"OLD TIME ROCK & ROLL" bob seger

Painesville, Painesville, Painesville.

Today's Monday March 30, 2015 had a front page story on the sale of the Allen Building which the county plans to demolish and build a new office building at that site.

The county paid only $275,000 for the building and the property far below what the senior center believed it was worth. They have until March 2016 to vacate the building. Where will they go?

First as I am the age of a "senior citizen" I don't understand even the need for such a place. A wise person told me once "if you want to stay young hang around young people, older people remind you your well. just old." Now I am not suggesting there isn't a need only an understanding of purpose. The article suggested the Painesville senior wished not to combine with the Fairport seniors. Fine it's there choice. Board member Alberto DiIorio suggested renting space until the money ran out and then just closing the doors? Another board member suggested building along with the Lake County Health Department on the site of the old hospital? (news to me) I was always under the impression that was prime downtown real estate and between the center and the Health Department will generate no property tax. plus very little commerce, unless you count the second-hand shop. Plus where will the seniors find the funds to build a new building? Maybe a tax levy?

Where is this plan for downtown Painesville? None of this was ever mentioned in "Streetscape" I never heard of the Health Department moving on that spot let alone a Senior Center. Now is the time for the leaders of Painesville to think this out not after the decisions have been made. It is my hope that the city and county can work all this out mutually with co-operation from both.


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Things I have noticed in the past week ;

Followed a semi-truck with a 53' trailer down Shamrock Dr. after going over the bridge the driver could not negotiate the traffic circle at the bottom of the bridge. Inexperienced driver or poor planning for the traffic circle?

Waited at a railroad crossing for a coal train to go by seemed like it went on for miles.  Reason? The average home uses 8,079 pounds of coal and 5000 gallons of water per year. No wonder the trains are so long.

Speaking of coal...

A resident questioned my concerns of the manpower at the Painesville Power Plant sighting the First Energy Eastlake plant for comparison. Well Eastlake announced it's bond rating has been lowered by Moody's. Seem numerous reasons were mentioned including that First Energy that normally employed 120 people is converting the plant over to a site featuring five synchronous  condensers.The easiest way to explain this it's like a pumping station for electricity. When the conversion is completed no more production of electricity, no more 120 workers, but 15/20 to man the plant what an 80% reduction?
What I get from our council's insistence to not layoff electric plant workers it will cost the city in  lost income tax dollars? What a concept , pay everyone in Painesville not working a check and collect their income tax, to fund the city!
Also have heard of rumblings from other departments that when the plant workers are shifted to other departments where workers say make $16.00 per hr. the electric plant worker keep there plant pay of say over $25.00 for doing the same job. Soon the thing will be if you can pay them that much you can pay me the same amount. Now that's called human nature.

Bet those 100 First Energy workers wish Painesville was their employer.

"BACK IN YOUR ARMS AGAIN" supremes

People are free to interpret data differently, but it should give us pause when interpretations fall along self serving lines, because something other than scientific data is driving the  debate....

above quote from Discovery magazine.

Let's start with the water pipeline and crib issue. That project has now grown from 9 million to 12 million ? Four residents questioned the need for Painesville having it's own water department? Best answer was by councilwoman DiNallo. "I like the idea of power and control." Great, be damned with cost to resident's.
Still waiting for minutes where this was 9/12 million dollar project was part of the $8.00 surcharge on water bills.
We will see if the State of Ohio is willing to pay 4 million dollars for the interest on the 12 million that yes the 12 million has to be paid back.

Many have asked me to find out if Painesville City Schools is about to end it's 60 year Academically Gifted Program? I will reserve judgment, until I get the facts.

Yes our former CM has found another cozy job with Lake County United Way..

Painesville seniors will be looking for a new home now that the county has bought the building. Say good-by to GOP Headquarters also.

Gee, so much for my idea of turning Cedarbrook School into the New Senior Center and  State Street Elementary into the Head Start building?

Also remember we had to demolish the old hospital because we had " a shovel ready project for that area . How many years ago?

Painesville just lost a case in front of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals meaning PPD can now be sued for big bucks over a Taser incident a few years ago. Another reason why I question anyone choosing law enforcement as a career?  Wonder who will be thrown under the bus over this?

