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Mentor hotel gets millions in renovations
A Mentor hotel got a major makeover (on the inside), drug dogs swept the high school and it appears that more grant money is rolling toward a bikeway connector project in the Headlands. Those items and more in the latest, weekly city manager memo to City Council.
Manager Comments
• U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce spoke Friday at the newly renovated Holiday Inn on Route 306 (former Comfort Inn). He discussed the status of budget discussions, important pending legislation (such as his co-sponsorship of a bill that would eliminate the medical device tax in the Affordable Care Act), and answered numerous questions. Afterward, some were treated to a tour of the renovated hotel, which came out beautifully. A total of $5 million was invested in the complete renovation of all rooms and facilities.
• On Tuesday, 12 K-9 units from Mentor and surrounding law enforcement agencies conducted a drug sweep at Mentor High School. The sweep was requested by the school administration and coordinated by Mentor Police. All of the lockers were searched, including locker room lockers. The K-9s alerted on a few lockers, which were searched by school administrators. No drugs were located in any of the lockers.
• Friday morning the NOACA Regional Transportation Investment Subcommittee voted to approve our request for approximately $115,000 in additional funding ($715,000 total) for the Morton Headlands Trail Connector Phase 2 Project. This project is currently listed in our cap plan as the Corduroy Bikeway Connector Phase 1 project and constructs bike lanes along Jordan Drive from Corduroy Road to South Rambler. The recommendation now goes to the Transportation Advisory Committee, and then to the Governing Board final approval. It is very likely the additional fund will be granted.
Fire Department
• On April 12 at 12:56 p.m., Paramedics responded to a person hit by a car. Upon arrival, the patient was seated in a store with knee pain. Patient refused to be transported at this time. A release was signed.
• On April 12 at 3:12 p.m., Paramedics responded to a possible overdose. Upon arrival, the patient was treated and transported to Lake West Health.
• On April 12 at 4:06 p.m., Mentor Fire responded to a dumpster fire next to a loading dock on Tyler Boulevard. Upon arrival, it was discovered the fire was contained to the dumpster; however, smoke filled the building. Due to the height of the dumpster, the aerial ladder was set up to apply water directly from above the fire. Smoke was cleared in the building; through an inspection it was discovered that an overhead door next to the fire had burned. Value was estimated at $500.
• On April 14 at 1:15 p.m., Mentor Fire responded to a possible structure fire on Shandle Boulevard. Upon arrival, there was a working fire on the exterior of the home. Per the home owner, cold ashes from the food smoker were dumped into the garbage can and apparently caught the siding on fire. Fire was extinguished, live power lines were secured. Loss is estimated at $25,000. There were no injuries.
• On April 15 at 1:38 p.m., Mentor Fire responded to an oven fire at a church. Upon arrival, they found an electric heating element was broken causing arcing and burning. Electric was disconnected and the church was advised not to turn power back on until serviced by a qualified appliance repair person.
• On April 16 at 10:32 a.m., Paramedics responded to a home on Beechwood Drive for a patient with chest pains. Upon arrival it was discovered that the home was in the process of having a search warrant carried out by Mentor Police Department and the Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The patient refused treatment at this time.
Police Department
• On April 13, a male was arrested for possession of ecstasy and carrying a concealed weapon. Officers conducted a traffic stop and questioned the driver. The male was nervous and said the pants he was wearing were not his. Officers located one ecstasy pill in his pocket. Officers also located a loaded semi-auto handgun in the vehicle.
• On Wednesday, Ptl. Erik Kupchik, a member of the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force, participated in the execution of several search warrants of Internet Cafés in Cuyahoga County. The Task Force was responsible for recovering any and all electronic equipment associated with the illegal activities at the Cafés. The Electronic Crimes Task Force is a multi-agency unit consisting of Federal, State and Local law enforcement officers. The unit is responsible for the recovery and forensic examination of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices.
