"TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS" bto

This was going to be about the new rate hikes proposed for Painesville water users. But with my Karma I presently have no water coming to my house. Seems the water main on Chester St. broke again and I have no idea how the city plans to pay for this repair? Now if Fasson [who was been without water most of the day] called their councilman and reported not having water caused by the break on Chester St. I can only imagine what they would have thought if they were told we don't have the funds presently to fix it and we refuse to add to our debt service of 75% of the water capital improvement fund? Sometimes rusty lines and broken lines just have to be replaced and worry about fixing them before you have the funds rather then waiting for funds. Its like when the city manager takes out a NOTE. I believe this whole situation would not be a situation if it was in any other ward but ward I. Painesville and the city manager can't pick and chose which repairs they can do and which ones can wait. This is another example of Painesville not being good stewards or businessmen in the water business.
I will do some figures later this week of the cost of this water ordinance for you to get some idea of the increase 9,500 of the 10,000 customers have 5/8 or 1 inch waterlines. of the 1.2 million the city wishes to raise I'm guessing $907,000 will come from residents [some of you will see an 84% increase in your water bills] and the other $300,000 from the other larger users. Sounds fair? But what percentage of water does each group use?
Every other liquid I purchase is sold either in ounces, gallons ect. milk, gasoline, but water you purchase per 100 cu.ft. Why?

"MEMORIAL DAY 2011"

On this day every year we remember those that have given their lives in defense of our country. Along with those that have passed on to a better life and had honorable served in our countrys armed services.
I hope all of us take some time Monday between the picnics, races, and ball games that have given so much so that we can live in this country.
Last year at this time I posted about how sad our cemeteries looked on Memorial Day. Someone must have listened and should be thanked because, even with the terrible weather we've had this spring, both look excellently manicured for the holiday. A big 'Thank You' to the administration and city employees. Their efforts will make going out to visit loved ones Monday special. One other note about the cemeteries; at councilman Flocks town hall meeting, councilman Fodor had offered to go out and help with the cemeteries. Well, Friday I noticed an older guy with a shovel working out at Riverside. You guessed it... Jim Fodor. Its nice to see someone who talks the talk also do the walk.

I attended Saturday Mass at St. Marys and early in the mass an elderly gentleman needed medical attention. PFD EMS unit attended to this man during the mass and showed their professionalism, compassion, and general concern for this man in full view of everyone attending mass. Painesville can be proud to have these three and the others working for them.

Have a safe Memorial Day.

"One of These Nights.." eagles

Consensus of Opinion of the Painesville Oversight Committee

A meeting was held by the POC on 5-17-11 to discuss pending legislation and concerns of residents of Painesville. A position paper was requested on the location of city council meetings and procedures.

We present two items for consideration and change: First, that visitor’s comments be moved to the beginning of council meetings. Comments need to be presented first for consideration or explained before council makes decisions and votes on issues. Close to a 2 hour meeting before citizens can speak is too long for some residents to be away from families and too long for many to sit on wooden pews. We feel both are valid reasons for this request.

Item Two: We ask the council and administration to move city council meetings to the Hanlon Media Center. The city has already rebated $150,000.00 in costs back to the school system. We feel the people have the right and council has the obligation to provide a state of the art facility. This would be a much improved format where comfortable seating and sightlines are far superior for our citizens, elderly and disabled along with adequate parking which we believe makes this an easy choice for council.

The Painesville Oversight Committee is a bi-partisan organization with members from all political parties including Independents. Our mission is to question procedures, positions and issues; bring facts to light that will help voters understand issues that will affect our quality of life in Painesville. We welcome new members and contributions to help bring transparency to government.

"FORTUNATE SON " ccr

A little of this and that..........

By now some of you may have read about a Michigan man, Leroy Fick (59) who won 2 million dollars in the Michigan Lottery. This fortunate son seems to believe he still is entitled to collect $200 a month in food stamps from the state of Michigan, and it's all legal! His justification is after the lump sum payout and federal, state and local taxes his final payout was $850,000. He felt completely justified receiving the government helping hand because, well, look at what I paid into the government? I can't print what I said but let's just say "are you kidding me?"

It reminded me of a week before when oil company executives were at a senate hearing explaining why they felt compelled, even though they were making billions in quaterly profits, to tell the senators why they still needed tax breaks and subsidies from the federal government. I believe one mentioned look at what we pay in taxes and another declaring it would be Un-American to change the present formula.
Now my guess is that some Democrat will come to the defense of that guy in Michigan. Also, with a Republican coming to the defense of the oil companies.
Enjoy the show people but remember you're paying for it.
Someone want to jump in and explain where my thinking is wrong? Please feel free.

