More info on a new Mentor beach festival and changes to an old standby are in the latest city manager memo to City Council. Also, look for a major freeway entrance closure, a house fire that injured two firefighters, and an update on the deer hunting application packet.

Manager Comments 
• We have been informed by ODOT that work on the SR 306 entrance ramp eastbound to SR 2 will be closed from 7 p.m., Friday until 6 a.m. Monday.

• I thank council members for your input on the proposed Headlands Beach Fest for 2013. After much consideration by staff, we are proposing a single-day event in July (likely the 20th or 27th) that will complement our IBIM festival, planned for Aug. 23 and 24. The Beach Fest will enhance a full calendar of events taking place throughout the year in the city, and it will not overburden city staff. We are currently projecting a $16,000 budget for the Beach Fest that we are hoping will be offset by grants and sponsorship.

• As a result of the Police Patrol Division’s effort during the 2011 Click-it-or-Ticket campaign and the freeway construction traffic enforcement grant, the State of Ohio Department of Public Safety awarded us a new laser for use in traffic enforcement. This piece of equipment is valued at approximately $3,000 and is a show of appreciation by the Ohio Department of Public Safety for the strong effort made by Mentor PD.

• Income tax collections for the month of August were up $130,000 when compared to August of last year. The current year collections through August, as compared to last year, are up 11.5 percent.

Fire Department
• On Aug. 31 at 1:09 a.m., paramedics were called to another drug overdose. The patient was found lying unconscious on the bathroom floor of the owner’s home who called 9-1-1. The patient resides out of the area and the homeowner reported that he did not know she was there until he heard a “crash” in the bathroom and went to investigate. Paramedics administered Narcan and provided Advance Life Support treatment. The patient regained consciousness and was transported to the hospital. Reportedly, the patient used ecstasy, alcohol and heroin prior to collapsing.

• On Sept. 3 at 7:14 p.m., the Mentor Fire Department was called to Taft Street for a working fire in a two-story house. A neighbor reported heavy black smoke coming from the house and rescued a dog from the home by breaking a window prior to the fire department’s arrival. The fire began in the kitchen and spread throughout the home. The family was not home at the time of the fire. The fire was declared under control at 7:47 p.m. and appears to be accidental. There were no reported civilian injuries, but two firefighters suffered minor hand injuries. The home cannot be reoccupied until repairs are made. Loss damages are estimated at $85,000.

• Fire Station #2 and the fire department’s dive team was summoned twice to the Headlands State Park area the weekend before last. The first call was Aug. 31 at 8:29 p.m. for a report of a lost windsurfer and then again on Sept. 2 for a swimmer who was reported (via 9-1-1) as a possible drowning victim. The windsurfer was separated from his sail board and located safe on the beach. The swimmer was not in distress but was swimming beyond the designated area of Headlands State Park.

Police Department
• Over the past week, there have been two day-time burglaries. One occurred on Center Street, just south of Mentor Ave. The other occurred on Johnnycake, west of Center Street. Both houses had left a door unlocked.  Only jewelry was taken from both burglaries. The Detective Bureau is investigating both incidences.

• We received our new Total Station machine, which will be used by our Accident Investigative Unit to diagram complex accident scenes. The team received two days of training with additional training scheduled in the future to maintain their proficiency.

Engineering
• Work has begun on the paving of Iroquois Avenue, north of Lakeshore Boulevard. The work is being performed by the city of Willoughby as part of its road repair program. According to Willoughby City Engineer Jim Sayles, the cities of Mentor and Willoughby have historically alternated resurfacing the roadway, as the center line of the roadway serves as the municipal border between the communities. It is anticipated that the work will be completed this month.

Parks and Recreation Department
• With the passage of the hunting ordinance last week, the Recreation Department’s Natural Resource Specialists are putting the finishing changes in place and reviewing the private property hunting packet. The packet will be available online starting this week and in the Recreation Department. All information regarding acquiring the packet and staff information sheets will go out at the beginning of the week.

• It’s time for the fall “Just Kid’s Garage Sale” on Saturday. The event will run from 9 a.m. until noon. It is a community “kid’s items only” sale that fills Garfield Park with more than 100 sellers and great bargains.

Economic and Community Development
• Tom Thielman and Anthony Zampedro met with the new owners of the multitenant retail center formerly known as Staples Center. Ownership is working with various possible tenants and inquired about financing and incentive opportunities, as well as retail marketing data available from the city (Buxton research). 

• Tom Thielman met with a representative of the proposed shooting range new construction project regarding SBA 504 and other SBA financing programs.

• Tom Thielman met with a representative of the U.S. Small Business Administration – Cleveland District Office regarding the Small Loan Advantage 7a Loan program and a new partnership the SBA has with the Federal Reserve Bank and local Small Business Development Centers to help facilitate more new business start-ups.

Finance
• The City collected $224,000 in TIF revenues as part of the second half real estate settlement distributed by the Lake County Treasurer. The TIF balance is now approximately $1,250,000.

Public Works Department
•    Storm sewer repairs – Sharonlee
•    Replaced concrete road slab - Terrace Park
•    Cleaned storm sewer - Dunbar
•    Sewer televising/cleaning - Traymore, Palmerston, S. Shandle, Westmoor
•    Completed three inlet basin rebuilds on Jeremy
•    Started basin and slab repairs on Kathleen and Lori Jean
•    Crack sealing - SR 84
•    Hot patching - numerous locations

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy