MOVEMENT AND CHANGE

Although things have been pretty quiet lately, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing’s going on in the city.

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK

Sgt. Bruce Balzano received a Resolution of Appreciation at the June 11^th Council meeting in honor and recognition of his retirement from the Highland Heights Police Department.

Patients of dentist Dr. Stephen Bloom can breathe easy. Although her husband is hanging up his uniform, Peggy Balzano doesn’t plan to turn in her dental hygienist instruments quite yet.

 

Sgt. Bruce Balzano

Peggy Balzano looks on as her husband is honored

Mayor Scott Coleman reads Council's Resolution of Appreciation

MAJOR ROAD PROJECTS IN THE WORKS

Mayor Scott Coleman and Council are apparently moving forward with a plan to take advantage of historically low interest rates in order to increase the number of badly needed infrastructure projects that the city can get done, beginning this year.

While no debt-related legislation has yet appeared on the agenda, on June 11^th Council authorized engineer Brian Mader to do preliminary work for road improvement projects impacting Miner and Ford Roads, Radford Drive and the Municipal Center.
That work is in addition to previously authorized preliminary engineering work for Highland and Miner Roads.

Mader will also apply for state “Issue 1” funding, which could help offset some of cost of the city’s infrastructure work.

STILL NO UNION CONTRACTS

Council pulled a resolution authorizing Mayor Scott Coleman to enter into a collective bargaining agreement with the union representing members of the Highland Heights Fire Department.
Those labor negotiations have been dragging on since late last year.

Law Director Tim Paluf recommended pulling the resolution. He explained that he was still waiting for the union to return the final proposed contract to him.
Paluf didn’t indicate whether the delay was a minor issue or a cause for concern.

NOVEMBER COUNCIL ELECTIONS

While elections always add some uncertainty to the Council mix, one thing is crystal clear: not every current Council member will be running for reelection in November.

Work demands have reportedly caused Councilman-at-large Frank Legan to decide to bow out when his at-large Council term ends in December. 

Former Council President Scott Mills, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2011, has pulled nominating petitions for both Ward 4 and Legan’s at-large seat.

Meanwhile, Ward 4 Council Rep Lisa Stickan told me on Saturday that she hopes to fill the vacancy caused by Legan’s departure.
Stickan said that although she has very much enjoyed serving the residents in Ward 4, the opening of an at-large seat is:

“…an opportunity that I can’t ignore. I am ready to step up to the plate and serve residents throughout the entire community.” 

As a result of a recent Charter change, the individuals elected to fill at-large Council seats this November will serve four (rather than two) year terms.

Ward reps, on the other hand, will have to be patient.

They won’t begin serving extended terms until January 2016….which means they have survive both this year’s and the November 2015 election before they can take a breather.

QUICK UPDATES AND LOCAL FESTIVITIES

Work and family kept me out of town for a good part of May.

As always, however, I tried to keep tabs on what’s happening in the city.
Here are a few updates:


CATALANO’S

The city has tentatively agreed to provide significant economic development funds to assist resident/local developer Lance Osborne (Shoppes at Alpha Place) in buying and developing the former Catalano’s property.

Most importantly for residents, Osborne has apparently pledged to develop the property in a zoning-consistent manner---i.e., in keeping with the property’s current “Local Business District” zoning.

A Giant Eagle-affiliated real estate company has owned the property---and kept it empty and undeveloped--- for the last 7 years.

Last year Giant Eagle decided it wanted to install a 16 pump, gasoline and diesel-dispensing GetGo gas station there.

Residents in Ward 4 (and others) rejected the necessary rezoning issue last November, thereby defeating that plan.

After the election, the feeling among residents was that the time for sitting on the sidelines was over---the city had to become more actively involved, to achieve zoning-appropriate development of the property.

While some residents may be taken aback by the dollar amount involved, the economic development funds represent a very important investment---an investment in maintaining the city’s reputation as a place of superior services, tasteful development and high quality residential neighborhoods.

That reputation has kept our property values relatively high during the last economic downturn, even as property values in adjacent communities plummeted.



INFASTRUCTURE NEEDS

Like any city, Highland Heights has a significant amount of infrastructure----i.e., roads, water mains, etc.---that constantly needs to be repaired and maintained.

Paying for that work is never cheap or easy.

Right now interest rates are at historic lows.

Borrowing money makes sense if the cost of borrowing is low and it allows the city to preserve and grow money that it has sitting in the bank. Borrowing also would allow the city to do much more work and to pay for that work over several years, instead of draining the treasury to pay for it all at once.

Recently, Mayor Coleman and City Council sought the advice of a financial expert, who helped the city refinance several old municipal bonds several years ago (which resulted in considerable cost savings for the city).

Although nothing definite has been decided, it appears the mayor and Council are considering borrowing money and/or issuing bonds in order to get some major, overdue infrastructure projects done.
Those projects would no doubt include replacing the Highland Road water main and expanding/improving/resurfacing Miner Road.

THE COMMUNITY GARDEN IS OPEN FOR THE 2013 GROWING SEASON

The Municipal Center green space is really taking shape.

Trees and flowers have been planted around the gazebo and the grass is (finally) growing.

Several community concerts are planned for this summer, which will allow the space to become what it was envisioned to be: a true community gathering place.

