"THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD LEADS"
Me back to the Cobblestone Development.
I thought it was the most interesting item at last weeks council meeting that wasn't reported by anyone.
The four major players are, City Council, City Manager, Law Director, and the Fire Chief.
The main question is once Grand River bailed on the first responder issue in June 2008 what happened?
Did the City Manager inform Council, Law Director, and the Fire Chief? or was someone else notified? Was anyone on City Council informed who, or why not? Three coucilmen have told me they had no knowledge of it being cancelled, did any know?
Was the Law Director informed and asked for his assessment of the situation?
Was the Fire Chief "comfortable" with the 9:14 average response time to Cobblestone with some as high as 12:00 minutes? and when asked at a council meeting stated six or seven minutes. As a professional firefighter did he ever go to the city manager and ask if something could be worked out with another community about this situation? As you know the City Manager is also the Safety Director, why and why not? When Council President Hada thought that since the children that live there are in the Riverside School District, Painesville Township should assist? Was he ever informed about the meeting on the fire station being proposed on Blackbrook Rd. as a joint venture by the City and the Township? Why did we quit going to the meetings?
The main question has to be after 2008 why no one went to Mentor to negotiate a plan until Painesville's Fire Department could respond to that area properly.
I have left a few posts off the blog. that said this person knew, that person lied, that person should be fired, mainly because no one knows the facts. Will we ever know all the facts? Just Thank God nothing bad happened.
posted by terminator1 @ 1:28 PM
40 Comments
40 Comments:
I never said the CM lied. 0nly that she only tells you what she wants you to know. To get all the fact you have to pry it out and sometimes that doesn't even work. She plays council like a piano. Who would ever guess that she works for them.
Mary Poppins
Has anybody contacted the News Herald about maybe doing an investigative report on this? If it's a problem, and if there was wrongdoing, I imagine a reporter could ferret it out. Let the facts be brought forth!
Just wanting to make something out of nothing? Mountain out of a molehill. The city didn't brake any rules. Just yours.
What is deemed as an appropriate response time and who makes that determination? This decision should be left to the professionals in the fire service, but not the C.M. The city is growing and expanding and has outlived its current “one centrally located fire station”. Go to any other city in Lake County and ask “why did you building another fire station?”. I will answer it for you, geographical and population increases led to increased response times, which local governments (except Painesville) felt were unacceptable and with community support, found the funding to build additional fire stations. Where are all the complaints about the railroad tracks on the South end of town??? We have constant railroad traffic and stopped trains which can pretty much isolate the South end of the city. I have seen police cars with their emergency lights and sirens stopped at the tracks due to these trains and have to drive around to another RR crossing. We can talk about a delayed medical response, what about a police emergency..active shooters, domestic violence victims, etc..etc..hmm, I don’t hear any complaints about this issue.
As for a joint mutual aid, why should we pull and deplete resources from another community who have adequate personnel and centrally located stations because we are too cheap to address the issue the right way in this city. As a resident of a neighboring community whose public safety personnel would be pulled as the first responder for Cobblestone, I pay high taxes to have the best police and fire services in the county and I'm opposed to this practice. If you can find $33 million to build new schools for a school district that is rewarded with its constant "academic emergency" standards, the city can find money to build a new fire station.
Greed, lead to this. First you expand into an area you can't take care of, why to sell utilities an investment that will take decades to recover. The Fire Chief is the person residents look for to tell the city manager what his dept. can or can't do. But why jepordize my $41.00 an hour job for some people he doesn't even know?
The Annexer in chief Rita would have my job.
Talked to someone who lives at Cobblestone Apts. They had no clue what was going on.
Long and winding road? You must be a "Daydream Believer" if you believe anything will come of this. The Queen has a special rug at city hall for these moments. Oh and listen to the "Sounds of Silence" from council and everyone else.
Carly Simmons
LOL, this is great, and a few Blogs back someone was bragging how these "watchdog citizens" stopped the tax increase for Safety a few years back. Would that have maybe been enough to build another station? The people that usually post on this blog so entertaining.
"I have left a few posts off the blog. that said this person knew, that person lied, that person should be fired, mainly because no one knows the facts."
