RUTLAND DECK HEARING
Although Council is still enjoying its August recess, the
Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) gets back to work on Monday.
Among other items of business is a previously postponed public hearing on a huge deck that was recently erected next to a pre-existing Rutland Drive above-ground pool.
Neighbors have challenged the deck’s legality on several grounds, including that its placement violates the city’s zoning laws.
The towering deck sits a mere 11 feet (rather than the required 40 feet) away from pool owners’ rear property line.
Among other items of business is a previously postponed public hearing on a huge deck that was recently erected next to a pre-existing Rutland Drive above-ground pool.
Neighbors have challenged the deck’s legality on several grounds, including that its placement violates the city’s zoning laws.
The towering deck sits a mere 11 feet (rather than the required 40 feet) away from pool owners’ rear property line.
I have to say I’m a little confused as to why there even needs to be a public hearing on the issue.
Last May, Building Commissioner Dale Grabfelder issued an official tear down
letter, directing that the deck be removed.
The letter acknowledges that the pool owners agreed to comply...until, apparently, they didn't.
That's when Mayor Scott Coleman and Law Director Tim Paluf got involved.
The letter acknowledges that the pool owners agreed to comply...until, apparently, they didn't.
That's when Mayor Scott Coleman and Law Director Tim Paluf got involved.
Don't get me started...
To my knowledge, the city has never rescinded Grabfelder's tear down letter----and the pool owners never appealed that order.
The time for filing an appeal expired a long time ago.
The time for filing an appeal expired a long time ago.
Legally that means that Grabfelder's order is both final and enforceable.
Given that fact, it seems to me that P&Z's job is pretty simple and clear cut.
Given that fact, it seems to me that P&Z's job is pretty simple and clear cut.
All P&Z has to (and can) do is enforce the Building Commissioner's official tear down order.
There is a lot of speculation as to what will happen on Monday night.
- Will the P&Z member who failed to appear at the originally-scheduled public hearing be in attendance.... or will he be MIA once again?
- Will there be a Highland Heights police presence like last time, and who were they watching anyway...certainly not the thoughtful and well-mannered residents challenging the deck ?
The meeting, which is opened to the public, begins at 8 pm on August 25th in
the City Hall Council Chamber.
IT’S OFFICIAL: BISHOP ROAD ACREAGE
IS AREA’S NEWEST WOODLAND PRESERVE
The latest Cuyahoga County Soil and Conservation District newsletter announces:
IS AREA’S NEWEST WOODLAND PRESERVE
The latest Cuyahoga County Soil and Conservation District newsletter announces:
“Land on Euclid Creek Tributaries Protected in Highland Heights”
It’s now official.
The non-profit West Creek Conservancy has taken title to 12 acres of pristine woodland, located between Hawthorne Drive and Wilson Mills Road, on Bishop Road.
Our local Friends of Euclid Creek group (P.O. Box 21384, South Euclid Ohio 44121) is soliciting donations, to help pay for cleanup, fencing, planting and maintenance costs.
The non-profit West Creek Conservancy has taken title to 12 acres of pristine woodland, located between Hawthorne Drive and Wilson Mills Road, on Bishop Road.
Our local Friends of Euclid Creek group (P.O. Box 21384, South Euclid Ohio 44121) is soliciting donations, to help pay for cleanup, fencing, planting and maintenance costs.
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| Announcement from Soil &Conservation District Newsletter |
THE SUN MESSENGER: HOW FAR IT HAS FALLEN
It’s routine for newspaper reporters to get story ideas from press releases and newsletters.
It’s routine for newspaper reporters to get story ideas from press releases and newsletters.
However, they aren’t supposed to pass off such items as their own work.
They are supposed to do some original writing and/or reporting, in order to turn
what someone else has written into their own work.
At a minimum journalists should at least publicly attribute the source when publishing someone else's writing under their own name.
What’s it called if a journalist doesn’t do either of those things?
At a minimum journalists should at least publicly attribute the source when publishing someone else's writing under their own name.
What’s it called if a journalist doesn’t do either of those things?
Some might call it laziness, but the journalist world calls it plagiarism.
My eyebrows got raised when I read Andrew Attina’s “Messen’ Around”
column, published in the Sun Messenger this week.
