"WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME" u2
Everyone knows the present conditions of Painesville streets are well at the least in overall poor condition. We can't pass a road levy for many reasons. Our neighbor to the west Mentor is spending 1.8 million dollars on roads out of their general fund. To be honest Mentor's general fund in three times the size of Painesville yet we can't muster up more than $150,000?
In a Plain Dealer article. "Pa. firm pitches its patch for crumbling city pavement"
In the article Patch Mangement Inc. Their specially equiped truck buried dozen of down to the brickcraters under eco-friendly material shot from a spray nozzle. Each pothole after another in only a minute or two to complete.
It took only one worker to operate the Pothole Killer from the cab of the truck.
"Everybody has a miracle cure, but they usually don't work."
Well Niagra Falls, New York brought in the Pothole Killer the past couple of years to deal with it's crumbling streets. Repairs done four years ago remain rock solid. Other city and states also report favorable results.
Patch Management formed in 1998 and has a fleet of 47 trucks. It costs about $35,000 a month to rent the machine.
OR
We can leave the streets the way they are and continue to drive a dump truck around town with a trailer behind it like we have since the 1930's. With well you decide the results. Time to think out of the box people.
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Many people have mentioned what they could do about the AMP-OHIO deal's
Well here's the address;
Mike DeWine
Attorney General State of Ohio
30 E. Broad St.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Maybe if enough people in all AMP-OHIO communities asked him to look into this situation he just might?
An attorney I know when we were discussing The AMP-OHIO situation brought up an interesting point. Are you still dealing with AMP-OHIO in any way that in not bound by contract? If you are your case would look pretty strange to an outsider. Yes it does.
posted by terminator1 @ 4:14 PM
33 Comments
33 Comments:
Funny that I just spoke with a Council person about the condition of E Erie St. I know it is a US route and that ODOT maintains it outside of the City. My question to him is, why do they not maintain it within the City.
The answer was one that only partially made sense to me. Apparently roads like this are on some sort of time table or rotational basis as far as when they see maintenance.
Well, my thought is that I can not remember the last time that ANY work (other than City patching)was done on it.
Rt 20 east and west of Painesville has been rebuilt and repaved.
Even Rt 20 on the west side of the City (Mentor Ave) has been repaved.
ODOT seems to have the money to start the (needless) bridge at Vrooman Rd and yet they don't have money to fix a road used by thousands of drivers every day?
What will it take to light a fire under someone in the City administration to contact ODOT and move it forward on the agenda?
It can't hurt to try!
I just came home, and I stopped on the road just outside of the water treatment (sewer) plant at the end of Skinner. There's a pretty big crater in the road there, and there were two pieces of concrete that were loose and sitting up on the road creating a huge hazard. I took the pieces and put them on the edge of the grass outside of the plant so nobody ends up with a big problem there. Then I come home and read your very timely post, Term.
I also had a big problem with a sizable pothole thanks to a police officer the other night. It was late at night (or probably early in the morning); I sleep at opposite times of many people, so I had just made a run to the bank and stopped at the post office. As I passed Falcone's on State Street, heading towards the sewer plant on my way home, all of a sudden there was a car right on my tail. It came out of nowhere; I did not see where it came from which freaked me out right from the beginning. It was driving so close, I couldn't see that it was a police car. I was watching in my rear view mirror and debating if I should make a turn and head to the police department. As I was looking in my rear view mirror, keeping an eye on the darn car, my right front tire slammed down into a big pothole. I am surprised the car did not end up crashing into me...honestly, I don't think there was one foot of space between that car and my car. I was praying I didn't get a flat (I would worry about my front end later, after I dealt with the situation at hand), as I had this car on my tail. All of a sudden the car made a right turn into the apartment complex. Then I could see that it was a cop. I am still wondering what in the hell was a cop doing following so dangerously close like that; surely that can't be legal, can it? The front end of my car seems to be okay, as does my tire. However, I am still ticked off about the situation, and wondering if the cop just pulled away because he saw what he made me do. Would he have continued to follow/harass me that way if I hadn't slammed my car like that? Did he just leave me alone then because he hoped he wouldn't get into trouble? I was more than a little shook up, so didn't think of it at the time, but I wish I would have followed him then, and gotten the number on his car.
So, besides this being the creepiest damn town I have ever lived in right from the moment I moved here, I have another pot hole to report, in case anyone is reading this who should be fixing them.