• Congratulations to Lt. Ken Zbiegien who has been chosen as the “Outstanding Criminal Justice Student/Graduate for 2013.” Lt. Zbiegien will be receiving his award at the Lakeland Community College Academic Awards Ceremony on May 9. Lt. Zbiegien is currently working on his sssociate’s degree at Lakeland.
Engineering
• 2013 Sidewalk Repair Program — The Engineering Department is continuing with sidewalk inspections for Zone 3B. Brambleside Lane, Union Street, Chase Drive, Inland Shores Drive, Captains Ct., Lighthouse Ct., Anchor Drive, Bay Ridge Ct., Manry Ct., Melshore Drive, Reynolds Rd., Ford Drive, Carter Blvd., Faye Lane and parts of Lakeshore Blvd. and Brooks Blvd. have been inspected for sidewalk deficiencies. Sidewalks that are identified as deficient have been marked with paint in the field.
• TC Construction has begun working on Burridge Avenue and will be progressing to the west, making repairs on sidewalks in Zone 2B under the 2012 Sidewalk Repair Program.
• Station Street Resurfacing Project — On April 29, Karvo Paving is scheduled to begin work on the resurfacing of Station Street from Jackson Street to Center Street. The scheduled completion date for this project is June 12.
Parks and Recreation Department
• Black Brook Golf Course updates:
o There were 84 participants in the 51st Annual Mud Open
o Adult and Junior Golf Schools started this week. Five adults were registered for Tuesday; Thursday’s adult class and Saturday’s junior class are full
o The practice center is finished on the right side and seeded.
• Mentor Lagoons updates:
o Yearly dredging has begun at the Lagoons’ channel entrance.
o Water service was turned on at docks A, B and C; D and E will be on by the weekend and the public restrooms are functional.
• There were 287 clients served through AARP at the Mentor Senior Center during this tax season.
• The Summer Brochure has been reviewed and sent to the printer. Distribution date is April 25 and will also be available online. Summer registration beings April 29 for residents and May 2 for nonresidents.
• Plans are moving ahead for the Marines to be in Mentor for the “Take Pride in America” presentation on June 19.
• Preparation has started for opening the pools this year. The filtration system plans for Garfield Pool have been approved by the State Department of Public Health. Once the paperwork is received and reviewed, the project will be placed out to bid.
• The 50th Anniversary Lecture program has gone very well and the five-lecture series program will be offered again in the fall.
• Memorial Day Parade letters have been sent to Mentor Veterans organizations, the schools and past participants asking for their participation again this year.
Economic and Community Development
• Tom Thielman participated in his monthly radio show on 1330 WELW. Topic of conversation was the upcoming Lake County Business Symposium at Lakeland Community College on May 15, 2013. MEACO is involved in planning the day’s speakers and helps sponsor the event, which features seminars on marketing, finance, operations, and technology for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Tom Thielman met with Julie Burden-Lindner, Vice President, and Dawn Huber, Business Banker, both from JP Morgan Chase, regarding the benefits of working with the Mentor Economic Assistance Corporation, and provided information about the Mentor Small Business Micro-Loan Program.
• Ron Traub met with representatives of the Comptroller of the Currency, Administrator of National Banks, regarding an overview of the local economy.
Finance
• Hearings on H.B. 5 are expected to restart next week. The bill is purportedly designed to make municipal tax laws uniform across the state. Opposition to the bill continues to be centered around the potential significant reductions in local tax revenues and the loss of critical control for Ohio cities.
Public Works Department
• Sod repair - Citywide
• Cleaned storm sewer - Garfield Park
• Leaf removal from storm ditch at Mentor Lagoons
• Re-defining ditches on Jordan Drive
• Cleared storm sewer blockage - 7651 SR 84
• Cleaning planting beds – Wildwood CC, Norton Parkway
• Morton pool prep and draining
• Ball field maintenance
• Replacing restroom floors at Mentor Beach Park
• Civic Center pool preparation
• Inlet basin rebuilds - Qual Point
• Crack sealing - Tyler Blvd.
• Cut pavement for new traffic loops - Plaza Blvd.