The column's first piece appeared to be a reproduction of the County Soil and Conservation District newsletter article announcing the new Highland Heights woodland preserve, described above.
Attina condensed the newsletter article and changed around a couple of word and phrases, but there doesn’t appear to be any significant amount of original writing or reporting.
That being said.... did Attina at least attribute the source for his piece... did he let readers know where he got---almost word-for-word---most of the text?
No, he did not.
The column's first piece appeared to be a reproduction of the County Soil and Conservation District newsletter article announcing the new Highland Heights woodland preserve, described above.
Attina condensed the newsletter article and changed around a couple of word and phrases, but there doesn’t appear to be any significant amount of original writing or reporting.
That being said.... did Attina at least attribute the source for his piece... did he let readers know where he got---almost word-for-word---most of the text?
No, he did not.
Boy, I sure miss the old Sun Messenger.
How far that once credible and useful community paper has sunk.
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| Adrew Attina's piece |
TONE DEAF OR WILLINGLY OBLIVIOUS?
WHY NOT BE PART OF THE COUNTY “READY NOTIFY” PROGRAM?
Councilman Ed Hargate tried for several months to get Council to discuss,
and hopefully consider joining, Cuyahoga County’s “Ready Notify” program, a
system that provides alerts and information to county residents via phone, text
messages, email and the like.
Council President Cathy Muprhy put Hargate off the first time he tried to add it to the agenda for an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.
Murphy told Hargate that she wanted Mayor Scott Coleman to participate in the discussion and the mayor was going to be absent.
Council President Cathy Muprhy put Hargate off the first time he tried to add it to the agenda for an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.
Murphy told Hargate that she wanted Mayor Scott Coleman to participate in the discussion and the mayor was going to be absent.
He wasn’t. The mayor attended that meeting.
Council finally discussed the program on July 29th.
Hargate explained the program and pointed out that the city could use it for free.
Hargate explained the program and pointed out that the city could use it for free.
“It expands the emergency notification opportunity that the city can use at no cost…
I think it’s a good program and a good service.
I’d like to request that the city participate in the program.”
Police Chief Jim Cook weighed in on the discussion at Murphy’s invitation.
Cook said that he hadn’t looked at the county’s program.
He explained, however, that the city was currently under contract with the fee-based “Code Red” service, which had access to databases which allowed for effective and efficient emergency notification to Highland Heights residents.
When the issue of redundancy came up, Hargate opined,
Cook said that he hadn’t looked at the county’s program.
He explained, however, that the city was currently under contract with the fee-based “Code Red” service, which had access to databases which allowed for effective and efficient emergency notification to Highland Heights residents.
When the issue of redundancy came up, Hargate opined,
"They (the two programs) are compatible.
Ready Notify gives us broader access…I think we should have both systems. Residents can have access to a whole lot more information than just with Code Red."
That seemed persuasive to Cook, Fire Chief Bill Turner and Mayor Scott Coleman, all
of whom acknowledged that it wasn't an “either/or” decision.
The mayor said:
The mayor said:
"I am suggesting not to do this (Ready Notify) as our primary local carrier. Perhaps when the Code Red contract comes up we can look at whether we can use it as our primary carrier.
But it’s no cost for us to use it.”
It wasn’t clear to me whether she didn’t hear what was being said or whether
she simply chose not to listen---but Murphy clearly wasn’t
on board.
Her suggested action plan was to take no action other than “educating” residents about the county program and having Law Director Tim Paluf and Council's Safety Service Committee look at the program at their leisure-----like maybe next year.
She announced:
Her suggested action plan was to take no action other than “educating” residents about the county program and having Law Director Tim Paluf and Council's Safety Service Committee look at the program at their leisure-----like maybe next year.
She announced:
"We are in agreement that we will work on educating individuals (about the Ready Notify program) and look at this again when the Code Red contract comes up…
We can have the Safety Service Committee revisit it and bring more clarity to the situation.”
I was sitting in the same room and heard all of the discussion.
As far as I was concerned, Murphy’s claimed “agreement” didn't reflect (at all) the consensus of the group sitting around the Council table with her.
Hargate, frustrated and disgusted, gave up. He told Murphy :
“No you are missing the point…
I don’t know what clarity you need….but do what you want.”