Aw, come on, Term, you've posted all sorts of accusatory rants, people accusing Rita of committing malfeasance, being greedy, being incompetent, having stolen a "Land of Oz", etc. etc. etc.
Why stop now? Just when we were having fun.
F.Y.I.
Case NO. 02-CV-002053
Page 5 No.2
Painesville should be responsible for police, fire and emergency services of all kinds within Shamrock Business Center, the parties acknowledged that Mentor has offered to enter into an agreement with Painesville to provide first response assistance in regard to such services, but Painesville has declined to enter in such an agreement and is undertaking primary and first responder responsibility to provide such services. In addition, Painesville and Mentor shall each be responsible for the maintenance of public roadways within their respective boundaries.
"From a Watchdog" Lets understand the situation around Cobblestone Apt. since 2003 350 rental units have been built in the Diamond Shamrock Development. PERIOD...
Now you want to build and man a Fire Station for that development? Because for all practical purposes thats all it could be used for. Its not how much money you spend its how you spend it that counts,
I want to know why the CM didn't want Mentors help? and then her and the fire chief asked for there resignations..
this is council leadership we can believe in ????. thank goodness time is on our side. new council president selected in 2010. this is the council we can trust ????. the time is now to help the cobblestone residents. council should start doing their duty. start talking to each other for a change this is absurd joe hada. the residents in cobblestone need help. NOW.. canidate for a better painesville.
Rita's really slipping, once the road construction on W.Jackson St. is over the times will probably be 5to7 minutes. Really Rita when did that construction start the first of the month. I expected better from you. Let me be the first one to tell you how foolish you look. Youy and that Fire Chief should be gone!
KAREN
read the news herald page A-3 about cobblestone apartments NOTE MENTOR RESPONSE FROM THE CITY MANAGER interesting they have a WORKING COUNCIL. JOE HADA SHOULD ATTEND MENTOR'S COUNCIL MEETING'S hoping for change...
"Painesville seeking help"
Road construction on W. Jackson completed 5 to 7 minutes? Is that after the overpass is completed?
What 4 or 5 years?
City Manager stated she sent letters to Mentor, Grand River and Painesville Township. Her's an idea for you, get on the phone call them setup meetings face to face with all of them bring your Council President and or Fire Chief and explain the situation to them and the urgency in this getting resolved.
AMEN! Just be happy she didn't send smoke signals
Mary Poppins
thank's karen for a outstanding post THANK GOODNESS FOR ANDY FLOCK A GREAT LEADER ON COUNCIL who brought this cobblestone situation in the OPEN otherwise the rest of council would have never never known. city's future..
Pardon me for asking but why are you going down W.Jackson St. in the first place this apartment complex I thought was behind Home Depot. Mentor Fire Dept. Has a Station on Corduroy Rd. and Heisley Rd. that can't be more then 2 miles away. Can someone clear this up for me?
I'd love to watch all these city leaders watch the Queen grovel after how many times she's stuck it to them in the past.Painesville Township probably can't wait for that letter, and Mentor will help for a price. Great planning people.Where is this overpass going to be?
Mr.Rellik
Would Mentor respond to a police emergency, or would Painesville just send someone there?
"From a Watchdog" Lets understand the situation around Cobblestone Apt. since 2003 350 rental units have been built in the Diamond Shamrock Development. PERIOD...
Now you want to build and man a Fire Station for that development?"
No..it isn't just for one development, it is for the anticipated growth and development on the entire 400 acres contained within..Diamond Centre and Heisley Park, which in my opinion based on their property values are quite deserving of their own fire station. As for "350 rental units", these units cost more per month to live in than most of the houses in the city itself..don't equate them to some section 8 housing project like Argonne Arms or Brentwood..
I can only wonder if you Watchdogs are happy that you have managed to make Painesville look foolish in the paper again. Is this all being done to get someone elected or not get elected. Hope your all proud of yourselves.
