"I WANT TO KNOW HAVE YOU EVER SEEN RAIN"

This past Thursday Councilman Flock held his town hall meeting at city hall the subject of the meetings what were the administrations solutions to the flooding in the Hine Ave. North Ave. area. The city engineer was present along with the city assistant manager to present ideas and possible solutions to the problems.
Living in Painesville for almost my whole life I never realized what a problem we have with rain water in many parts of the city. Some residents have claimed these issues have been around for over thirty years? Old neighborhoods as Hine Ave, Cedarbrook and even new ones such as Heisley Parks. Its getting so we should change our name to Venice.
Some residents even left at the start of the city's presentation because the solutions didn't seem to be the ones they wanted to hear.
During the presentation the city presented a recommendation to put a 150ft by 250ft water retention pond in the city's newly acquired Huntington School property. This was not met with much approval by the people in attendance.
I was left wondering who designed this sewer system and does the city know how it all connects? The city engineer mentioned a twelve inch pipe but had no idea where the exact location water entered it?

"LA BAMBA" richie valens

Painesville Jalapeno Loco has been in the news the past couple of days. In todays story Brandon C.Baker of the News-Herald did a story about one of the co-owners who was unafraid to discuss his business partner's sentencing, saying the new location is unattached from Mr. Soto's legal problems.
Tony Carmona seems like a nice enough guy, hard working, wants the business to succeed. Lets face it, the business is attached to his partner, in name and ownership.
What went on at the Mentor location was a felony, and although Mr. Carmona was not part of that operation, his partner benefited from the crime of harboring illegal aliens and forced labor.
I have been in the Painesville location with friends who wanted to go there to eat the Mexican fare. As I sat in the restaurant all three times and couldn't help but wonder are these employees here as forced laborers? Not just here illegally but being forced to work at their jobs?
In the article Doug Nagy, director of the Downtown Painesville Organization, wouldn't comment about Soto's case or its connection to the restaurant. Doug does a bang-up job for the city in his position and could be considered a great spokesman for downtown businesses; but lets face it, Mr.Carmona expresses wanting openness and Doug leaves me wondering about a dark cloud with his 'no-comment' stance.
That location in Victoria Square should be called the "Abyss" because no one has been able to succeed at that location. People in the restaurant business tell me that location has "too big a nut to crack"; High rent, all electric, lousy parking, down the steps to the restaurant, cell phones don't operate inside, I've heard it all.
Finally how many Mexican Restaurants can survive in Painesville? I know many people who think other locations in Painesville serve more authentic fare etc. One person even complained of them using processed cheese?
Mr. Carmona deserves a chance to make the American dream for himself and his family I can only wish him luck, and remind him people will be watching.
My only suggestion Mr. Carmona is hire a bartender.

"TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS"

To Where?
By now most of have seen the road the city has built off Jackson St. across from Corvin Dr. Known in circles as the "road to nowhere."
The city manager commented at the last meeting that we were waiting for over 19million dollars in funding from the state to build a new interchange to Rt.44 and a bridge over the CSX railroad tracks. I can only hope the city receives these funds or the question then becomes, what now?
Did the road construction make it more practical for the state to grant the money?
Would it have made more sense to have the funding in place before we built that road.

SOMETHING NEW! Quick hitters

Wonder who will take John Platz place on the Lake County Board of Elections?
Well, I bet John Murphy will be surprised?

Basement flood this weekend? Well your in good company, former city leader basement did. Bet it takes more then 3 minutes to cleanup.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Painesville Police soon to make arrests in snowball and broomstick incident.
It appears the Painesville Police has investigated the incident with arrests forthcoming.
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"TAXMAN" beatles

By now all of us should have received our first half property taxes. For what I understand most property in Lake County has decreased in some cases 12%+. With that said do your property taxes reflect your loss in the value of your home.
I'm looking for people that know how this works. I for the most part don't have a clue. Inside taxes? ect.
What do we do if we disagree with the assestment?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXSCHOOL BOARD MEETS IN SPECIAL MEETING

The Painesville School Board met Monday night. One of the things on the agenda was to get the ball rolling on a 4.9 Renewal Levy that includes Madison, Perry, Riverside and the Painesville City school districts. All four will vote on this and a majority will pass the levy. This will be on the May ballot. This levy expires at the end of the year and again it is a renewal.
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"DOWNTOWN" petula clark

When you're alone and life.... Go Downtown and still be alone.
Shop downtown Painesville! Channel 12, Painesville Pride, Ect.
Two things I know we have plenty of downtown are banks, and law offices.
Yet in the wisdom of the city administration we have chosen to do business thirty miles away on E.9th St. in Cleveland.
With my own estimations I would guess we have spent more than $500,000.00 with the law firm of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs,LLP over the past five or six years.
My question is why? Are the law firms in Painesville and the rest of Lake County below standards and would do a poor job of representing our town? Strange it seems the only one that can answer that is the city manager. I have never heard of council asking for their representation for that matter even a local firm for representation?
You have to wonder if there $300.00 per hr.fee includes travel time?
Maybe some of them should ask the same thing they ask us to do, "shop downtown Painesville."
Don't bother looking at this law firms web.site for some reason, Painesville City is not listed as a client. How come?

"COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 19,2010"

Council meeting will be held this Tuesday the 19th due to the Martin Luther King Holiday.
Four items on the agenda, purchase of two new patrol cars, plus three money issues.

Ordinance Re-issuing a note for Renaissance Park Land Acquisition. Last year the city re-issued a note for $240,350, which was for the Renaissance Business Park Property acquisition. The original price was $1.2 million.
We are re-issuing the note for $234,320.
We intend to purchase the note internally that we would borrow from ourselves.
However the financing document must still meet all formal standards, thus the need for this Ordinance.

We will be told this is like the financing of your home? I never had to refinance every year? No.2 ordinance is even better.
Tom Green from the Electric department will give a presentation. Wonder if any on council will ask any questions.

After reading todays News-Herald I am thinking of asking council to bring up an ordinance to ban snowballs in the city. Also all brooms, and broom sticks should be licensed. You just can't make this stuff up!

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Everything passed at council last night. Of interest was that new councilman Fodor doesn't seem to crazy about the three minutes for council. Mr. Fodor ran on getting council to work together and I can only hope people pay attention to what hes trying to do. People with ideas other then your own are not the enemy. Everyones view point should be considered. With that said if a council person hears someone else mention that say fire hydrants should be cleared of snow, he or she doesn't have to repeat the request.

"LOVE POTION NO.9"

As I have stated here this is what the city gave be as to how they arrive at the "Power Factor" on your utility bill. If you can explain it , God Bless You.
My only question was "when do you roll the dice?"

As I was led to the conference room to view the AMP contract I wondered what the room would look like? The furnishing, pictures on the wall etc. Would they have a picture of General Paine? A view of Painesville past or future? Know what caught my eye? It was an aerial view of the train derailment of a few years ago. Tank cars ablaze, train cars scattered like toys all over the landscape.
As I viewed this I thought is this a medtaphor for the city? A train wreck?
The city employee that was sent with me must have been wondering what I thought was so funny?

"YESTERDAY ALL MY TROUBLES SEEMED..."

"AMPGATE"

Spent a little time at city hall this morning. Wasn't there long. I viewed the contract that the city had entered into with AMP-OHIO and sorry to say it appears to be as I expected it to be.
Maybe the city hasn't been notified yet but soon they will receive the bad news.
This project we are "participants" in only states we own a measure of electricity.
As far as I can tell we don't even own a port-a-potty.
The contract states that even if a super majority of the participants want to cancel the project AMP-OHIO is entitled to be compensated for money they have spent. At this time they claim to have spent 200 million dollars and Painesvilles share of this would be close to 3.3 million. What has AMP spent on the "power-span" technology, I have no idea, what and who else have they [AMP-OHIO] contracted for services?
Now you can say well AMP-OHIO didn't deliver so why would we be obligated? Thats the reason you don't involve yourself with a "take or pay" contract.
AMP-OHIO would probably like to tell the participants forget about it, but then you have to ask who is AMP-OHIO obligated to for the 200 million dollars and I will bet that bank would not look kindly on a default of this proportion.
Everyone will talk about rolling this into something new, but the simple fact is the City of Painesville has spent over 3 million dollars and has not even a "D" cell battery to show for it.
As Foghorn Leghorn would say... "now boy thats whai I call "Fiscally Responsible".

I PRAY,PLEASE SOMEONE OUT THERE PROVE ME WRONG! Wake me up from this nightmare.

"WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE"

This was an article I found in this weeks edition of the Lake County Tribune.
Friday January 8,2010 page A5
Painesville Township Fire Department has record year 2,936 calls in 2009.
Now we all know by now that the township fire department and Grand River have established a workable agreement to staff the Grand River fire station.
Now Chief Whittaker reported at the trustee meeting;
"We are working on a final agreement with a shared rescue squad with Fairport Harbor and working on a joint purchase of a reserve fire engine with Concord Township."
Shame on Councilman Flock for suggesting we all get together to find solutions to our E.M.S. problems in this part of the county. Seem that the talks were already in the works doesn't it? Why wasn't Painesville City at the table? Not invited? Didn't bother to attend? Maybe it will be easier just to ask for more money from the residents in a safety levy? You decide, my own reason is the city administrations arrogance to work with surrounding communities. More of we are Painesville, do it our way.
Please feel free to call any one on council or call the Golden Dome maybe they will have a more taste full answer.

While your at it ask them why the city has to hire a $300.00 per hour attorney to solve a minor labor dispute when we have Mr. Gurley, Mr.Lyons plus Mr.Baetzel all licensed attorneys on Painesville payroll. Is this showing more of the city being "Fiscally Responsible"??

Just a passing thought if we go ahead with City Architecture street scape plans, What would we have done with all this snow? What would that have cost us?

"QUESTION" moody blues

The new year is not even a week old and I have read four stories in the News-Herald that concerns Painesville.
One a story about Painesville forming the first downtown park and recreation area in the state.
Then there are the other three.
1. Man handcuffed tries to escape police while handcuffed on a court warrant.
2. Two men stabbed at Shamrock Apartments are treated at Tri-Point.
3. 19 year old man shot twice by 18 year old Painesville man at a party on Meriden
Ave.
PERCEPTION per-sep-shun noun. The act or faculty of apprehending by means of the senses of mind; cognition; understanding. In other words what your mind believes something is like.

What is the perception of Painesville to people in surrounding communities? If you read the comments on the News-Heralds web site not very positive [sorry JT.]
The shooting story even carried comments about section 8 housing and the schools 50% grading policy? The most disturbing to me were that people said they didn't come to Painesville because they didn't feel safe here?
Painesville ranked last out of 76 communities in Cleveland Magazine in the category of safety? Not because we don't have a great police or fire departments. It's Perception.
If you were reading the paper since the New Year would you think Painesvilles a safe place to move your family?
Is this an honest perception for people to believe, or how do we change it? No, we can't hide or lie about it either.
Resolutions?
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After reading page 3 of Sundays News-Herald you have to start to wonder who doesn't care a gun in town? Next time try the door bell.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010"

Wishing everyone out there a happy, healthy New Year.

Lets hope this year and decade brings good fortune to the country, state, yes even Painesville.

After the holidays its easy to forget about the servicemen and women we have stationed all over the globe. Lets not.

Remember the less fortunate among us are around in January and the coming months of the year.

Slowdown and enjoy the loved ones around you.

Yes, even take better care of yourself.

HAPPY NEW YEAR GO BUCKS!
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Council Organization Meeting January 2,2010 1:00PM

Swearing in of council members at large.

Election of Council President & Vice President

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Council Meeting January 4,2010 7:30PM

Painesville area person,business, and non-profit will get awards.

Presented by the Painesville Area Chamber of Commerce.

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Attended the swearing in process at City Hall.
All three swore to support the Constitution of the United States, Constitution of the State of Ohio, along with laws and ordinances of the City of Painesville.
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Joe Hada was re-elected Council President, Paul Hach was elected Vice-President.
Of note Hal Werner nominated himself for both offices?
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PLEASE CHECK THIS NEW SITE IN PAINESVILLE OUT. I WILL MAKE IT A LINK TO THIS SITE, WHEN I FIGURE OUT HOW.
please Google http://kathysak.com

The "Rawhide" video and Heisley Park posts are great.
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Council meeting over by 8:00PM nothing earthshaking.Everyone got there award. Councilman Werner was told his three minutes were up. Councilman Flock informed council if there was something important to do with Ward 1 or the rest of Painesvilles residents to be informed about he would ignore the three minute resolution.

Oh, I did hand the city a written request to view the citys contract between AMP-OHIO
and Painesville on the Meigs County power plant. Ohio Sunshine Laws.

One more bit of information if you are transported by Painesville EMS your insurance, medicaid, medicare will be charged $905.00 plus over 13 cents [SORRY THIS SHOULD BE OVER $13.50 per mile] to take you to Tri-Point Hospital, the rates were frozen at last years level. Stay Healthy!
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