-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy
Manager Comments
• U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce spoke Friday at the newly renovated Holiday Inn on Route 306 (former Comfort Inn). He discussed the status of budget discussions, important pending legislation (such as his co-sponsorship of a bill that would eliminate the medical device tax in the Affordable Care Act), and answered numerous questions. Afterward, some were treated to a tour of the renovated hotel, which came out beautifully. A total of $5 million was invested in the complete renovation of all rooms and facilities.
• On Tuesday, 12 K-9 units from Mentor and surrounding law enforcement agencies conducted a drug sweep at Mentor High School. The sweep was requested by the school administration and coordinated by Mentor Police. All of the lockers were searched, including locker room lockers. The K-9s alerted on a few lockers, which were searched by school administrators. No drugs were located in any of the lockers.
• Friday morning the NOACA Regional Transportation Investment Subcommittee voted to approve our request for approximately $115,000 in additional funding ($715,000 total) for the Morton Headlands Trail Connector Phase 2 Project. This project is currently listed in our cap plan as the Corduroy Bikeway Connector Phase 1 project and constructs bike lanes along Jordan Drive from Corduroy Road to South Rambler. The recommendation now goes to the Transportation Advisory Committee, and then to the Governing Board final approval. It is very likely the additional fund will be granted.
Fire Department
• On April 12 at 12:56 p.m., Paramedics responded to a person hit by a car. Upon arrival, the patient was seated in a store with knee pain. Patient refused to be transported at this time. A release was signed.
• On April 12 at 3:12 p.m., Paramedics responded to a possible overdose. Upon arrival, the patient was treated and transported to Lake West Health.
• On April 12 at 4:06 p.m., Mentor Fire responded to a dumpster fire next to a loading dock on Tyler Boulevard. Upon arrival, it was discovered the fire was contained to the dumpster; however, smoke filled the building. Due to the height of the dumpster, the aerial ladder was set up to apply water directly from above the fire. Smoke was cleared in the building; through an inspection it was discovered that an overhead door next to the fire had burned. Value was estimated at $500.
• On April 14 at 1:15 p.m., Mentor Fire responded to a possible structure fire on Shandle Boulevard. Upon arrival, there was a working fire on the exterior of the home. Per the home owner, cold ashes from the food smoker were dumped into the garbage can and apparently caught the siding on fire. Fire was extinguished, live power lines were secured. Loss is estimated at $25,000. There were no injuries.
• On April 15 at 1:38 p.m., Mentor Fire responded to an oven fire at a church. Upon arrival, they found an electric heating element was broken causing arcing and burning. Electric was disconnected and the church was advised not to turn power back on until serviced by a qualified appliance repair person.
• On April 16 at 10:32 a.m., Paramedics responded to a home on Beechwood Drive for a patient with chest pains. Upon arrival it was discovered that the home was in the process of having a search warrant carried out by Mentor Police Department and the Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The patient refused treatment at this time.
Police Department
• On April 13, a male was arrested for possession of ecstasy and carrying a concealed weapon. Officers conducted a traffic stop and questioned the driver. The male was nervous and said the pants he was wearing were not his. Officers located one ecstasy pill in his pocket. Officers also located a loaded semi-auto handgun in the vehicle.
• On Wednesday, Ptl. Erik Kupchik, a member of the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force, participated in the execution of several search warrants of Internet Cafés in Cuyahoga County. The Task Force was responsible for recovering any and all electronic equipment associated with the illegal activities at the Cafés. The Electronic Crimes Task Force is a multi-agency unit consisting of Federal, State and Local law enforcement officers. The unit is responsible for the recovery and forensic examination of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices.
• Congratulations to Lt. Ken Zbiegien who has been chosen as the “Outstanding Criminal Justice Student/Graduate for 2013.” Lt. Zbiegien will be receiving his award at the Lakeland Community College Academic Awards Ceremony on May 9. Lt. Zbiegien is currently working on his sssociate’s degree at Lakeland.