350 rental units since 2003 Anticapation should be the name of that development. Now in all your wisdom how much money has the city sunk in that area, including legal costs? I bet We'll probably know by election time. I thought we had to much rental property already? People have quit buying what your selling.
if we had a working city council and a city council who talked and shared idea's the resident's at cobblestone apartment's could and would be safe and helped quicker. a better city.... [vote for change].
is the the same JOE HADA who has 28 year's on city council,who knew the agreement between grand river to be 1st responders for emergency's to cobblestone apartment's was stopped 6/08 11 month's ago, but but didn't tell the member's of city council. WOW.. thank you councilman flock for working to help us. COBBLESTONE RESIDENT.
Good-Bye to all of you on this Blog, as none of you ever pay attention to the real facts/figures of the City of Paine that is inflicting higher utility rates (for CM purposes) that does not give one hoot about what you think/feel or place a request for. Have not one of you learned you will only receive the pass-on to another department and your requests (have never) nor will they ever be answered nor resolved.
Why? Because the Painesville CM could care less about you or your requests for relief.
Heck, she has not taken care of the poor response time to Coblestone. How can a CM know that since 2008 that the response time was not correct? This is now May of 2009 and all of a sudden we make excuses/we blame Council in 2003-that they decided Mentor should not be a part of this scenario (per a court case)?
You stopped the negotiations with Painesville Twp - Why? Now you state that you are sending letters to them? Why? Desperation Lady to start covering your negative butt?
No sense to talk about Mentor, as you turned them down. No sense to send letters to Painesville Twp as you ceased your negotiations with them. Don't bother to send a letter to Grand River as they have a solified contract with Painesville Twp. What is your next move CM? Maybe a letter of: Whoa I need real help because I have really screwed-up Cobblestone protection - Concord and our Jedd, can we negotiate and make this right?
False Garbage again. Just another smoke issue by you CM. Oh, construction on W. Jackson Street has stopped the normal response time and when the construction is done the response time should be 5 to 7 minutes. Excuse me, there has been absolutely no construction on W. Jackson up and until this week. No counstruction in 2008. The response time for critical services has been 9m/14 sec since June 2008 and is still the same response time in May of 2009.
Your professed numbers, along with your excuses are moot!
Rita Cm, you know you have totally messed-up and now you are trying to blow-smoke and put the blame on others - including your Councul Clerk.
Why don't you just fess-up and just Leave your position? Oh, lest we forget that you have the policies that you are the absolute dictator/controller of the City of Paine. So many of us do not want you as a CM, and we know that you also know how you screw-up and never ever take care of the important issues that you should be attending to.
Good-BYE Rita CM - your lies and negligence have caught up to you and it is time that you Face Reality and just walk-away.
If you choose not to do this on a voluntary basis: we will then seek the legal avenues to enforce the mis and mal feasance that are apparent in your job actions/negotiations/and hidden venues with the Painesville City Council Members.
Many City Residents that Want CHANGE!!!!!!!!!
The core group of "watchdogs" that post on here all want Murphy elected and/or Rita fired.
To some of you that post this person knew the Cobblestone agreement was cancelled in June of 2008 how go you know this fact and I will not post that fact unless you can show me proof. As of right now the only people I know the agreement was cancelled was te City Manager, and the Fire Chief. No one else has come forward saying they knew. That is the question that has to be answered who knew and who made the decision not to inform anyone else. WHY!
WHY? Thats easy because the city manager, fire chief amd who ever else knew, that there was nothing that could be done. Excuse the pun but Painesville has managed to burn all their bridges. First they annex land the Township wanted to keep. [Only because the Goldbergs wanted it that way] and sell them utilities. Then they want to tap into Mentors streets to provide an entrance and exit, which caused Painesville to make numerous consessions[they lost] Almost 10 years and nothing but apartments and dirt. This will be interesting to watch play out. Rita don't forget you still have the Millstone mess to resolve.
Here's a surprise for you, some of us just don't care. Do you think those cobblestone residents bought there because it was Painesville?, NO, most of them pretend they live in Mentor, kids go to school in township, so they really don't want anything to do with Painesville unless its to increase a response time by what?, 3 minutes? tough, so let Mentor take care of them.
to Anonymous, May 15, 2009 7:57PM
Oh, please don't go. Your rants are always so entertaining, no matter what name you post under. (Your rather "unique" writing style gives you away every time) They usually don't make sense, but they're awfully fun to read.
