Minutes of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission/Solid Waste Policy Committee
November 12, 2009
ATTENDANCE
Attachment A lists the attendance at this meeting, at which the following matters were discussed.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Longo called the meeting to order.
MINUTES
On a motion by Mr. Smock, and seconded by Mayor Procuk, the minutes of the September 10, 2009 were
adopted.
General
On a motion by Mayor Procuk, seconded by Mr. Smock, Resolution No. 091112-A, in appreciation of Mayor
Thomas Longo's distinguished twenty-one years of service to the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission,
was unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mayor Eileen Patton, seconded by Mayor Welo, Resolution No. 091112-B, authorizing a contract for planning services with the City of Westlake for Phase II of a retail study in the amount not-to-exceed $15,000.00, was unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mayor Procuk, seconded by Mr. Herdeg, Resolution No. 091112-C authorizing the Director to negotiate and enter into a consultant contract with Floating Islands Environmental Solutions for the High Performance Shoreline Project (Green Bulkheads) in the amount not-to-exceed $24,999.00, was unanimously approved.
On a motion by Mayor Procuk, seconded by Mayor Welo, Resolution No. 091112-D authorizing an Inter-Agency Agreement with the Cuyahoga County Department of Development for implementation of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant was duly adopted. Mr. Herdeg abstained as an employee of the Department of Development.
Olmsted Township
On a motion by Mr. Herdeg, seconded by Mayor Procuk, Resolution No. 091112-E conditionally approving the
Revised Preliminary Plan for the Grand Oaks Subdivision proposed to be located in Olmsted Township was
unanimously approved.
COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL ISSUES
"Place" Planning and Local Governments: The Determinants of Human Health
Mr. Alsenas introduced Mr. Terrence M. Allan R.S., M.P.H., Health Commissioner of the Cuyahoga County
Board of Health (CCBH), to discuss the relationship between human health and the built environment, and
the collaboration between the CCBH and the CPC emphasizing the importance of physical planning to human
health.
Mr. Allan introduced a 2008 report titled "F as in Fat" sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and published by the Trust for America's Health. Mr. Allan showed that obesity trends in the United States over the last twenty-three years, between 1985 and 2008, have dramatically increased. In 1985, ten to fourteen percent of Ohioans were considered obese, that number and that in 2008, twenty-five to twenty-nine percent were considered obese. For black non-Hispanics, more than thirty-five percent of the population is considered obese. Mr. Allan further illustrated, the cascading effect of obesity, and the many associated health problems obesity produces such as cardiovascular disease, muscular and skeletal disorders and even dramatic increases in obesity related Type II diabetes in children.
Focusing on the work of Dr. Anthony Iton, the former Alameda County, California Health Commissioner and now Director of the California Endowment, Mr. Allan discussed health inequities in terms of race, ethnicity, in addition to economic, social and physical development. Mr. Allan began with the ethnic and cultural factors associated with obesity, citing the fact that thirty-eight percent of low-income children are obese as opposed to twenty-six percent of children in families with higher incomes.
Although some may characterize the issue as one of personal responsibility, Mr. Allan pointed out that other factors are at work such as the overwhelming availability of fast-food establishments located in poorer neighborhoods.
Mr. Allan stated that Dr. Iton's work looked at mortality rates in relationship to the traditional medical model which focuses on individuals failing to address the underlying conditions of their lives. Dr. Iton determined that chronic disease and access to healthcare was only had a twenty to thirty percent impact on an individual health and mortality rate.
However, Dr. Iton's work revealed that "place", where a person lives and their socio-ecological factors have more of an impact on health. Dr. Iton determined that the social, economic and physical environment have a seventy percent impact on a person's life expectancy. Mr. Allan illustrated this point by contrasting communities of opportunity which have: parks; sidewalks; grocery stores; better schools; and good public transportation with poorer neighborhoods that have more fast food restaurants; liquor stores; unsafe parks; poor schools; increased pollution, toxic waste; and limited public transportation.
Mr. Allan stated that it has been determined that many governmental policies have played a major role in producing health inequities and health disparities. These policies include zoning, school segregation, immigration status and discriminatory belief systems.
Mr. Allan stated that the medical community is just realizing that a person's physical environment increases a person's "allostatic load" which is a person's stress response. Frequent activation of the body's stress response, essential for managing acute threats, can in fact damage the body in the long run and chronic exposure to fluctuating or heightened threats can result in frequent and chronic stress. For example people living near vacant properties or living in older neighborhoods are frequently exposed to unsafe neighborhoods, segregation, low income or lack of employment, education disadvantages, inadequate housing, and lack of transportation or access to health care and healthy food, poor air quality, dilapidated neighborhoods and no social relationships.
Mr. Allan illustrated how these life differences impact on life expectancy using the City of Lyndhurst and Cleveland's Hough Neighborhood. Although these neighborhoods are about five miles apart a person living in Lyndhurst is expected to live twenty-four more years than a person living in Hough.
Mr. Alsenas opened the topic up for discussion. A lengthy discussion ensued.
Mr. Allan also provided a brief update on the availability of H1N1 flu vaccines.
Implications of Issue 6 Passage for the CPC
Mr. Alsenas indicated that the passage of Issue 6 was a seismic shift in the structure and approach to
County Government. He referred the CPC members to new County Charter and highlighted certain portions
that may have an impact on the CPC. Mr. Alsenas stated that the CPC will begin a process of engagement
so that CPC members are involved as the County Transition Teams are established.
Mr. Alsenas pointed out that under Section 2.03 of the Charter the County executive will have the authority to appoint members to the CPC which is now held by the Board of County Commissioners. In addition, the CPC planning districts do not have the same boundaries as the existing new County Districts.
Mr. Alsenas stated that the most important question is how the new county government will set strategy and gather information for decision making. Mr. Alsenas emphasized the CPC's experience in dealing with reorganization issues.
SOLID WASTE REPORT
Ms. Bickett reported on several matters of the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District. A written copy of
the Solid Waste District Report was provided to the Solid Waste Policy Committee.
CPC PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
The director referred the CPC members to the written Project Highlights.
NEXT MEETING
The next Commission and Policy Committee meeting is scheduled for February 11, 2010.
With no other old or new business to address, the meeting was adjourned.
Cuyahoga County Planning Commission/Solid Waste Policy Committee
| November 12, 2009 Attendance Record | |
|---|---|
| Member | Present |
| Mayor Robert Blomquist | No |
| Mr. Robert Brown | Yes, by Mr. Danek |
| Commissioner Jimmy Dimora | Yes, by Mr. Smock |
| Commissioner Timothy Hagan | Yes, by Mr. Herdeg |
| Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones | Yes, by Ms. Davis |
| Mayor Edward Kelley | No |
| Mayor Thomas Longo | Yes |
| Mayor Eileen Patton | Yes |
| Mayor Michael Procuk | Yes |
| Mayor Georgine Welo | Yes |
| SOLID WASTE POLICY COMMITTEE | |
| Ms. Virginia Aveni | No |
| Mr. Martin McGann | No |
| Others: Terry Allan, Paul Alsenas, Chris Alvarado, Kristin Hopkins, Claire Kilbane, Elaine Price | |
