a runoff election in early December---which means we’ll continue to see garish campaign signs in that community for awhile yet.

If the Richmond Heights preliminary results prove true a new face will populate the mayor’s chair in December.
Although the race was tight, it apparently was not tight enough to cause an automatic recount.
It remains to be seen if incumbent mayor Ursu---who refused to concede defeat immediately after the election--- will foot the bill for a recount.

The defeat of 2 Mayfield School Board incumbents took many by surprise.
It’s possible that taxpayers were registering their unhappiness after reading a recent Plain Dealer story about the “Wildcat Park” debacle. 

http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2013/10/mayfield_wildcats_stadium_gets.html

It’s hard to understand why the School Board forged ahead before the nonprofit group pushing the project met its fundraising goal.
The school district could have simply held onto the bond money designated for the project and collected interest on it for another year before moving forward. 

My impression after reading the story is that the flow of private money for the project pretty much came to a halt once the tennis courts were destroyed and the expanded parking lot and astroturf football field were installed.

At this point it looks like taxpayers may end up picking up much of the tab for the 3-phase Wildcat Park project----something they were originally led to believe wouldn't happen because of the non-profit group's involvement and commitment to fund the project.

As for Highland Heights, its interesting to note that despite the hundreds of red campaign signs dotting the city---seemingly indicating overwhelming support----incumbent Chuck Brunello ended up with about the same percentage of votes as he did 2 years ago:  35.12% (vs. 34.64% in 2011) in the Council-at-Large race.

Because of a recent Charter change, Brunello and re-elected incumbents Ed Hargate and Lisa Stickan will begin serving four year terms in January.

GAIL MASTRANGELO: STANDING BY HER MAN

After Police Chief Jim Cook gave his report to Council last week, President Cathy Murphy asked----as she always does---whether any Council members had questions for the chief.

Only one Council member responded.

Councilman Bob Mastrangelo had praise, not questions, for Cook.

During the weekend before the election Mastrangelo’s wife, Gail, was hit by a car while distributing literature for her favorite Council member.
She ended up in the hospital for a couple of days but is fortunately now on the mend.

Mastrangelo said,

“I wanted to thank the police and fire departments for the assistance they gave to my wife. Their professionalism was outstanding.  As anyone who deals with them knows, we are fortunate to have them.”

OSBORNE UPDATE: WANTING MORE?

Online county records indicate that developer Lance Osborne still hasn’t purchased the Catalano’s property.
 

That’s 3 months (and counting) from the original mid-August closing date that Osborne highlighted in July, on the night that Council rushed to approve a lavish $800,000 economic development package for the project.

Speculation is running rampant about what might be going on.

One resident reported that Fitworks employees still have not been told “if or when” Fitworks might move.

Meanwhile Osborne apparently told the city’s Architectural Review Committee last week that Fitworks would move in April.

More “Promises, Promises?”

Who knows.

Residents are becoming increasingly suspicious of the delay.

Some speculate that Osborne will demand additional concessions from the city before going forward with the project.

There are signs that Osborne might think that he is, in fact, totally in the driver’s seat vis a vis the city.

For example: the city’s Architectural Review Committee (ARC) must approve all proposed construction projects before any building permits can be issued.

Building Commissioner Dale Grabfelder reported at last week's Council meeting that Osborne appeared before the ARC last week--- without sample materials and without final construction drawings in hand.

Fortunately Osborne’s say-so alone wasn’t enough to win ARC approval.
 The discussions were continued, pending submission of materials and detailed drawings.

Councilman Bob Mastrangelo informed Council that Osborne had told him that he (Osborne) didn’t need to seek Planning & Zoning Commission approval before altering the exterior of the old grocery store.
That was unsettling to Mastrangelo---a longtime P&Z member---because according to him:

“Any time you modify an exterior you have to go before P&Z”.

Mastrangelo asked Law Director Tim Paluf to speak to Osborne about city requirements.

Hopefully Paluf will do that ASAP because assuming that the project actually goes forward, another looming thorny issue awaits: signage.
Based on his mega Get-Go track record, it seems likely that Osborne will want more---much more---- in the way of signage than is allowed under the city’s zoning code.

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK

Last week’s Council meeting began with the reading of  a resolution of appreciation for recently retired Service Department member Marc Mazzarino.
Mazzarino served as the main park supervisor for the last 25 years.

Service Director Thom Evans noted:

“During that time he served in the roll of educator and first time boss. He has deep roots in the community, having lived here and supervised so many kids.”

Councilman Ed Hargate was one of the kids that Mazzarino supervised. Hargate recalled this favorite Mazzarino saying:

“Hard work is something I’m never afraid of.”

Council President Cathy Murphy called Mazzarino:

“An invaluable asset to the City of Highland Heights. I want to express our deep appreciation and thanks to Mark Mazzarino for his faithful and devoted service to the city..”

Also departing:

For the last several years Jeff Piorkowski covered Highland Heights and the Hillcrest communities for the Sun Messenger.

Conscientious and faithful to his beat, Piokowski was a regular face at Highland Heights Council meetings…at least up until last July, when the Sun Newspapers were put under the control of a new company, the Northeast Ohio Media Group (NEOMG). That company also operates Cleveland.com, the Plain Dealer website.