So, you can read Rita's mind, can you? How do you know she doesn't care? Maybe YOU don't get the attention from her that you seem to think you deserve - is THAT why you're so bitter? You are OBSESSED with the woman, it's
obvious, and I'd love to know what she's done to you. Put you in your place in public, maybe? What? Please tell us. Are you jealous because she's a well paid, well educated professional and you're not? What's your problem?
How well do you perform in your own job, if you even have one? Are you perfect? I'm sure that if you even have a job, you're perfect in every respect. If you don't have a job, perhaps haven't been able to find/hold one, well, I'm sure that has nothing to do with your atttitude, right? Who wouldn't want to hire someone like you?
I've never found the City to be unresponsive to my concerns. I've had very good results working with them. Might be because I know how to say "please" and "thank you" and I understand that I need to respect others if I want them to respect me. I can't call up and rant and rave and make demands with a threatening attitude and expect anyone to want to help me.
You are so hostile and vindictive in your tone. If you talk to city officials (or anyone, really) the way you post on this blog, it's no wonder people avoid you. Didn't you ever hear that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar? If you want people to pay attention to you, you need to be polite. You need to be kind. You can't be ranting and going on tirades, making accusations, name calling, and going into hysterics when you don't get your way.
I bet you have earned yourself quite the reputation with city officials as a crank and a nutcase. I bet they cringe
when you call or write. If you ever DO have a legitimate concern, you probably can't make yourself understood well enough for anyone to do anything about it. Or, you've turned everyone off so completely with your attitude that
they just ignore you. Who could blame them?
In my own job, I will bend over backward and go out of my way to help someone who is polite, respectful, and appreciative. I'll go the extra mile, stay late, whatever, to help such a person. The cranky, hostile people who are impossible to please and don't respect me are on the bottom of my list and they've put themselves there. With your attitude, I bet you've gotten yourself on the bottom of a lot of lists.
You seem to have an awful lot of time on your hands and an axe to grind. Why don't you start your own blog? You could control the comments and only post comments from folks who agree with you. I'll really miss your posts if you leave this blog. But in all seriousness, if you want to be taken seriously, you might want to consider changing your tone and trying to sound a little more rational.
Tomorrow May 17 Sunday there will be a benefit for Harry Hahn. Harry lost everything he had, even his dentures, in the a house fire where he lived. It will he held at the Liberty Bar on Liberty street 3:30 PM. Please attend, if you can.
Blog Owner: Back in late November or early December of 2008, Mr. A.F. asked the CM who was the first responders to Cobblestone. Her reply (on record) was: "Grand River." A total lie from her mouth because the verbal/paper agreement with the city of Paine/Grand River was negated in June of 2008. This letter is a public record and so are the minutes from 2008 and her response to Mr. A.F.
Do any of you like being lied to?
There is absolutely no excuse for her lies and hiding information from City Council as to the supposed first responders to Cobblestone. Then we now have the great article in the News-Herald this week that blames City Council's Response to Mentor's offer; "We do not feel that we need Mentor's assistance." As Rita CM negotiates any/all, we never can remember these statements regarding Mentor being voted on. There has not been any construction on West Jackson Street in the last 3 years - now that there is, the CM makes an off the wall statement that when this construction is completed the response time will go to 5 to 7 minutes. The response time will remain at 9m/14 secs up to 12m, as it has always been!!! The Road to No Where will take at least 3 to 4 or maybe 5 years to be constructed over and in an area that is so inundated with water. Want to live in an area with no protection?
Bottom Line: First part of this post gives a time-line from late 2008. Question asked, question answered with a bold lie contained in public records!!
For all of you that bow to the Queen - how do you like her lies in a public record? She has lied to all of us all of the time, and you know this. Still want to support and protect her?