Andy Flock recently asked for a tour of the electric plant. After work one day this week councilman Flock just walked into the light plant and was given a tour.
End of story? Well, he just walked in? Can he also just walk into the pumping station in Mentor?

Will someone explain why the city of Painesville has a six foot tall barb-wired fence, cameras and an electric gate at the sewage treatment plant? Just thinking... what's so valuable in there?

"PAINESVILLE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE"

THERE WILL BE A MEETING ON THURSDAY 05/19/11 AT CITY HALL WITH PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE
HAYER DR. FLOOD GROUP
IT WILL BE A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING REGARDING RESENT FLOODING AND SEWER BACK-UP.
CONTACT JEFF HOPE @ 357-1352 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

************************************************************************************* Also I have been informed todays survey on the News-Herald web site asks "Should Painesvilles raise the money for their infrastructure improvements by a flat fee or on volume the customer uses."
Presently the flat fee.......... 18%
by volume usage................. 82%
I wonder if the council and/or the administration are paying attention
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Tuesday POC meeting at Chester's brought out a few new people.

It was announced that Richard Tibbits has decided to run for Painesville's Ward III council seat. Best of luck to Richard in the challenges ahead. I'nm sure he will run an interesting and Pro Painesville campaign.

Abby Miller also attended; it was refreshing to see young people such as herself and Katie [Howlett] Jenkins believing in the future of Painesville.

No one came up with a formula on how to raise revenue for the water system, although the flat $10.00 fee was rejected by all. It was mentioned in the paper by our finance director the "easiest" way was the flat fee. It was decided we didn't want the easiest way but the best, honest and fairest to all city users.

I believe we will formally ask the administration to move the council meetings to the Hanlon Media Center at Harvey. Council meetings are taking over two hours and, although the front table has comfortable chairs, residents are expected to sit on hard benches. The Hanlon Center would make it a comfortable setting for everyone.
Plus the sound and video quality in the courtroom is... well... plain terrible. The council meeting should also be shown "live", along with being shown on channel 12 during the next couple of weeks following the meeting. It might also make the picture and sound quality better on the city's council site.
Two residents want council to rethink putting the visitors comments back to the front of the meeting. I also have noticed residents that want to speak to council not having the opportunity because of other family or personal reasons. They really never know at what time they will be given the chance to speak. I believe it would be in council's best interests to listen and seriously consider these actions.

Painesville residents and administration should check out the News-Herald 05/18/11 where a story on how citizens are proactive in Willoughby Hills concerning a strategic planning process.

"ALL SUMMER LONG" kid rock

Well, at Monday night's council meeting the water situation was tabled. So it might be resolved at next Monday's work session. The administration proposed six scenarios on how to raise 1.2 million dollars a year. ranging from a $4.50 resident fee to (I guess) a ten dollar per meter charge. Everyone should have had a calculator. With not enough to think about, I asked if a house is unoccupied will they be charged the flat fee also?
Will pay for and build the steel building for the Vadadium Redox battery out of the electric fund. It's Painesville's contribution to the grant project. Also, after the tests, the battery will be ours.
Parking fines will escalate: $5.00 to 10.00 to $25.00 and the next step is a court date with the Judge.
Soon Windmill Estates will be a new development....wait, it was but then left on second reading.
All 5 Valedictorians were honored in a resolution. Just a thought... if a student at Riverside High lived in Heisley Park, Cobblestone, or Liberty Greens shouldn't we also honor them? They are Painesville residents as well.

"COUNCIL MEETING 05/16/11"

Council meeting Monday will include a presentation by Mr. Green concerning the electric department.
Also second reading on the 144 homes to be built in Windmill Estates [east of Heisley Park to the Road to Nowhere.]
Looks like a tight fit.
Parking Penalties will be discussed with a sliding fee included in the discussion.
We have to build a 4000 sq. ft $500,000 building to house the Vadadium Redox Battery. Will the grant pay for that or will Painesville?
Special recognition for five T.W. Harvey Valedictorians also on the agenda.
Also, the third reading and a vote on the Infrastructure improvement to the water lines will also be on the agenda (unless it is tabled).
One thing I can only hope is that some councilman asks why laying almost a mile of water pipe on Elm St. would cost almost a million dollars. Yet in Saturdays News-Herald 05/14/11 Aqua Ohio will be laying 5250 feet of replacement waterline in Kirtland for only $350,000?
Now I know the paper sometimes screws-up with numbers but this figure must be verified by the administratration if we are to move forward with any water line replacement in the city. The news article also mentioned in Mentor replacing 6 inch pipe with 8 inch pipe over 1600 feet for $200,000.
The administration must understand when we are being told a mile in Painesville would cost a million dollars how does Aqua Ohio do it at a third of the cost?