Although not well publicized at the time, much of the Sun Newspaper staff was let go when the Plain Dealer layoffs occurred last summer.

Piorkowski survived those layoffs and was offered a position with NEOMG---a testament to his enterprise, track record, and journalistic skills.

As is apparent to regular readers, the Sun Newspapers have changed under NEOMG's leadership.

Apparently they are no longer a good fit for Piorkowski. I heard last week that he has decided to pursue other opportunities.

Good Luck and Best Wishes, Marc and Jeff!

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS HALLOWEEN 2013

ITS ELECTION DAY

Dont forget to vote!

HALLOWEEN 2013

Perhaps Council had ESP when, in late September, they passed--as an "emergency" measure--- a resolution declaring October 31st as Halloween.

No doubt the rain and gale force winds that we experienced created an emergency situation for kids anxiously hoping to  score big on Halloween night.

I hear that some of the city's more tightly packed neighborhoods still got visited by scores of older kids, but my street saw nary a Trick-or-Treater.

That was disappointing.
I'm guessing that on November 1st office workers reaped the bounty of the undistributed candy.

Lucky for me I got another kind of treat.

There are several dedicated and creative home decorators who live in my neck of the woods.  Their handiwork provided a visual treat for everyone to enjoy.

THE TRULY SCARY PART OF HALLOWEEN

Although there were many fewer costumed kids roaming about, the city didn’t lack for other scary sights----namely uncollected branches blowing all over the place.

The surprise snowstorm a week earlier damaged many trees and caused lots of branches to fall.

A week later, on Halloween, the storm debris was still uncollected.

Meanwhile even cash-strapped Richmond Heights hopped to it and cleared things away.

It was really out of character for Service Director Thom Evans not to be on top of things.
Service Department crews were on my street picking up non-existent leaves during Halloween week---but they ignored the branches.

 One resident offered this theory:

“You can tell where the mayors’ races are.
You can bet things would have been cleaned right away if Mayor Coleman had been running for re-election.”

There was no mayoral race in Highland Heights, so the storm debris sat...and sat...and sat.
City crews finally started picking up debris throughout the city yesterday, 10 days after the snow storm subsided.

WHY SO LITTLE DISCUSSION ON BIG STUFF?

It seemed to take a long time---over 10 months---for the city to reach new collective bargaining agreements with its union employees.

The contracts are of vital importance to employees who make their living serving the city.
They are also important to residents.
Because personnel costs are a large part of the city budget, the labor contracts have a significant impact oncity finances.

 Despite their importance, very little information was shared with the public about the labor negotiations---or the contents of the final collective bargaining agreements.

There was some brief discussion on October 22^nd,  when Council was about to take the final step: amending city ordinances to reflect the new contracts.

Well let me correct myself.

Councilman Bob Mastrangelo attempted to have a discussion with his fellow Council members about the contracts.

Mastrangelo questioned why no effort was made to simplify the contracts, which traditionally take a "base pay plus" approach---they include a schedule of additional bonuses and payments that can be added to each employees' base pay to reflect things like years of service (longevity), educational achievements, professional certification and uniforms.

Mastrangelo was concerned that the way the contracts were structured could result in employees getting “(pay) bumps on pay bumps”.
He pointed out  that “most employees go by what they pay” and suggested that the place to start might be by simplifying the pay provisions for part-time employees to simply state the actual total pay figure for each part-time position.

Mastrangelo’s comments provided a perfect opportunity for the mayor and Council to discuss and educate residents about the negotiating process and the rationale behind using a base pay “plus” approach for labor contracts.

Did anyone take advantage of that opportunity?

Nope.

After Mastrangelo stopped speaking, President Cathy Murphy said,

“Okay. Any other comments?”

She figuratively patted Mastrangelo on the head and then quickly moved on.

CATALANO PROPERTY SALE:
TWO MONTHS AND COUNTING

The time frame for the Catalano’s redevelopment project has changed with each of developer Lance Osborne’s appearances before Council.

Council relied upon Osborne's supposedly extremely pressing time deadlines to justify cutting residents out of the discussion and give fast-track approval to both an $800,000 economic development package and a property tax abatement deal.

Osborne originally told Council that he was going to “close” (i.e. purchase) the property by late August. 
At a subsequent appearance, he claimed the closing would occur on October 18^th.

As of November 2^nd, the Cuyahoga County Auditor’s online property records show that the property is still owned by a Giant Eagle-affiliated entity, ECHO HIGHLAND HEIGHTS ASSOCIATES, LLC.

ELECTION FUNNY

The campaign literature that residents received this fall has been pretty run-of-the-mill stuff.

There were plenty of family pictures and pictures of candidates with their pets.

After all what voter can resist cute kids or a cute dog, right?

Last week one candidate went, hilariously, out of the norm.

Instead of using their own picture with family and/or pet, the candidate just used a picture of a dog.

A dog sitting next to a “vote for me” campaign sign.

I almost hate to say it---because it takes courage to run, and serving on Council can be a truly thankless job---but the unspoken message here is too irresistable.

The literature seemed to declare:

“Vote for me. I’m truly the dog in this race”

 “Vote for me. I’m the dog in this race”