"COUNCIL MEETING 04/18/11"
Well Monday night brings us another Painesville City Council Meeting.
Also a report from the cities finance Director Andy Unetic to report on first quarter revenue.
I will include part of the managers report and look at the figure for the water rate increase. I can only guess the News-Herald was off by $3.00 a month.
You might find yourself in a different ward also. I can only hope the city puts it up on their web. site if it passes.
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4. Ordinance Amending Section 105.02 of The Code of 1998 Relating to Ward
Boundaries. The City is required to review the population distribution of the four (4) wards
after each census and determine if they are substantially equal. The Code further requires
that adjustment to ward boundaries shall be made to equalize the population when an
imbalance is identified. The growth of the City from 2000 to 2010 indicated that Wards 3
and 4 grew dramatically, Ward 1 stayed fairly stable and Ward 2 lost population. As a result,
some significant adjustments are necessary to establish as equal as possible ward boundaries.
Maps and summaries of the total population within each ward had been previously provided
to City Council. Also provided was a comparison map between the 2000 and 2010 proposed
maps. These adjustments result in substantially equal population in the four (4) wards. Ward
4 is slightly less than the other wards but it continues to be the ward with the most significant
and continued growth.
5. Ordinance Enacting Section 933.191 Relating to Infrastructure Improvement Fee. As
requested by City Council at the work session on April 9th, this legislation establishes an
Infrastructure Improvement Fee which is to be solely for improvements to the system. The
fee is proposed at $10 per month per customer account in the water system. We are
gathering additional information related to the comparisons with other communities and a
priority of the improvements. We are also developing various funding scenarios which
include a paying both cash and issuing debt for the completion of improvements. As
discussed at the Work Session, it is suggested that this item be placed on first reading to
permit time to gauge public opinion and to allow the staff to provide additional information
on implementation.
6. Resolution Authorizing Bids for a Annual Street Paving Program. This legislation
authorizes the bidding of the 2011 street paving program. Recommended for inclusion this
year are the following streets: Jefferson between Mentor Avenue and Jackson Street; and
Nebraska Street. To be included as potential alternates are Munson and Gillette, south of
Walnut Street. The total budget available for construction is $100,000. The alternates will
only be paved if prices are acceptable and can be completed within this year’s resources.
These projects are listed as streets that rank as a number 4 on the 2011 street ranking system
where 1 is the best and 4 is the worst. This is the second reading.
posted by terminator1 @ 10:06 AM
22 Comments
22 Comments:
I am so confused. I am still trying to figure out where the millions from the increase we had in 2007 went. Wasn't that supposed to be for improvements? How many millions have they collected, and where did it all go? And now they are talking about a $10.00 increase per household? This makes no sense to me. It's too high, for one thing. Really, where are the millions from the 2007 increase? They are acting like they had no idea that we needed infrastructure changes - OH MY! - and now that they know they have to hurry up and charge everybody a $10.00 hike per month? Can we get these people out of here already?
Your not the only one confused but the answer is in the fact we have an incompetent city manager.
Elections are this November for the four wards (as opposed to the at-large seats), right? Does POC have any kind of plan to check out people that are running and make recommendations, etc. on how to get them into office. Clearly we are behind John R. Murphy. Is there any kind of plan yet, Term? I think everyone is in agreement that we need to vote for people who will get McMahon out. Enough is enough already. Werner ran on the premise that he wanted McMahon out, along with other things, but as soon as he got into office, he reneged on all his promises, threw everyone under the bus that had helped him get elected, and started singing McMahon's praises. Hopefully we (meaning me) will be smarter this time now that you and your people have organized.
Presently I believe there will be input from the POC but what it will be has not been decided.
I belive that we will back candidates that can vote their conscience and not be led around by the administration or a member of council.
Its time the people got more people in office that care more about the residents and the city and not as much about the present makeup of the administration.
Although you don't want to disqualify one candidate over any one issue.
These city council positions should no longer be viewed as figureheads.
Until the POC makes themselves known with names and officers if any are elected, they will remain an insignificant group. They need to make themselves public, state their platform or goals and formally declare their stance on various issues. Newsletter or website?????? Otherwise, why would the people, voters, of Painesville have any reason to listen?
So far, all I hear is what Term is saying about this group. Not exactly the one I want to cast my ballot for me. Let the POC state their goals as a formal PAC and I will make up my own mind, thank you.
November is coming up faster than you think. Let's hope they are forthright and declare their intentions clearly and soon. Hate to see just another mudslinging group add to the mix at the last minute like in past elections.
Hoping them good luck.
Let's not forget that Werner also promised to do something about the illegals in this town, too. Now clearly, he would be limited in his power to do something, but he has done nothing. One little move when he first got into office. Now he sits on his butt like the rest of the council and lets them overrun our town, schools, hospitals, charities and social programs. If he HAS done something, it must not have been much, since I never heard a word about it. Our town continues to fill up with them, with nary a word from him.
Term, I hope a prerequisite for the POC backing a candidate will be that they want McMahon out of office. That's the first and most important order of business as far as I am concerned.
Why do we keep putting the blame on the city manager? We have elected council people sitting at that table. They are supposed to direct the city manager, oversee what the city manager does, etc. If the city manager is over-stepping, if the city manager isn't keeping them informed, on and on, then council needs to speak up at a meeting before the public and say so. Just toads on a log . ...
