6/6 Safety Committee

I attended Safety on 6/6 and here's what I saw.

Belmont Stop sign.  While leery of the proliferation of Stop Signs (and signs in general) about the Village, I can't disagree with the need for this one.

Dog/Cat leash law.  I don't understand the impetus for this.  I know of no issue with leash law violations re Dogs, and I'm not sure Council climbing into the private lives of residents is right.  If your dog is under your control, with or without a leash, then what's the issue?  I also dislike writing laws that say dog off leash ok here and here, but not ok there and there (and corresponding signs that will surely pop up).  The conversation evolved to Cats, a very different situation.  No safety issue, but a nuisance one.  Again, why are we acting?  What is the real need?  I committed to do sensing with Residents to see what we should do.  The Committee agreed to reconvene in a month.

Cortney

Council 6/10

I attended Council, and here's what I saw.

Belmont Stop Sign.  I dislike the aesthetic hit this will cause the street/neighborhood (my comment did not make the official Minutes), but the residents there are supportive, and the hill make for a dangerous situation.  A stop sign is a reasonable solution

Haines Stop Sign.  Many street intersections in the Village do not have a Stop sign, and I'm not sure Stop Signs sprouting up all over the Village is necessarily the right answer.

No Exec Session for JEDZ.  I'm very disappointed we again are not discussing the opportunity to partner.  That said, we need to follow the law and heed the advice of our Solicitor.  I am concerned our response will be only a letter from the Mayor.  I believe we should make a bigger, bolder statement.  We need to reach out in a genuine way.

JEDZ, cont.  I love the idea of partnering with other Communities via a Joint Economic Development Zone.  A JEDZ will pay us to not Annex, which I believe is huge risk and headache avoidance.  Newtown has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to Annex on Wooster Pike, and I don't care for the first responder & support responsibilities we pickup post Annexation.  This is a great opportunity for the Village, and we need to chase this.  Let's build into the Region and partner with Columbia Township.

I voted in the affirmative on all votes, as all were procedural in nature.  Exceptions - appointments to boards, where I will happily support volunteerism.

Cortney

icrctv.com

5/28 Council Absent

I missed rescheduled Council on 5/28 due to Business Travel.  Here are my observations after reading the Minutes.

Police Officer volunteer labor.  A big thanks to our Employees who pitch in with other above-and-beyond jobs that save the Village money.

Dump Truck purchase.  Previous trucks had two factors which limited their life:  non stainless beds (Salt corrosion) and no indoor storage (remedied with the new Maint garage).  The new truck will last longer, and the existing truck is past its useful life.  I support this purchase.

Cortney

5/27 Memorial Day Parade

I attended the Memorial Day parade with my daughter Ally.  Memorial Day is a good reminder of the sacrifice of our brave men and women - I'm always struck by the ceremony.  Great job to my daughter Anna, for her award winning Kiwanis award.  A proud dad today.

Cortney

5/13 Council

I attended Council on 5/13, and here's what I saw.

Stronger Finances.  It's nice to see the Village's health return after a few really tough years (saw firsthand 2010, 2011, 2012).  Joe S's right - lots of great work by employees + smart cutting by Dan and Council.  We're in a position of strength, and our opportunity is to double down and continue to root out waste and search out revenue opportunities.

Stronger Finances part 2.  2014 will be the final draw down of state revenue reductions which began in 2012.  We're nearly there, but we need to remain vigilant.

Federal Review of Eastern Corridor plan.  I think this is good news, and it shines a flashlight into what appears is an incomplete, flawed process.  Joe S and Dan continue to do good work on the part of the Village.

Denise last meeting.  I wish Denise all the best.  I enjoyed working with her and am sad to see her go.

Mary Ann first meeting.  Welcome to Mary Ann.  I look forward to partnering on projects this year.

I voted in the affirmative on all votes, since all were procedural in nature.  Exception:  2014 budget.  While we don't spend enough time on this line by line, the % growth projections provided by Tony were reasonable.  And with the Financial tail wind as described above, it makes sense to support.


Cortney
ICRCTV.COM

4/16 Public Works Meeting

I attended the Public Works meeting and here's what I saw.  Selection of Contractor.  JK Meurer, while new to the Village, has credibility among other neighboring municipalities.  It passes the "lowest best" criteria, and I'm supportive of awarding them the contract.

Minutes and Report to follow.


Cortney


MINUTES
The meeting came to order @ 7:30 to discuss topic of 2013 Road Improvements Contractor.  In attendance were Denise McCarthy, Jeff Andrews, Chris Ertel.  Chris shared that he had received good feedback from other municipalities.  With compelling cost data vs the Engineers estimate, the Committee agreed with his recommendation:  to recommend to full Council JK Meurer as the contractor.  The meeting adjourned @ 7:45PM.


REPORT

The Public Works Committee met on 4/16 to discuss 2013 Street Repair Bids.  The Committee recommends we accept the bid of J.K. Meurer Corporation in the amount of $124,600.  This will deliver a savings to the Village of $25,400 versus original estimate, eliminating the need to withdraw $15,449 from the Permanent Improvement Budget as originally approved by Council.  Net result is a +$9,900 higher Road Fund balance that can be spent on additional sidewalk or street work in 2013.

The Committee would also like to thank Chris Ertel for his great work on this project and for his continued outstanding service & professionalism.

Respectfully Submitted,

Cortney Scheeser

Denise McCarthy

Jeff Andrews

4/16 Finance Committee Meeting

While not a member of Finance, I attended the meeting and here's what I saw.  Online payments:  we should absolutely continue to offer this convenient service.  We should also have Jordan Schad, our new Pool Manager, keep track of the time she and her folks save by this service.  If there's a savings (and i think there will be), then the modest increased cost per transaction should be more than offset.

Cortney