Certain people in the Painesville administration are starting to realize the traffic lights are screwed-up, now all we have to do is find funding to make repairs. Really? you can't time a light?

Getting back in the saddle again, so many happy to see me back.

"TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS" bto

Well Monday evening Painesville council had a work session. MIA was councilman Flock and councilman Fitzgerald.

When the meeting was about 20 minutes in I asked the person in front of me is this all about $15,000? Yes it was it seems this council can spend nearly 40 minutes on $15,000 and yet can pass a $9,000,0000 waterline in five minutes? All this for a $15,000 carryover?

To there credit councilwoman DiNallo and councilman DeLeone both suggested that with the present conditions of our streets that money should be used there.

Not so fast as I almost fell out of my seat councilman Fodor suggested that the Downtown Painesville Organization could use an extra $6,000? What their getting to much already first they get a 1.3 million dollar remodel and the City kicks in $22,000 a year to the organization. And guess what they want more! Councilman Fodor claimed economic development me I call it throwing good money after bad. Where does that come from ? "Institutional Memory" something else I learned Monday night.

Council-President Hach had a different approach "Lets get another truck and trailer and have two crews doing cold patch" Really Paul that cold patch idea seems to working out so great!

I guess what I didn't see was someone thinking outside the box. We have been on this system and nothing is going to change.

In the second part of the meeting the administration balked at every suggestion by council to make our utility bills more understandable.

I haven't a clue what the big secret is nor I understand why this would cost what $100,000 in software costs?

One council person suggested it could be put up on the website? No that won't work either.

Council also mentioned the 25/30 workers at the power plant and assured people they weren't playing cards. Well at least they know there down there.

"DARKNESS AT THE EDGE OF TOWN" bruce springsteen

As some of you have commented (as well as myself agreeing to some degree with) "me not being the sharpest knife in the drawer" O.K.,  maybe it's me?

At the last council meeting I questioned council how and who pays the electric bill associated with Painesville's streetlight and traffic lights. What fund were they paid out of if only for the reason that since we don't produce electric power in Painesville anymore. We have to purchase it.

Saturday afternoon the administration answered my question with this response .

The city does not meter the street lights or the traffic signals. The power used is part of the monthly electric usage distributed by our system.

Did I miss the who and the how with this answer? If it's metered or not someone has to pay for it. Is it paid out of an electric fund account OR is it added to metered customers PCA?

The second part of my question was what and where and how do we get this $4,000,000.00 a year for keeping our power plant on stand-by?

The City's power plant participates in programs that decrease our overall monthly purchase power bill. Two of these programs are peak shaving and demand response. The peak shaving program is utilized to generate power during the highest usage hours during the summer. When successful the revenue generated by this program is shown as a credit the following year. The demand response program is when the power plant is available to operate when called upon during high usage. In this program the City receives a credit based upon the market conditions and auctions that have been finalized in previous years.

Key words here "when successful" ... Who determines success?  well, have we been? Show me the money!

The City receives a credit from WHO?


The residents benefit from the City's participation in these programs by having lower net purchase power bills from our suppliers.

Am I to believe the way we get the credit is by operating our plant and not having to purchase off the grid? Hardly a credit, but more like paying yourself to produce power. If you look at the account balances our surplus seem to grow? All along with paying above average cost for power, 25/30 on the electric plant payroll with the idea we "might" produce power?

Should I be satisfied with these answers? Should you satisfied with them?

Please let me know.

"POC MARCH MEETING" / COUNCIL WORKSESSION

The regular meeting of the Painesville Oversight Committee will be held Tuesday March 10th 2015

At 6:30 p.m.  Steele Mansion.

Special guest this month will be former Mentor City Manager and present member of the Lake County Port Authority John Conrad.

Mr. Konrad will share his experiences with regard to funding infrastructure projects during his time as Mentor's City Manager.

All welcome to attend. As well as to bring your concerns to the POC.

ALSO;

Painesville City Council will have a "worksession" Monday March 9th at City Hall. 6:00 p.m.