As clarification - the "millions" from the 2007 rate hike did not materialize. Water consumption decreased dramatically, and if I heard correctly at the meeting last week, that rate change only created a little over $100,00 per year. I do not know where exactly that amount went to, but it was definitely not enough to do any infrastructure improvements.
To clarify, the rate hike passed in Jan 2008 and the original estimate was for $400,000 per year for the 5 years it was to be in effect.
If they are now saying it only generated $100,000 are we to believe that water usage went down 75%? or did they screw up on the original calculations?
Next question, they stated at the time that the hike was only to be used for infrastructure improvements, so even if it only generated $100,000 where is that money being spent this year?
I think I would be willing to pay the flat fee amount, but first they need to cancel the rate hike since it is not generating what it was supposed to. This is a good example of double dipping into my wallet, and that is BS.
History lesson from 2008--
http://www.painesville.com/vertical/Sites/%7B66FDE066-2B9A-43E2-8DFC-2129003D50A7%7D/uploads/%7BF3A0A174-C274-4CF1-8C9F-3938B857C7F2%7D.PDF
In order to pay for much-needed capital improvements in both the Water Plant and
System, at the Regular City Council Meeting on January 7, 2008, City Council voted to
increase City Water Rates by 4% per year for each of the next five years. The Water
Distribution System conducted a system-wide flushing program last summer to identify
the flow of all water mains and other operational issues within the system. It was found
that the 7.4 miles of 4-inch water mains, which on average are over 80 years old, no
longer provide the flow necessary to meet flow standards. This is particularly important
for fire safety operations. The objective of the rate increase is to begin replacing and
upgrading the existing 4-inch mains throughout the City. The rate increase would
generate enough funds to invest about $400,000 annually in repairs and to be used to
leverage additional grants or low interest loans where possible. Recently the City was
awarded $787,000 in Federal funds to replace the W. Jackson Street waterline from
Newell Street to Richmond Street.
With this rate increase, the inside the City rate is still less than all the surrounding
communities at the basic customer use of 400 cubic feet of water.
So the city realized we had a problem, did studies, raised rates in 2008. Now, in 2011, since residents are up in arms, the city acts as if none of that happened in 2008. They do new studies, no mention of all the money collected since the 2008 rate increase, and are talking about a $10.00/month increase to pay for this emergency that everyone has known about for years. The first thing that new council people need to look into is the finances. Right down to the last penny. We need investigations into what in the world has gone on in this city for the last decade or two. How long has McMahon been here?
2:39 You have hit it on the head. Even in this years budget not one cent went to new water lines.
Yet as of April 1,2011 every city employee minus the electric departyment received a 2% pay increase.
At the same time the CM blames council for no money in the budget to replace a rusty waterline?
It's her budget not councils and that lays where the problem is.
How can you dish out raises and at the same time tell a resident paying for water she has to live with rusty water because theres no money for a waterline?
Term, if we wanted someone to come in here and investigate the financial workings of this city since McMahon has been here, who would we be asking about that? Do you know?
we the city council has a finance committee 5 member's . 3 members are current council member's these 3 members should start having meeting's. WHAT DO YOU THINK. concerned resident.
I believe they will have a Finance Committee Work Shop... May 09,2011 6:00 pm at city hall. This will include all of council and is open to the public.
THE LAST FINANCE MEETING WAS HELD IN SEPT. OF 2010. THE 3 COUNCIL MEMBERS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE VERY INTERESTED IN OUR TAXPAYERS EXPENDITURES.NO WONDER WE HAVE INFRUSTRUCTURE PROBLEMS GETTING NO ATTENTION! other cities in lake county are working on infrustructure concerns, read the news herald today, april 20th, 2010. concerned resident
to post 8;04 this is a very good observersation of their responsiablities. however this should change this election in nov,2011, two member,s on the Finance Committee, which are currently on council WILL be replaced on city council. Fed-up.
As a resident in ward 4 I can only hope some one runs against Paul Hach our neighborhood never sees or hears from him, Heisley Park.
I believe the only reason this man took public office was to deposit all that fill in his back yard. Do you think anyone else could have pulled that off?
Ward 3 councilman has missed how many meeting since his last election?
The coucil president better stay out of this years election, he could be recalled by residents if the funny business doesn't stop!
Why does he stick behind these two?
He sticks behind those two because they are in cahoots. He gets people to run that will give him and McMahon full run of the place and will vote exactly the way they want them to. And weren't Fodor and DiNallo hand-picked by him, too? If my memory serves me, that was the case. They are certainly two sure-fire votes for whatever he and McMahon want.
He (Hada) really should have been recalled after the last election when they pulled all their funny business again. I'm with you on this one -- if there is one sign of one bit of "funny business" in this next election, then he needs to be recalled quickly. If it DOES happen again, I wonder if there is someone to call to have an investigation. Certainly the Board of Elections (isn't that who usually investigates these things and then gives them a pass?) is useless.
Since the ward boundaries are changed now,John Murphy is now in ward 4!!!!. so,look out Paul Hach, JR., he is going to give you a run for your money.Ward 4 and Heisley Park will have a VOICE for their concerns. so, people of HEISLEY PARK,if you want some of your issues addressed and answered, go to the polls in nov. and VOTE, for the MURPH.
Here's an intersting idea.. JaHada dumps Fountane and let's his wife run in ward 3?
Think it can't happen?
I wouldn't put ANYTHING past Hada.
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