CITY GARBAGE COLLECTION: BIG CHANGE COMING?

Three years ago Council backed away from automated garbage collection----which requires the use of specialized wheeled garbage cans----mainly because of the size of the “toters” (as Service Director Thom Evans calls them) involved.

Some residents were concerned that the obligatory 96 gallon toters wouldn’t fit in their small garages.

Other residents worried that they wouldn’t be able to handle them….that they would have trouble wrestling fully loaded toters to the curb on garbage day.

Those concerns won the day.

That was then...This is now.

At an October 21^st Committee of the Whole meeting, Council authorized Evans to get bids for 2 different types of garbage collection contracts: one for our current service  and one for automated collection.

Councilwoman Lisa Stickan admitted that she had previously opposed the toters but now thought it was “smart” to explore that option.

Councilwoman Ann D’Amico, however, still had reservations:

“I have a little bit of a problem.
In my ward (Ward 4), in winter, I see elderly residents get in their car with their garbage. They drive to the curb, drop their garbage on the tree lawn and then drive back into their garages.
They are terrified of falling.

If they have to use toters, they are going to have a hard time.

A lot people in smaller condos on icy days may not want to take a toter to the curb if they don’t have much garbage.

Is there any way around it?”

Evans responded:

“I don’t think so. No, not from what I’m hearing.”

Apparently residents will have the option of swapping their 96 gallon toter for a smaller version-----after the contract has been in place for 90 days.

One advantage of automated garbage: residents will also receive a smaller recycling toter.

No sorting required.

Everything that can be recycled can be tossed in.

Landfill costs continue to rise----something Councilman Bob Mastrangelo pointed out the last time Council was discussing the garbage contract.

The city will reap significant financial benefit by encouraging residents to recycle their garbage, rather than discard it as trash.

The best way to do that is by making recycling convenient and easy to do.

GOOD NEWS: HALLOWEEN CAN PROCEED AS USUAL

Police Chief Jim Cook confirmed at the October 28^th Council meeting that the city's Trick or Treating celebration was scheduled for Halloween night. (aka Friday October 31^st).

That seemed pretty unsurprising.

But apparently Trick-or-Treating on Halloween wasn’t a sure thing.

Mayor Scott Coleman indicated that he had considered rescheduling the event to another day.

He had considered it, but as he told Council:

“Mayfield (High School) is playing football on Saturday afternoon, so there was no conflict there.”

Apparently our city’s Halloween tradition was in danger of being thrown under the bus for “Wildcat” football.

I guess that’s no surprise.

The high school tennis courts were sacrificed for “Wildcat Park,” why not Halloween too?

BURGLARY UPDATE

Police Chief Cook reported that he had received “a lot of positive feedback” from residents about his “Code Red” calls last week.

On my street the reaction to Cook's crime-related "Code Red" call was mixed.

Neighbors were happy to be kept informed of things going on in the city, but unnerved by the message.

Cook told Council  that two burglaries had occurred in the middle of the day on Thursday in the Williamsburg neighborhood.
The good news:

“We have a suspect in each burglary.”

We are blessed to live in a safe city, but it never hurts to keep garage doors down and an eye out for our neighbors.

POOL DECK NEIGHBOR ADDRESSES COUNCIL

Bob Boyda---one of the neighbors impacted by the huge Rutland Drive pool deck---spoke during the public portion of last Tuesday’s Council meeting.
He told Council:

“To date we have failed to convince the City of Highland Heights that the structure permitted as a deck should be governed by the ordinances that apply to decks.
Despite our failure to achieve this result – the process we have gone through has shown… that the permit was issued on the basis of “false data”.
…(The) public hearings…established that the design data for the deck was substantially false – the (as-built) deck is ~74% larger than the submitted documentation implied. 
Also, by the deck owner’s own admission, he was not the contractor for the deck as was claimed by the permit application…
…(T)he permit was approved on the basis of false data.
Highland Heights Ordinance 1105.99 (entitled) “Penalties” appears to apply…
…I ask the law to be enforced.”

The Ordinance Boyda referred to reads, in part:

All persons … who violate any of the provisions or requirements of this Zoning Code or fail to comply herewith, or who shall build in violation of a detailed statement of plans submitted and approved thereunder… shall, for each and every violation or noncompliance, be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00). Each day during which such violation shall continue shall constitute a separate offense.

Both the ordinance and its application to the pool owners seem pretty clear ...but apparently not to the city's powers that be. 

As always, Council members listened impassively.

They responded to Boyda’s comments.....with silence.

OUR ZONING LAWS:
DO THEY REALLY APPLY TO EVERYONE?
The city’s zoning laws are supposed to benefit and protect every resident in the city by imposing the same rules and limits on everyone.

But in order to apply to every resident, Highland Heights’ zoning laws must actually be applied to every resident.

Which brings me to the pool deck controversy.

One of the most unsettling things that the hearings disclosed was the fact that the pool owners repeatedly failed to comply with the city’s zoning rules.
 

Building Commissioner Dale Grabfelder attempted an enforcement action---he issued a tear-down letter---but the city took no steps to enforce it after the pool owners contacted Mayor Scott Coleman. 

 

When it comes to our zoning laws, it appears that there are two classes of residents in our city:

Those who follow the rules and who are, therefore, subject to the zoning laws, and those who aren't.... they simply
flaunt the zoning laws and get away with it.

If a resident is allowed to ignore and/or bypass the city’s zoning rules

   …..say by constructing a deck without a permit and without required inspections OR

   ......by misrepresenting pertinent facts (like size and the actual builder’s identity)
          on an after-the-fact-submitted permit application

and that individual suffers absolutely no consequences for their actions, isn’t that proof that a special class of zoning-immune residents exists in this city?

Is that fair? Is that right?

Is that what we expect from our city officials?

Five of the seven Council members attended one or both of the zoning hearings.

While their interest was welcome, they need to do more than make a show of attending.
They need to do something to fix this mess.

It is within Council’s power to ensure that no other Highland Heights resident has to live next to an enormous, looming deck built 11 feet from a rear property line.

Council has a “Legislative and Finance Committee” that is empowered to recommend legislation.
Council has the power to amend the zoning code and pass other legislation to ensure that our zoning code is applied to every deck and every deck owner in the city….as it was meant to be.

Will Council step up to the plate?

Only time will tell.
Residents will be watching to see whether our Council representatives really care …or whether their presence at the hearings was just run-of-the-mill political showmanship.

 FALL FOLIAGE

Here are a few pix of fall in our city.

Enjoy!