City officals were on hand to see first hand the flooding of Cedarbrook and Chestnuts St. after the rain Friday. They checked flooded basements and talked to the affected residents. They also witnessed water rising above the curbs to reach the sidewalks.

"DO THE HUSTLE" van mccoy

I (along with four other Painesville residents) attended the work session for 'Revenue Enhancement for Capital Improvements' at City Hall .
It should have been called "Nightmare on Elm Street". How do we get money to pay for all of the city's infrastructure problems?
First off... although some members of council want a shared cost on a waterline problem they just can't wrap their minds around a solution. End result: at present the $10.00 fee is alive and well. Some members of council don't want this fee to affect business, but at the same time, see no problem in raising some residents' rate 100%. I guess it's who you know. Me, if you're going to charge me more then the county or Aqua Ohio why should you be in the water business?
Somehow this administration believes there happens to be only a little over 7 miles of "BAD" roads in the 3 or 4 classification worse of the worse. Personally I thought it was the other way around; there was only 7 miles of good roads in Painesville. A solution: a 4 mill levy costing the average homeowner of a $100,000 $11.57 a month $138.84 a year. Also mentioned was the fact that we like 6 million dollars for two new fire stations fully equiped. That for some reason went nowhere.
The Nightmare? One word "Reciprocity". What that simply means is that presently Painesville gives you 100% reciprocity [credit] on income taxes paid to another city. What if we only gave 50% reciprocity to residents? 2% income tax where you worked and an added 1% for Painesville because you live here. If you live in Painesville and make $40,000 at your job in Mentor you pay $800.00 in income tax to Mentor. With this 50% proposal you would pay $800.00 to Mentor and $400.00 to Painesville... I guess for the privelege of living here?
Here's one I would propose: Pensions should pay 2% to city income tax until that person reached the age of 65.... how fair would that be Mr. Hada, Mr. Fodor? Fair share?
On another note Mr. Fodor and Mr. Fountain did not attend the work session.
Comical moment? When Mr. Flock asked what kind of savings could we see if all employees took a 10% pay cut? After the initial shock wore off and at least two false numbers were given, $400,000 seemed to be the final number. So am I to believe Painesville City has a 4 million dollar yearly payroll and another 3 million in benefits and we wonder where the money went?
Mrs. DiNallo made a statement and an analogy: large water users don't cost the system more money, percentage rates are not fair. Then she mentioned expecting clean water when she goes to eat at Taco Bell. Well, should everyone that orders food at Taco Bell pay the same price if they order 1 taco or 10? The building's there, the employees are there, the ingredients are all there. Is it fair Mrs. DiNallo that if you order 1 taco you should pay the same as someone who asks for ten?
As far as stormwater funds; I don't believe anyone understood the numbers and where and how it was spent.

It struck me that this administration could never run a business where performance decided success or failure.

"I CAN'T WAIT FOREVER" outsiders

Read in the paper that the county commissioners along with the employees' union decided on a one year contract. That included a pay freeze and 8 furlough days for all employees.
This is the first labor contract signed around here taking Senate Bill 5 into consideration.
I believe the one year contract is predicated on SB 5 being rejected by voters in the fall.
What will happen in November could go either way. The new governor of Ohio may have overreached on this one. That seems to be the trend no matter who's in charge.
I would bet the the voters will reject the defeat of this law...except for two entities...Police and Firefighters.
I can only guess what Governor Kasich was thinking when he threw those two groups under the bus along with other government employees.
Most voters might believe that teachers are overpaid, and probably could care less for the guy who drives the snowplow. Then again, if they have had a run-in with an overbearing government employee... they may think this one's for you Bub.
Police and Firefighters seem to have a special place in our hearts.
Can't wait for the political commercials that will start to air in October of this year, featuring a policeman or fireman, asking voters why they would agree to take the collective bargaining power away from them?
My belief is that if police and fire were not in this group it might have been a no brainer.
If this bill is repealed by the voters the governor has only himself to thank.
What do you think?
On a positive note... this being an off-year election with no President, senator, or congressman up for election... maybe this bill will bring out more voters. Aren't four councilman up for re-election? Elections this November may bring out more than the regular voting clique?

What kind of deal is AMP-OHIO and Painesville scheming on now? I can't wait forever for the details. Nothing to do with the Fremont acquisition either?

"MAY MEETINGS"

I have been informed about meetings taking place this coming months in Painesville.