Engineering
• 2013 Sidewalk Repair Program — The Engineering Department is continuing with sidewalk inspections for Zone 3B. Brambleside Lane, Union Street, Chase Drive, Inland Shores Drive, Captains Ct., Lighthouse Ct., Anchor Drive, Bay Ridge Ct., Manry Ct., Melshore Drive, Reynolds Rd., Ford Drive, Carter Blvd., Faye Lane and parts of Lakeshore Blvd. and Brooks Blvd. have been inspected for sidewalk deficiencies. Sidewalks that are identified as deficient have been marked with paint in the field.
• TC Construction has begun working on Burridge Avenue and will be progressing to the west, making repairs on sidewalks in Zone 2B under the 2012 Sidewalk Repair Program.
• Station Street Resurfacing Project — On April 29, Karvo Paving is scheduled to begin work on the resurfacing of Station Street from Jackson Street to Center Street. The scheduled completion date for this project is June 12.
Parks and Recreation Department
• Black Brook Golf Course updates:
o There were 84 participants in the 51st Annual Mud Open
o Adult and Junior Golf Schools started this week. Five adults were registered for Tuesday; Thursday’s adult class and Saturday’s junior class are full
o The practice center is finished on the right side and seeded.
• Mentor Lagoons updates:
o Yearly dredging has begun at the Lagoons’ channel entrance.
o Water service was turned on at docks A, B and C; D and E will be on by the weekend and the public restrooms are functional.
• There were 287 clients served through AARP at the Mentor Senior Center during this tax season.
• The Summer Brochure has been reviewed and sent to the printer. Distribution date is April 25 and will also be available online. Summer registration beings April 29 for residents and May 2 for nonresidents.
• Plans are moving ahead for the Marines to be in Mentor for the “Take Pride in America” presentation on June 19.
• Preparation has started for opening the pools this year. The filtration system plans for Garfield Pool have been approved by the State Department of Public Health. Once the paperwork is received and reviewed, the project will be placed out to bid.
• The 50th Anniversary Lecture program has gone very well and the five-lecture series program will be offered again in the fall.
• Memorial Day Parade letters have been sent to Mentor Veterans organizations, the schools and past participants asking for their participation again this year.
Economic and Community Development
• Tom Thielman participated in his monthly radio show on 1330 WELW. Topic of conversation was the upcoming Lake County Business Symposium at Lakeland Community College on May 15, 2013. MEACO is involved in planning the day’s speakers and helps sponsor the event, which features seminars on marketing, finance, operations, and technology for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Tom Thielman met with Julie Burden-Lindner, Vice President, and Dawn Huber, Business Banker, both from JP Morgan Chase, regarding the benefits of working with the Mentor Economic Assistance Corporation, and provided information about the Mentor Small Business Micro-Loan Program.
• Ron Traub met with representatives of the Comptroller of the Currency, Administrator of National Banks, regarding an overview of the local economy.
Finance
• Hearings on H.B. 5 are expected to restart next week. The bill is purportedly designed to make municipal tax laws uniform across the state. Opposition to the bill continues to be centered around the potential significant reductions in local tax revenues and the loss of critical control for Ohio cities.
Public Works Department
• Sod repair - Citywide
• Cleaned storm sewer - Garfield Park
• Leaf removal from storm ditch at Mentor Lagoons
• Re-defining ditches on Jordan Drive
• Cleared storm sewer blockage - 7651 SR 84
• Cleaning planting beds – Wildwood CC, Norton Parkway
• Morton pool prep and draining
• Ball field maintenance
• Replacing restroom floors at Mentor Beach Park
• Civic Center pool preparation
• Inlet basin rebuilds - Qual Point
• Crack sealing - Tyler Blvd.
• Cut pavement for new traffic loops - Plaza Blvd.
-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy
posted by News-Herald Blogs at
3:15 PM
1 Comments:
and we seniors would like to read: "plans are in place to have the Auditors office conduct a survey as to the number of senior citizen home owners that would benefit when the homestead tax exemption is re-evaluated so it does not fluctuate when property taxes are increased. It is indeed time for the seniors to be considered in eliminating the cost of waste management and utilities. Back so to speak where it once was.
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