I, too, cannot figure out how we have so much money, but have none for all the things the city should be doing...like giving us safe streets. And I never saw a city that had to add on an extra fee to the residents' utility bills for every kind of thing possible to raise money for the basics. This is just a very stupid place to live, in my opinion, and if I didn't own a home here, I would have been gone long ago.
I pray everyday a meteorite hits my crib when we are away so I can get out of Painesvile.
PAINS ... VILLE a true and fitting name for one of the most miserable places in Ohio.
6:37 The chances of that are slim to none, maybe you should wish to win the lottery instead? You might be home when one hits.
That said neither is a practical idea. It would serve us all better to hold the council and administration feet to the fire and expect no demand better results.
We need a positive way of looking at Painesville,not more whip cream with a cherry.
The residents of this town said NO to the levy. What more do you want. You just don't get it do you? Need a brick to fall on you? Are you thick? You encouraged the readers here to vote NO and you are wondering why there are pot holes? DUH- yes, you and some of these posters are just too dumb to understand things. THERE IS NO MONEY.
Your not that smart a Bear. First all I hear is you complain and complain. TERM you are part of the problem. Find a solution.
Well the road levy really wouldn't have done much more than give them a 5 year plan not going to fix that much road.
Here is a solution, to the potholes. Now who's thick?
In a city that can put a million dollars on Main St. Payoff AMP-OHIO 2.1 million Keep workers working without work $35,000 should be easy to find. They don't have a recycle center to clean-up who the city manger claimed cost 80 man hours, no more spring clean-up and hey no more $150,000 city manager when you think about it.
Than again we will pay some worker close to $40.00 per hour to cut grass?
If I am to understand this. Term believes the only ones who really benefit in Painesville are the employee's?
I saw that same pothole in front of the water treatment plant. I was heading down State St. and went to turn left where it dead ends and had to swerve to avoid that thing. You could lose a small child in there.
Once again Term the "city" is not putting $1 million into Main street. Grants were found and awarded for the majority of the project, the city had to come up with less than $200,000.
I know your outlook is to not spend any money in a business area but keep this in mind. Go look at the Painesville's financial report on their website. The largest item in their general revenues (non-utility) is income tax of over $7 million. Further in that report you will find that 90% of those income taxes come from the withholding on wages of employees working in Painesville and from the net profits of businesses in Painesville. Only 10% of those comes from income taxes paid by residents. You have to invest some dollars to encourage business activity in the city and $200,000 out of $7. million does not seem like much. Tell me what else anyone paying 2% of their withholding or net profits is getting for those dollars, not much.
The Main Street project is not going to be a miraculous cure, but it will certainly be some improvement to the aesthetics and perhaps make the downtown area a little more attractive for investment. Your frustration shouldn't be over the investment in the Main Street project it should be on where is the rest of that budget being spent.
Thank you, 6:30. I was going to write some of the same info. But it really does no good to post facts to him. He has tunnel vision and only fixates on problems troubles. Did I say you were Part of the problem? No, but a problem you are. Did I or council come to you for a solution? Even if you offer a solution to the city they are under NO obligation to proceed with your request without checking into All of the details. Even then, can say no which will send you into another outburst.
3:08 Seems like everyone seems to talk 30 years. Now look around your city and decide who has benefited the most in Painesville during that time?
Most city employee's have better paying jobs than the private sector, better benefits as well as a well deseved retirement package. Thats wasn't true 30 years ago. If they are honest they would admit to this. Now look at Painesvilles infrastructure, roads sewers ect. better or worse?
Are we a town that overall is going up or down? Employment can be a mixed bag. The hospital leaving is something the administration has to take some responsibility for. If they want to take credit for the gains they have to also consider the losses.
My only problem I have with the city employee's is that 80% have decided not to live here. O.K. You know as you watch them exit city hall or the service garge they are going someplace else. At a meeting some years ago a retired fireman spoke to the group and explained what his thoughts were when it came to Painesville. He spoke as if we were his whore who's only purpose for having anything to do with us we provided him job and retirement. Overall we were the low of the lowest. Don't believe me? Ask Joe Hada was there he escorted him out of that meeting at Huntington School. Maybe I'm looking unfairly but you can't help but wonder why so many choose to work here but don't live here. As to how many share his views. I have been in social setting where I have heard remarks made by city employees that were not positive.
Back to your question who do you believe benefited the most this past 30 years of tears?
5:19 I'm sure after to remarks about this the hole will be filled today or soon. You would think an employee at the treatment plant would report it.
6:30 You only get to pick so many apples from the Grant tree. If you decide the best Grant is the one that will be used on two blocks of Painesville I have to disagree. Only $200,000 on two blocks only $250,000 to buy swamp land along the Grand River off of Richmond St. I could go on.
