Minutes of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission/Solid Waste Policy Committee
July 12, 2004
ATTENDANCE
Attachment A lists the attendance at this meeting, at which the following matters were discussed.
MINUTES
Mayor Longo called the meeting to order despite there not being a quorum present.
On a motion by Mr. Shannon, seconded by Mr. Patton, the minutes of the May 12, 2004, meeting were approved subject to additional votes.
Paul Alsenas announced that the Board of County Commissioners had appointed two new members to the Planning Commission. Mayor Merle Gorden of Beachwood to represent the Hillcrest Region and Mayor Eileen Patton of Fairview Park to represent the Westshore Region. Mr. Alsenas also announced that the Board of County Commissioners had appointed Ms. Virginia Aveni to the Solid Waste Policy Committee as the citizen's representative.
RESOLUTIONS
On a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Mr. Shannon, Resolution No. 040714 - A, authorizing a
contract with the City of Brooklyn to prepare a master plan, was approved subject to additional votes.
Mr. Alsenas announced that the County Prosecutor's Office has advised that it is not a conflict of interest for a mayor sitting on the CPC to vote on a resolution regarding their community. It may be a good practice not to vote, but it is not necessary.
On a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Mr. Shannon, Resolution No. 040714-B, authorizing a contract with the Community Vision Council to accept a thee-year $963,921 grant to establish the Senior Transportation Organization and fund the first three years of operation, was approved subject to additional votes.
On a motion by Mayor Patton, seconded by Mayor Blomquist, Resolution No. 040714-C, authorizing the Planning Commission to expend funds for the cost of meals, non-alcoholic beverages and other amenities for the benefit of participants at meetings sponsored or hosted by the Planning Commission.
On a motion by Mayor Patton, seconded by Mayor Blomquist, Resolution No. 040714-D, approving the District One Public Works Integrating Committee's Administrative Services Work Plan for State Fiscal Year 2005, was approved.
Carol Thaler stated that staff was recommending approval of all of the Olmsted Township resolutions.
Mr. Patrick Smock, alternate for Commissioner Dimora, arrived and concurred with the previous resolutions.
Mayor Blomquist asked that it be noted in Resolution No. 040714-I that there should be conditions about the need for the extension of Waterside Drive and a water connection between this project and Olmsted Falls. He further stated that he would like to see that these things happen before construction on Phase 8. Ms. Thaler noted that these issues were handled when Phase 7 was approved and asked if the Mayor had talked to his engineer. Mayor Blomquist stated that he had spoken with his engineer and that they are still working on this issue regarding the extension of the waterline and the removal of the temporary cul-de-sac.
On a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Mr. Shannon, Resolution No. 040714-E, Resolution No. 040714-F, Resolution No. 040714-G, Resolution No. 040714-H and Resolution No. 040714-I were approved.
Mr. Longo welcomed Mayor Gorden and Mayor Rawson to the meeting. The mayors concurred with the votes taken thus far.
Mr. Alsenas introduced Resolution No. 040714-j. The hiring of Ms. Joyce Burke-Jones. Mayor Rawson asked whether the CPC was exceeding the requirements of the early retirement program. Mr. Alsenas replied that overall the County has been keeping within the guidelines that it set for the early retirement program in the number of people that it has been hiring.
On a motion by Mayor Patton, seconded by Mr. Shannon, Resolution No. 040714-J was unanimously approved.
COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL ISSUES
Population and Economic Trends Presentation
Mr. Alsenas stated that this community has many groups discussing regional economics these include
Team NEO, the "Regional Fund for the Future" formed by the philanthropic community and Regional
Cooperation Initiative and the Blue Ribbon Economic Advisory Task Force, both formed by the County
Commissioners.
Mr. Alsenas stated that the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), is charged with developing the region's transportation plan which has linkages with the regional economy. The Planning Advisory Council at NOACA has been having a very robust discussion about regional economics and productivity in relation to the transportation system.
Mr. Alsenas introduced Mr. Robert Layton, the regional economist at NOACA, who has been working on identifying population and economic trends.
Mr. Layton stated that the population and economic trends are being done for the long-range plan and that he was going to show how long-term trends in the regional economy and performance trends are impacting the central county.
At the conclusion of Mr. Layton's presentation, the CPC agreed that out-migration is the overwhelming problem that needs to be addressed and that there is a misconception that we are losing income to Florida and other States when in fact Cuyahoga County is losing just as much to the outlying counties.
In response to a question, Mr. Layton stated that the most alarming situation, and which relates to all the other issues, is the rate of dispersal out of the Cuyahoga County. Mr. Layton stated that the data shows that when the central county is not strong, neither is the region and the outlying counties have to begin to realize this.
It was observed that people move out of the central county because of lower tax rates and land costs but they soon realize that the public services provided are not quite good enough. In time, the demand for services grows and the savings realized are fleeting.
Cuyahoga Valley Initiative Update
The CPC and the Rocky Mountain Institute are working on developing new techniques and new
approaches that hopefully will be funded by the Joyce and Gund Foundations.
Mr. Alsenas noted that there are preliminary discussions going on with the Gund Foundation about making a major multi-year commitment to the CVI.
Mr. Alsenas reported the Cleveland Foundation has provided a small grant to the CPC to partner with the Ohio State University's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Development Economic which is developing a national model called "river economics" that will develop a matrix to determine the cost-benefit of doing an intervention in a river valley.
SOLID WASTE REPORT
Patrick Holland reported that the consultant has been engaged and has started the survey of
industrial waste generators. Mr. Holland stated that they will begin developing a basic
strategy/philosophy for the plan.
Mr. Holland reported that he taught a two-day computer recycling course in Nashville, TN. He indicated that the District has recycled 1,556,000 pounds of computer equipment in the past four years, which is equivalent to what Hewlett-Packard and Dell does in an entire year.
Mr. Holland reported that the District received a $10,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. He stated that the District will use the funds to do a tire collection mini-sweep in the core of Cleveland were there is steady ongoing illegal tire dumping.
The last report was on the Newspaper Marketing Cooperative which now has 14 member communities. He stated that the Cooperative was able to secure a 5-year fixed rate on mixed residential paper $40 a ton which a good rate.
Mr. Alsenas reported that the next meeting was scheduled for September 8, 2004 and that he would organize a tour of the Cuyahoga Valley for the CPC members for the next meeting.
Mayor Rawson suggested that before the tour is organized that the CPC develop a regional map and show how the relationships between the CVI, the Greenprint Plan and the Valley's transportation system. She stated that everyone is talking about creating clusters and that maybe the CPC needs to create the relationships.
Attachment A
Cuyahoga County Planning Commission/Solid Waste Policy Committee
MAY 12 14, 2004 ATTENDANCE RECORD
| Member | Present |
|---|---|
| Ms. Virginia Aveni | Yes |
| Mayor Robert Blomquist | Yes |
| Commissioner Jimmy Dimora | Yes - represented by Mr. Pat Smock |
| Mayor Merle Gorden | Yes |
| Mayor Jerry Hruby | No |
| Commissioner Peter Jones | Yes - represented by Mr. Shannon |
| Mr. Jack Licate | No |
| Mayor Thomas Longo | Yes |
| Commissioner Tim McCormack | Yes - represented by Mr. Nolan |
| Mayor Eileen Patton | No |
| Mayor Kenneth Patton | Yes |
| Mayor Judith Rawson | Yes |
| Mr. Chris Ronayne for Mayor Campbell | No |
| Others: Paul Alsenas, Patrick Holland, Robert Layton, Carol Thaler | |
