ELECTION TIME AND CITY UPDATES

GET RID OF THOSE OLD PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, SAFELY AND CONFIDENTIALLY

Residents are encouraged to bring old and/or unused prescription drugs to the Highland Heights Police Department on Saturday October 26^th, between 10 am and 2 pm, for safe and confidential disposal.

Police Chief Jim Cook told Council on Tuesday that the collection process will be completely confidential. Participants will not be asked to provide any personal information.

In other words, it’s a “no questions asked” event.

The Police Department cannot accept needles or prescription drugs in the form of liquids or sprays, but all other types and forms of prescription drugs are welcome.

DEVELOPER LANCE OSBORNE: MORE PROMISES, PROMISES?

On October 1st developer Lance Osborne successfully asked Council to approve---on the same night, after a single reading---a tax abatement deal for his Catalano’s redevelopment project.

According to Osborne the rushed vote was justified by his supposed pressing  deadlines to get the deal wrapped up.
Osborne told Council that he was:

"Contractually obligated to close w/Giant Eagle on October 18^th...We are going to close (i.e. formally purchase the property) on October 18^th and demolition will begin on October 21^st…..Demolition will begin as soon as we close on the property.”

According to official Cuyahoga County online records,  as of October 24^th no closing had taken place.
The property hasn’t been sold. 
A Giant Eagle affiliated company still owns it.

ELECTION TIME: THE MAILBOX IS FULL

It turns out I was wrong when I said in an earlier posting that voters were completely on their own as far as obtaining vote-by-mail applications.
Last week our household received literature from the Board of Elections with a vote-by-mail application.

I wonder why they waited so long---weeks after voting began---to send it out.

The ballot is pretty small compared to last year. That’s good news. Voting should be quicker with fewer ovals to fill in.

Aside from local Council races there are 3 tax issues and 4 proposed County Charter amendments to vote on.

All of the local Council candidates seem to be on their game, promptly sending out literature to vote-by-mail applicants.
Some of that literature contains text so small it practically requires a micron microscope to read.

I know space is at a premium on those oversized postcards, but what good does it do to include stuff in tiny type that most people won’t read?

I have to say that I am always baffled by “endorsement” pieces----you know the “Vote for me because so-and-so has endorsed me” stuff.

Is it really a strong argument when a candidate asks residents to vote for them not because of who they are but because of who they know?

Local governments---like many other public commissions and committees---tend to become “private clubs” ----insiders vs. outsiders. 
That inevitably leads to elected leaders (the insiders) becoming disconnected from the constituents they were elected to represent (the outsiders).

Endorsement pieces reaffirm and reinforce the “private club” sensibility.  

They can be really problematic when---as is the case with one recently distributed piece----the candidate deliberately leaves peers off their endorsement list.

"Insider" versus "outsider" is bad enough.

Insider-vs- insider infighting doesn’t reflect well on any candidate, nor does it bode well for their future effectiveness on Council.

MORE SUSPENDED READINGS AND EMERGENCY MEASURES 

This week Council suspended additional readings and passed every item on its agenda as an emergency measure.

President Cathy Murphy repeatedly went to great lengths to explain why Council was---once again---taking voting shortcuts.

She gave the usual excuses:  impending deadlines (most caused by the failure to bring forth legislation in a more timely manner) and the fact that Council is taking the next 2 weeks off.

No similar reasons were given on September 24^th, when Council rushed to adopt a Halloween resolution as an “emergency” measure after one reading.

Why the hasty and premature adoption of a resolution declaring Halloween to be (once again) on October 31^st this year?

The answer---such as it is---can only be found in the resolution itself. It reads:

"It is declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the city…for the reason that Halloween is less than thirty (30) days away and it is necessary to inform the residents of this date to assure and maintain the safety of the children on Halloween night.”

Law Director Tim Paluf---who recommended the fast-track vote---never explained how rushing to inform parents of the date for Halloween 5 weeks in advance would  assure childrens’ safety…but maybe there’s a reason for that.

There is no explanation. It doesn’t make sense.

Chalk the Halloween resolution up as just another one of the many, many non-emergency “emergency” measure passed by Council this year.

Which makes me wonder:

Is Council crying “wolf” by treating every  piece of legislation as an emergency measure?

THE SIGNS SAY: IT’S ELECTION SEASON ONCE AGAIN

UPCOMING ELECTIONS

“Vote for me” signs are sprouting on lawns like dandelions in the spring.

It must be election time.

I prefer voting by mail.

I pour myself a cup of coffee and leisurely fill in all those silly ovals.

Unlike last year, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections won’t be sending out vote-by-mail applications to voters. You will have to get your own application and send it in to the BOE. You can pick up an application at the library or print one out by going online to the BOE’s website:

http://boe.cuyahogacounty.us.

I have to wonder:

In this techno era, why does the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections still follow a two-step, double postage process?

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to apply online and get a ballot sent lickity-split?

Well I never said I wasn’t a dreamer….