Behind the gazebo is the Highland Heights Community Garden.

Council has approved installation of a 6-foot high chain link fence (take that Mr. Groundhog!) to replace the temporary snow fence that is currently in place. Two water faucets will be installed once the fence is in.
That should allow for bumper crops this summer.

Deacon Joe from St. Paschal's certainly hopes that's the case. He and his Helping Hands Ministry members will be tending 2 plots, growing food to donate to local food kitchens.

All residents are more than welcome to stop by and see what's growing.

Despite the cool weather, residents were anxious to dig in

Gardening is just part of the experience.

Pretty as a postcard. The new greenspace is taking shape.

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVATION

Eleven years ago, residents Weert Ley and (the late) Vince Varanese co-founded the Highland Heights Veterans Peace Memorial.
Their work (and many donations) resulted in the monument and gardens that sit to the east of the fire station on Highland Road.

I have attended Memorial Day Celebrations at the Peace Memorial for the last several years.

I never fail to be moved by the observance.

If you haven’t ever participated, I highly recommend putting it down on your 2014 "to do" list.

The organizers, assisted by local Lions Club members, make it an event worthy of our national day of remembrance.

Memorial Day Ceremony 2013. HHts Veterans Peace Memorial.

Participants and Honored Guests.
Rev. Roger Korsten, Mayor Scott Coleman, Ernie Ley, Capt. Baker, Capt. Harlan, Weert Ley  (L to R)

The Suburbanaires. They enhanced the ceremony with their melodic voices.

EXPENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS: WORTH THE COST?

Several years ago, during a Sun Messenger candidates’ interview, Councilman Frank Legan said that he thought Highland Heights was “going 35 miles per hour” and that it should be going faster---much faster.

Unfortunately, Legan (who is a member of the city’s Economic Development Committee) didn't elaborate on what he meant---what his vision of “going faster” entailed.

Based on what he’s said since, it’s clear that he believes that the city could and should be throbbing with commerce and commercial activity to a much greater degree than it is now.  

For several years Legan doggedly fought against tearing down the substandard, decrepit church building that used to stand in the middle of what is now the new Municipal Center greenspace.
He even pitched using the building (which needed close to a $1 million worth of work, just to bring it up to code) as a taxpayer-subsidized “business incubator”.

Last year Legan successfully convinced Council to spend $5000 to hire Mohr  Partners, a consulting firm, to conduct a preliminary economic development audit for the city. 
While I didn’t see the final report, it didn’t sound like Mohr Partners amassed particularly unique information or provided an unusually sophisticated analysis of the city’s resources and opportunities for its pricey four-figure fee.

At last week’s pre-Council Committee of the Whole meeting, Legan pitched paying Mohr Partners to do a more expensive, second round of consulting work:

“From a revenue standpoint, revenue is the life blood of what we do. ..Increased revenue means more and better of everything...Mohr Partners, in phase 2, would be developing a specific plan for economic development in our city….Hudson has spent several hundred thousand dollars marketing itself. This is a modest investment.”

Well ….maybe not so modest.

According to the managing partner in attendance, the first thing Mohr Partners intended to work on was updating and improving the city’s website.

That had heads bobbing up-and-down in agreement throughout the room.

 The cost for that work? 
According to Mohr Partners, between $50,000  and $100,000---- and that doesn’t include Mohr Partner’s consulting fee OR the cost of maintaining the website, once it’s redesigned.

 “We (Mohr Partners) would do an assessment, help design the RFP (the bid specs), and assist in finding a website developer….We’d start from scratch.…We’d get you started. ..Someone else needs to maintain it year in and out.”

Mayor Scott Coleman and Council seemed stunned by the price tag.

The mayor responded by declaring that the city would work with the same (formerly local) company that designed the original (and by common consensus mediocre) website.

That suggestion was met with even stonier silence.

I certainly don’t question Councilman Legan’s good intentions.

However, I do question the cost of the consulting services and Mohr Partner’s pricey estimates for website redesign ---particularly given that the city doesn't currently plan to hire anyone to maintain the website or implement the suggestions after Mohr Partners hands in its final report and walks out the door.

GOOD NEWS ON THE CATALANO’S REDEVELOPMENT FRONT?

Several city insiders have confirmed that the city is actively participating in discussions concerning the Catalano’s property.  While details remain sketchy, residents remain hopeful.

FEEDING THE DEER? THINK AGAIN.

A Highland Road resident addressed Council last week, sharing his concerns about a neighbor who was actively feeding deer.

I thought the resident had a very interesting and helpful perspective on the problem.

It was clear that his main concern was for the welfare of the deer:

“It seems merciful to feed the animals, but any conservationist or ranger will tell you that you don’t feed deer. There are many reasons for that. Young animals will fail to develop foraging skills.  The animals will lose their fear of people and wander in the streets and close to children and dogs. The food used may not be nutritionally appropriate. And feeding attracts more animals than would otherwise be in the area and results in increased breeding. When the feeding stops, you end up with more starvation, not less.”

 The resident applauded Council, which is currently looking at enacting an ordinance to to address the issue----as many surrounding communities have done.

For him it was the responsible thing to do:

“It’s important to have a responsible stewardship to the animals we share our space with.”