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 26th, 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:
Osborne told Council that he was:
"Contractually obligated to close w/Giant Eagle on October 18th...We are going to close (i.e. formally purchase the property) on October 18th and demolition will begin on October 21st…..Demolition will begin as soon as we close on the property.”
According to official Cuyahoga County online records, as of
October 24th no closing had taken place.
The property hasn’t been sold.
A Giant Eagle affiliated company still owns it.
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.
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.
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).
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 24th, 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 31st 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.
Chalk the Halloween resolution up as just another one of the many, many non-emergency “emergency” measure passed by Council this year.There is no explanation. It doesn’t make sense.
Which makes me wonder:
Is Council crying “wolf” by treating every piece of legislation as an emergency measure?