I don’t know about you, but I’m always happy to see lots of residents running for Council.

It’s nice to have choices.

Of course some choices are more real----and some candidates more serious---than others.

Next month residents will have 4 candidates to choose from for 3 Council-at-Large seats.

Sean Milroy is the new face in the crowd in that race.  The rest are incumbents.

Milroy is a working engineer. Infrastructure is near and dear to his heart.
While he might not be widely known throughout the city, he isn’t a Johnny-come-lately.

Milroy has been a regular Council meeting attendee for several years.
He also serves as a Mayor Scott Coleman appointee to the city’s Zoning Appeals Board.

The only other new name on the ballot belongs to Rose Burrello-Gype, who is challenging incumbent Councilman Bob Mastrangelo for the Ward 3 seat.

I’ve spotted Burrello-Gype at a couple of Council meetings since throwing her hat into the ring, but she hasn’t necessarily stayed the whole time.
She left early last week after Council went into a brief executive session prior to voting to approve a labor contract with Service Department workers.

Burrello-Gype's campaign literature indicates that her main interest has been---and continues to be---the Mayfield Schools.
 

Why the sudden interest in city politics?

I really couldn’t tell you.

But according to her flyer she wants:

“To continue my visibility within our community and interaction with residents” (emphasis added)

She also wants to:

 “Ensure that parks and recreation programs meet the needs of our residents”

Whatever the heck that means.

So there you have it. Those are the new faces this time around.

The choice of candidates is yours….just vote!

SHOPPES AT BRAINARD CROSSING

Developer Lance Osborne has his anchor tenant, economic development money and tax abatement deal.

That means the Catalano’s grocery store property will (finally) be redeveloped--without a mega GetGo gas station.

Like most residents I say: 

Halleluiah!

It’s been a loooong time coming.

I still think Council has a lot of ‘splaining to do with regard to how they handled the $800,000 development and tax abatement deals.

Residents were kept in the dark and shut out of the discussion.
Why do that----unless you’ve got some ulterior motive or something to hide?
Interestingly, it was not just residents kept in the dark about the tax abatement.

 
At least one Council member was surprised to hear Osborne and Council President Cathy Murphy publicly insist that tax breaks were “always” part of the deal.
Not according to that Council member.

It appears that not only was important information about the deal kept from residents, it might have been kept from selected Council members as well.

Residents were very anxious to see the city become more actively involved in getting the Catalano’s parcel developed in a zoning-compatible matter.

That task, of course, fell to the city’s Chief Executive Officer, Mayor Scott Coleman.
Residents sometimes get confused about roles.
Although Council may have approved the economic development package, it didn’t put the package together.

That duty fell to Coleman and his designee: Law Director Tim Paluf.

Unfortunately the fact that he works in the corporate tax field doesn’t necessarily mean that Coleman is an astute business negotiator.
The economic development package means that residents will end up paying (out of the city purse)  almost a quarter of the total purchase/redevelopment costs.

Ironically, too, the tax abatement deal appears to include tax abatement on that public money---not just Osborne’s private investment.

City Finance Director Joe Philippo recently told Council that he estimates that the city will reap about $15,800 in income tax revenue per year from Fitworks.

Based on that figure, it will take the city over 50 years to recoup its investment.

No doubt Osborne claimed during the negotiations that he couldn’t do the deal without significant public largesse.

That's an argument I'd make.... Wouldn't you?

Some due diligence might have separated out the smoke from the fire…
 

Was the redevelopment really in jeopardy, especially given that the anchor tenant had apparently been pursing Osborne for years, seeking to move into the city?

 

Finance Director Filippo's Tax Abatement Analysis
Presented at the Oct. 1st Council Committee Mtg

DEAL DONE: CATALANO'S REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT A GO

Developer Lance Osborne informed Council last night that Fitworks had committed to be the anchor tenant for his "Brainard Crossings" project.

That means the redevelopment of the Catalano's grocery store property at the corner of Wilson Mills and Brainard Roads is officially a "GO".

Of course Osborne's no fool...and once again the city is over a barrel.

Inserted into the lease with Fitworks is this contingency (required condition): 

that the city will approve Osborne's property tax abatement request.

 I'll have more on last night's meeting later, but residents should expect to see activity at the redevelopment site soon.

According to Osborne, he will "close" on the property (i.e. formally purchase it) on October 18th.
Demolition work---which will start indoors and then move outside----is scheduled to begin October 21st.

I'M SO FLUMMOXED I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY

This is what was posted online at the city's website this morning, Tuesday October 1st:

"DOPWIC" is state-provided Issue One funding, meant to assist local communities with infastructure projects.

According to Jean Buchak, the Clerk of Council, this is the actual agenda for the Committee of the Whole meeting.

That meeting is tonight (October 1st), not October  5^th:

It reads:
Discussion of Proposed Community Reinvestment Area Agreement
with Brainard Crossing Holdings LLC and Fitworks