May 09,2011 a4 6:00 pm a work session will be held at city hall for council to discuss funding for the city. Its open to the public but you probably won't be given the opportunity to comment.

May 11,2011 at 7:00 pm at Chestnut Elementary School at meeting to be held on Stormwater Flooding and residents concerns of basement, backyard flooding in the city of Painesville.
The intent of this meeting was originally for the Cedarbrook area but after hearing about water problems from Hayer Ave. Sandford St. Hine Ave. N.St. Clair St. plus anywhere else in the city. City council will be informed and the administration to hear your concerns about storm water and what the city plans to do about it. Remember if they don't know about it they can't fix it.

May 16,2011 at 7:30pm The city council will have the third reading of the proposed ordinance to replace water system infrastructure what they vote on at this will affect your water rates for the next 15 years.

May 17, 2011 at 6:00pm at Chesters Restaurant the Painesville Oversight Committee will hold its next meeting. Residents are asked to join and point this POC in the direction you want it to go. We will deal with any school or city issue that you think need to be addressed.

May 18 2011 at 7:00pm at Heritage Middle School Hal Werner will have his Ward III Town Hall Meeting The guest speaker will explain the HEAP program.

May 26, 2011 at 7:00 pm Ward I will have a Town Hall Meeting at Elm St. Elementary School. A director from the Lake County Emergency Management Agency will be the guest speaker.

"HOSTILE" epmd

At last night's meeting Councilman Fodor made the statement that I was "hostile" to council.
I apologized to council if they thought I was combative. What I saw though was body language, as well as heads nodding by three members of council presently ready to vote for this $10.00 surcharge on our water bill.
T%his is so unfair it stinks! Councilwoman DiNallo made a claim that high users of water, such as businesses, should not be held responsible for old water lines. Really? And when that water line broke under on Newell St. under Route 2... who were the main users of that water? Lubrizol, STP, and the businesses in Renaissance Business area? The residents helped pay for that repair job, didn't they?
The biggest user of water in Painesville is our own Electric Plant... no wonder the city manager wants a flat fee per meter. Then again...maybe you could take revenue out of the electric department and put it in the water department?
Argonne Arms, Cobblestone, Tropical Village... all will be assessed the same $10.00 per meter charge a single family homeowner will. [ makes you kind of wonder why you would want to be a homeowner in Painesville] Plus we all learned last night that the bigger the meter the less you pay per gallon for water. This will pass if people don't inform their council people. Four are up for re-election this year so they might just listen to you. Another thought... if they get the $10.00 fee... will they drop the remaining two years of 4% increases to our water bills? Remember....that money was to go for infrastructure, or will they double up on us?
The clerk of court got his 2% raise in spite of the three council people who voted "No" They must have been listening that the city was in hard financial straits. What better time for a raise! I only hope the linemen for the city don't think his job deserved a raise but not theirs.
And to further muddy the waters flowing through ancient pipes....we can only hope someone on council finds out the financial benefit for this new Windmill Estate development, other then the fact that we will have another 144 utility customers?

I watched the whole meeting on TV tonight and still fail to see how I came off as 'hostile'. Frustrated, yes...hostile...no.

FYI... average monthly bill for 600 cubic feet of water in
Painesville is $15.60. Add the $10.00 flat fee and we're at $25.60. For the same amount of water AquaOHIO is $20.40; Lake County water is $20.94...Chardon water is $25.46. By my estimation this fee will take us from the lowest to the highest in all the surrounding communitees.

"KILLING IS MY BUSINESS" megadeth

AND BUSINESS IS GOOD.

Just a short note on Bin Laden... Thank God he's gone and a well done to everyone involved. Both President Bush and Obama can be thanked for both of their vigilance in ridding the earth of this mass murderer.

Now the United States has a good reason to celebrate on May 1

'WINDMILLS OF YOUR ..." noel harrison

Windmill Estates coming to Painesville This Development east of Heisley Park and will connect with Elizabeth Bvd. and Cherrywood Lane along with the road to nowhere?
Looking at all the water in that area I wonder if those 144 new homes will have boat docks? Thats a pretty wet area.
The city imposed some restrictions as to how close to the railroad tracks they could build as well as buffers. Whats the chance of another train derailment in that area? Lightning can't strike twice, can it?
To bad the city wasn't as proactive with Asper Park. I recently took a picture of a new home just as a CSX train was passing all in the same frame, will post it soon.
Thank-you Painesville more revenue for Riverside Schools and more responsibility for our safety forces and other departments as well.
Council meeting Monday night wonder if council will stick with the $10.00 amount fee or raise everyones rates by a percentage?