Calculated Stalling

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When you access the following links, it will take you to a PDF file. The example below shows how this will appear on your screen. Use either option circled in red for easier full screen viewing of the text. Please click on the example below to view full size.

Please click on the link below to view Ordinance 12-08: "fixing the salary, compensation and rates of pay for various offices, boards, commissions and departments of the municipal government effective January 1, 2008..."

• Prior to reading Ordinance 12-08, here is some commentary from Mayor Georgine Welo regarding the financial status of the City of South Euclid quoted directly from the "approved" city council minutes from March 24, 2008. The entire text of her comments are available on the city website:

"Welo thanked the staff and Finance Director Filippo for their hard work on the budget and working to reduce costs while maintaining services. Welo also thanked City Council and Finance Chair Diane Fistek for their constant support and scrutiny of budget. The City ended 2007 with an unencumbered balance of over $4 million and reported that expenses were under $1 million than budgeted due to the excellent job of watching the bottom line and many sacrifices made by staff.... "

• REALLY....sacrifice in the form of pay raises?

"...Welo stated that the City is launching a marketing and advertising campaign and Real Estate Program managed by Director Benjamin to deal with the foreclosure issues and better promote South Euclid as a great place to live and work. “These are tough times, but South Euclid is shining at this time” stated Welo."

• http://www.scribd.com/doc/3166712/Ordinance-1208

An excerpt from the South Euclid Update publication explains the reasons for the lack of road repairs to be made in 2008:

• http://southeuclidoversight.blogspot.com/2008/05/limited-reality.html

Please click on the link below to view Ordinance 07-08: "to make appropriations for current expenses and other expenditures of the City of South Euclid, State of Ohio, during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008..."

• http://www.scribd.com/doc/3167658/0708

Insightful Perspective

Is the Hillcrest area already overly saturated with retail?

With the current economy and population exodus, was it logical to bankroll Cedar Center?

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Transparency Postponed

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Please click on the link below to research "Real Property Information" at the website of the Cuyahoga County Auditor:

• http://auditor.cuyahogacounty.us/repi/

Public Spat

At-large Councilman David Miller advocated the "good neighbor survey" conducted by the City of South Euclid. He doesn't seem to be acting very neighborly towards Lyndhurst City officials. He has used playground analogies to describe the behavior of others in the past when chiding his fellow South Euclid council members during the Sunshine Law violation fiasco. Now he uses the same type of playground metaphor to publicly ridicule his counterparts in Lyndhurst.

The "splash park" appears to be the catalyst of the recent conflict between the two cities. The "splash park" concept, designed for use by children up to age 12, was born from the lack of funds to operate Quarry pool, which was able to accommodate citizens of all ages. Although young children and their parents will be able to enjoy the downgrade of the Quarry facility, it is not practical for all residents.

Mayor Georgine Welo was described on a local website as being a "cheerleader for regionalism" due to her supposed willingness to merge services and relinquish power and trust to neighboring mayors. This high profile brouhaha suggests otherwise. It causes one to wonder what kind of cooperation, or lack thereof, would ensue if the idea of a joint-city recreation center should ever come to fruition?

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Looking The Other Way

Below are photographs of the Euclid Creek area at the Cutter's Creek development site taken on May 10, 2008. Two vastly different techniques are utilized for erosion control at this location. Notice how the drainage pipe for storm water runoff in the first photo looks secure with a well supported base. The next series of pictures depict a scenario with rocks merely dumped into the creek. It is important to realize that none of the boulders and rocks deposited into the creek by the developer were previously present. As is evident from these images, the bank of the creek was hacked out to accommodate the drainage pipe. An inquiry to the Ohio EPA indicated that this method being utilized is not one that is prohibited by Ohio law. However, the lack of properly maintained silt fencing is. They advised to check local regulations and ordinances.

South Euclid Codified Ordinance #1326.08 states:

"No soil, rock, debris or any other material shall be dumped or placed into a water resource or into such proximity that it may readily slough, slip, or erode into a water resource unless such dumping or placing has been authorized by the City, and where applicable, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, for such purposes as, but not limited to, constructing bridges, culverts, and erosion control measures."

In conclusion, either City officials are unaware of the situation, or, they have authorized the dumping.

Please click on the link below to read the entire text from the South Euclid Code of Ordinances:

• Chapter 1326 - "Erosion and Sediment Control"
• Chapter 1325 - "Flood Damage Prevention"
• Chapter 1324 - "Storm Water Management"
• http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Ohio/south_euclid_oh/directoryofofficials2006?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0

It is unfortunate that regulations regarding riparian setbacks have not yet been enacted by the City of South Euclid. It is most disturbing that common sense would not prevail regardless of the existence of any such legislation.

As a reminder, Mayor Georgine Welo was the Council Chair of the Euclid Creek Watershed Council in 2006 during the approval process of the Cutter's Creek development. This organization partially defines their mission: "to improve and protect the watershed."

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Limited Reality

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Please click on the link below to view another related post on South Euclid Oversight:

• Fiscal Fiesta?

Revenue Producing Scheme?

Most people understand the need to maintain their property to sustain an appealing neighborhood. In cases where a property is truly neglected posing a nuisance to others, indeed action needs to be taken. Unfortunately, some do not have the means to upkeep their yards in a manner that satisfies the community. A host of circumstances could be the cause for the lack of attention to a homeowner’s lawn care. A resident friendly approach to this matter would be to identify the homes experiencing difficulties. If indeed many homes required return visits by the City Service Department, has there been any inquiry as to the nature of the problem? Certainly if the home is occupied by an elderly or disabled person, an alternative approach to a fine might be in order. Can we not as a community come together to assist those in need? Perhaps the Councilpersons could come to the aid of their constituents by helping to analyze the reasons for the non-compliance. If some individuals are simply unable to comply for whatever the reason, this should not be an opportunity for the City to exploit them. How do we as citizens know that enforcement of this program will be implemented in a fair and consistent manner?

According to the article, there were 763 lawns that required mowing by City crews in the year 2007. If the cutting cycle was determined to be May through November, the amount of cuts per month would be 109. That equates to approximately 3.6 cuts per day. Of course, the months of July and August generally require less cutting.

The article also states that the average cost per mowing is $175. Now, let’s do some more math. There are 9 properties owned by the City on Greenvale Drive. At $175 per cut, each time the Greenvale 9 lots are mowed, the cost to the taxpayers will be $1575. During the months that require a once a week visit by the Service Department, that cost will be $6300 per month.

Could it be possible that this is a substitute money making plan for the "Point-of-Sale" inspection fee in the event it is voted down in November?

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