The purpose of this work session is to discuss;

Budget Carryovers and Utility Billing Software.

The meeting is open to the public but there is no public comment time.

"PAINESVILLE POWER" for dummies!

Here is the response I received for my layman's questions about the electric accounts.

Click on to enlarge.

"OUR LIPS ARE SEALED" the go-go's

Pretty boring council meeting last night .

Job Creation Tax Credit (JCTC) was put on 3rd reading.

After what I heard at the last meeting with concerns to the Power Cost Adjustment, I felt whatever was spoken about needed more questions to be asked. So I asked a couple of simple questions.

Since we are all in agreement that Painesville very rarely produces electric power meaning all power used in the city originates somewhere else and we pay for it.

Who and how are the streetlights as well as traffic lights paid for? What fund pays for that.

At the last meeting power shaving was brought up again with the administration claiming a $4,000,000.00 saving? After looking at all electric funds I could not find a check for the money or even an invoice with a credit? How does this work?

30 seconds of silence. Either they don't know? Or they feel it's not any residents business?

Lose Lips Sink Ships?  Explain the secret.

Show up
Put up
Shut up

Councilman Flock brought up Prairie States outage. If I heard right the city (us) part owners were  not even informed by AMP-OHIO. Have to wonder what this will do to the PCA next month? Nothing probably will just owe more money.

Mr. McHugh comment that PSEC was getting close to its goal of $74.00MWh. Great that's only about 25% above the current market price.

Me I'm getting tired about asking about PSEC but what should we talk about? The poor conditions of the streets? The empty Harvey, Hospital, Hotel sites? The 3 H's ?

Most times when something gets torn down there is something planned for what replaces it? Not here in River City.

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BULLETIN!

News Net 5 reporters were in town today doing a story on Painesville's Pothole Patrol.

It appears Assistant City Manager Doug Lewis could not get them to stay on Main St. between the Park and State St.?

Unconfirmed reports is that they are still in town getting a frontend alignment?

Watch story at 11:00 p.m. tonight or go to channel 5 web page.

Our lips are sealed, but not our streets!

"THE HAPPENING" supremes

Well it happened again, Seems Prairie State Energy Campus both units went off line in an unscheduled outage February 21, 2015.

Something about an insulator went to ground in a switchyard during an ice storm. It wasn't clear if the weather was the reason?

During the outage of PSEC  Painesville Power was required to pay for the close to 10 MWh. of 24/7 power they did not receive and purchase replacement power on the open market. (Wonder what this will cost residents in their PCA?)

The good news PSEC Unit 1 was back in operation Monday February 23,2015 and Unit 2 was operational late Wednesday night on the February 25,2015.

Oh the joy in owning a small part of a 5 Billion dollar Power Plant.

PAINESVILLE CITY SCHOOLS

Alerts & Information for (Monday, March 02, 2015)

Due to a  suspicious phone call made to the district this morning, all Painesville City Schools have been closed and all children are being dismissed. Parents should make arrangements to pick up their child immediately. If your child  is already at school, he is being held on a bus or in a safe place in the school until parents arrive.
Principals are contacting parents with instructions. More information will follow as it is available.

Authorities say the same person made four different phone calls with bomb threats to the Painesville clerk's office. Those calls were then transferred to police dispatch.

Riverside School System has been put on alert.

Authorities  claim a  the Lake County Sheriff's Office received a call of a bomb threat inside Thomas W. Harvey High School from inside the school at around 6:45 a.m. No bomb was found as the school was checked.

"CITY COUNCIL MEETING" 03/02/15

Not much to do about to do.

Second reading  for the Job Creation Tax  Credit  Resolution.

And pretty much that's it.

No Departmental Presentations. Nada. Zilch.

Now something was mentioned that interested me;

Executive Session  To discuss Personnel, Policies and Procedures.

Just being the skeptic that I am I willing to bet someone on council is about to be taken to the woodshed Monday night. Maybe over the Councilman's conversation with the fire chief?

Now in my thinking the Council-President should be the one going to the woodshed. As it's his responsibility to control the conversation as well as the meeting.  Something these dysfunctional  council members should give thought about.

Now this is only a wild guess. Plus we will never know.