90% of income tax comes from out of city residents? See my answer to 3:08.
If you really believe that this investment will add to the worth of Painesville lets wait until the end result is in.
I'm not nowhere happy where the rest of the budget is being spent but $900,000 of any money being spent on aesthetics is troubling to me as well as others.
The die is cast the renewal will go forward. The results will tell the story. I guess after all this people will have a better view of the old Dollar Bank at one end and the old Hotel at the other?
I also expect the city to spend more as soon as they start the project and realize they might need new water lines. But than our City Planner and Engineer don't live here either. Why question them.
Smarter Bear,
The problem is me?
The city can do as they want. If they believe what there doing is the best solution.I guess we will keep on doing the same?
Post facts to him?
Here's a fact someone left us with a very big bill. I love how everyone is interested in helping those 400 employee's and their families. If the truth was known this problem didn't start in January or February. The power wasn't left on there because of concerns of employees. It came down to 2% income tax that 400 people were paying into the city coffers. You do the math 400X 40hrs. at $10.00 per hr. The city will write off the loss, or add it to your power factor. This bunch are truly a piece of work. Now who made the decision? Thats one fact I'm concerned with. Why aren't you.
Your response to my earlier post
"6:30 You only get to pick so many apples from the Grant tree." Those grant dollars were earmarked for this type of project so you are bringing in dollars to Painesville that would not have otherwise been spent here, it would have went to another project in another city.
Your second response "90% of income tax comes from out of city residents? See my answer to 3:08."
I read it, but I don't get it. Believe me not all the workers in Painesville work for the city, you really do not realize how many people are employed in entities (which also pay 2% income tax on profits) located in this city. You have the county workers as well as many private employers such as banks, title companies, insurance agencies, restaurants, Avery Dennison, attorneys, accountants ans so on. These private entities all have employees paying tax dollars, most live outside the city. Read the finance report its all in there.
Obviously not investing in the dopwntown are has not worked over the last 30 years, perhaps a little investment may spur private investment. What is uyour alternative, to do nothing andf just let it get worse?
Where did U get that. 90percent ofincome tax come fromcity Residence. MOst of these people work outside the city and pay taxes to that city. Why do u think the hospital left part was the big buck doctors wanted to avoid that. Income tax. The biggest part of the income tax comes from those who work in the city,like city and school employees. County employees,Fasson,mad those at the other small businesses not those living in the city
1:32 read the answer again.
11:53 So the most pressing thing we needed Grant money for was two blocks of Main St. Maybe going after a Grant that would have benefited Painesville residents might have been the way to go?
I agreed with you that income tax comes from wages earned in Painesville but do not live here and after listening to you I understand why they don't live here.
Your little Main St. plan will do very little will spur very little. Why are you so worried? You got the Grant, the money from the city Are you worried when people see the end result they might think WTF?
This is another Rita,Joe&Joe project that we will all be "proud" of. Streetscape Escapescape.
What about these chuckholes? Any ideas?
On top of everything else how does the street infront of a city councilman get chosen to be the one fixed? What a coincident, never would have seen that coming.
This is typical Painetown they hate Term more than all the people screwing things up.
Get on the bandwagon boy and tell them how wonderful things are around here. Chuck holes what chuck holes?
I would like to know after the investment in the two block area will building owners still be permitted to hang black plastic curtains in the first floor windows? This is where I take issue with city. Council is trying to pass an ordinance on signage but does nothing about the old Educational Supply Building, why? I shopped at the farmers market and the place does not look inviting.
Term, you asked if there were any ideas for the chuck holes. There are two ideas that I can think of:
1. Your idea for the Patch Management truck.
2. Move
AMP served with SEC SUBPOENAS !!
Would not have anything to do with payoffs, bribes, scholarships and city officials leaving communities to go work for AMP ?
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2013/03/15/amp-subpoena.html
The sad part of this is AMP-OHIO didn't release this to the press until Ohio Citizen Action notified all AMP communities. More silence
6:17 The best thing that could come out of all this is that everyone who was mislead into this can be relieved of their contracts.
Don't get to excited this won't have anything to do with AMPGS....
Presently!
3:27 If it only wasas simple as getting rid of me. No AMP-OHIO problems, nobody leaving big 100reds of thosands in electric bills.
No chuckholes anywhere in the city. People employed by the city to hide.
I guess according to Smarter Bear if I didn't tell you these things you might not know about them and everyone lived happily ever after?