Hey, Abby/Paul/Arlene/Joe/Bob (not counted in)Hal - how do all of you like the fact that this City Manager in the News-Herald just made all of you appear to be a tried and true suspect in the negligence of proper protection of the Cobblestone development. She blamed all of you for a supposed vote that this development (with no true access from Painesville)should be handled on our own. Never your words - just her hidden words.
An appointed CM that not only lies to City Council but has always lied to the questions for assistance of the people of this city.
Does Dave Anderson lie, NO. Does John Conrad lie, NO. Do the reps from P'ville Twp and Grand River lie, No. Does Rita McMahon of the City of Painesville lie, YES!!
It is recorded. Rita McMahon you have committed mal and non feasance in reference to not only Cobblestone but other areas of this city. Painesville City Council must investigate and NOT cover-up what your CM has done. If you do this,all of you now become an accomplice to her negative acts. Read the law/goverence over your Sworn Statements of Election -if you still have that paper-work in your files.
If any one of you did not do your job, lied in your job, (Abby and Hal) were caught, you would be fired!
City Council, think real hard how you will handle the negativity of your appointed CM. She is no different than any other employee. Unfortunately the HR of Painesville is part of her job description/under her control.
Council, you are the CEO's and Managers and you best handle this as it should be handled/as she would handle it with any other employee in violation.
A & J Boulton
Your irrational hatred of Rita makes it impossible to take you seriously. I suppose you haven't bothered to consider that maybe Rita's response was honest on her part, based on information provided to her by someone else at City Hall, in error. I suppose there's no way you could ever stop and think that maybe it was an honest mistake. No, you will insist on assuming that she's lying, deliberately and maliciously. Why would she do that? You seem to think that she's out for her own gain only and doesn't care about the City. Why are you so sure of that? What have you got against her? I'll do to you what you continually do to her and assume that I can read your mind and know what your motives are. I'll assume that your vitriol on this blog comes solely from some sort of personal vendetta you're carrying on against this woman. I'll assume that you are nursing some sort of personal hurt because she has slighted you somehow. Indeed, I can read your mind, just like you seem to think you can read hers, and I'll assume that I know what motivates you to look for the evil in everything she does, What if someone were to say that he really thinks you're emotionally unstable, have mental problems and need some sort of psychological help? How would you like that? Would that be fair of anyone to do? It's what you are doing to her - making assumptions about her motives and her character, in public, making accusations, letting your personal feelings color every single post you make, so that if you do have a legitimate complaint or point, it's lost in your venomous and irrational spews.
If you want to bring anyone over to your way of thinking, try calming down and leaving your personal feelings out of it. Stick to the facts.
You're handing her way too much power to make you angry and miserable. Maybe you should try to find something more constructive to do with your time, for the sake of your own happiness.
I've read both posts above and I must admit when you sign your name to a post it cares alot of weight. The City Manager has a away of telling a story without telling you the whole truth, not a lie, but just not telling you everything.
The article that appeared in Friday News-Herald stated that after road construction is conpleted on Jackson St. response time will improve to 5 to 7 minutes. Now the truth.
That means that once we build an overpass over the CSX tracks and complete the road from the east to Cobblestone, it will be 5 to 7 minutes. Not a lie, but what is the completion date for all this? Where is the financing coming from?
How many people knew this is what she was talking about, the reporter didn't.
A. Cimaglio
You think the Queen put a copy of the letters she sent Mentor,Painesville Twp. and Grand River In councils packet?
The dwarfs don't need to know anyway.
Mr. Rellik
I think you stepped in it Term. She was talking about the new water line going down Jackson St. Don't you drive that way?
I dunno, Term, I see your point about signing a post, but - I could sign any name I want to a post, not sure you've got any easy way to verify a poster's identity. Secondly a spiteful rant is still a spiteful rant, signed or not. Thirdly in a small town like this it might not always be safe to sign one's name if disagreeing with someone known to be volatile, if one doesn't want to risk harassment in real life.
Sincerely,
Brad Pitt (see how easy that was?)
I agree with Brad. It is very risky in this town to let your views be known. Especially if your voice are to enforce laws.
Sincerely,
Angelina Jolie (it is easy)
uh oh, Brad and Angie are gonna have our gestapo inspectors looking into what they are doing!!
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