The chuckholes might be a stretch along with Main St. improvements you still will see the same stuff.
I would compare it to an ugly picture with a new frame. Time will tell?
Maybe a new color of plastic curtains for the Sprimg!
TERM those bashing you are either city employees or city officials ...
SEC was really surprised at the amount of college scholoarships, free vacations city officials have received from AMP ...
Who wants a free trip to the Virgin Islands ? How about Hawaii ?
You just have to be willing to play AMP monoply is all.
7:47 I will do my best Sgt. Shultz.
"I know nutthig"
To 7:47: Finally the truth is coming out. Thank goodness; I hope they nail everyone who deserves it, and then I hope our city and all the other suckers are let off the hook. I just couldn't believe that so many people were so stupid as to fall for these boondoggles, and now it seems as if we are starting to find out why.
P.S. Thanks to whomever is writing us from Gallion. Much appreciated.
Term, its me from 11:53.
Is Main Street the most prssing thing, NO it is however one of many things and certainly one where the city can get its biggest bang for the buck. Invest $1 and get nearly $2 in return. Is the project in and of itself going to change anything significantly, NO. However perhaps it makes the area just a little more attractive to stimulate some oither investment. As a lifelong resint of the area, it sure would be nice to see downtown fixed up some as it looks like a ghost town.
Those grant dollars were identified in conjunction with the Downtown Painesville Organization and applied for. We should be thankful we even received them.
In your mind 100% of the tax money should be spent on residents? Go take some economics classes, business pays the bills for the residential part of nearly any community unless you are a Waite Hill.
As I said I don't believe the project is a savior by any means but it is an improvement. You have some better ideas on how to help downtown or foster the business community in Painesville please share them and there is probably a good chance they will be embraced.
5:47 I agree it is the not the most pressing thing. What if we would have applied for a Grant to improve city streets? plus the $200,000 from the County and City?
What would have the bigger impact?
How are these customer's to get to Main St.
Businesses pay the bills? I agree completely. With that thinking in mind why is all the property being developed in the Diamond Business Center Condo's and residential?
My agument is that Grant money and our contribution would have been better spent. Have of the project is in the hands of the county and I don't see what you see.
The things to stimulate that area are customers with money, low rent, and inexpensive utilities not a pretty view of Main St. I respect your views and time will tell if this was a good investment. Deep down inside I hope your right but I have watched way to many people follow idea's that sound good with in the end are promises not kept.
11:37 I think you just might be jumping to conclusions. The best we could come out of this is that we are not held financilly responsible. Let's wait until the investigation is finnished before we call anyone a thief.
Sometimes people really believe they were getting the best answers not realizing the people handing them the advise are more concerned for themselves then the cities involved.
If anyone got a vacation, kickback,scholarship out of all this it will be revealed.
Be patient TERM ... WEWS and the DISPATCH have load of more info .. this will be several salvos of torpedos into the SS AMP very soon.
AMP refuses to respond to the inquiries concerning trips, scholarships and other " GIFTS "
Seems AMP has circled the wagons in denial thinking they are fighting the Indians .. when in actuality .. ICBMS are being warmed up in the bullpen to be launched at them .. when the dust settles a lot of AMP and city officials will be indicted, convicted and then sentenced to prison.
11:30 ICBM? Look can it just be some uninformed city offical's being sold a bill of goods by one impressive sales team?
I have heard the same rumors you have and the longer AMP-OHIO denys anything the worse it will get.
The only logic that I don't understand is how ANYONE could believe this deal was good for the people they represented let alone "PROUDLY"
Sgt. Schultz? From Hogans Heroes? What nationality was he? German? Under who's regime? In ____Germany at the time?
Yes, the "PROUDLY." I just want to remind people what that is all about. The citizens of Painesville pleaded with the city leaders over and over not to get us into these deals with AMP. McMahon (former city manager) and Joe Hada (president of city council) kept keeping the whole truth(s) from us so that they could close on these deals. The citizens fought hard, but McMahon, Hada, and the rest of Hada's gang, were determined to do it. When it came time for the final vote, Hada, just to make sure he shoved it in our faces, paused, looked out at the citizens who were so against it, and said he "PROUDLY" voted yes.
And yet the citizens keep voting him in office. Again and again and again. Please -- anyone who is reading this, please do not vote for Hada again. McMahon is finally out of office, so let's get Hada out, too...and Gurley...what in the world is he still doing as law director in our city?
3:38 Let's see what could happen is that we get out of this Prairie State deal, get our money back from AMPGS and that same person will tell you how he "proudly" accomplished all this.
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