CITY OF ROCKY RIVER

JUNE 1, 2009

The Committee-of-the-Whole was called to order by Mr. Moran, President of Council, at 8:00 p.m.

Council Members Present: Mr. Hunt, Mr. Shepherd, Mr. Furry, Mrs. Arabian Whitman,

Mr. Long, Mr. Moran

Absent: Mr. Mylen

Administration: Mayor Bobst, Mr. Linden

Law Director: Mr. Bemer

Press: Ms. Macho, Ms. Pritchard

The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

President Moran expressed condolences to the family of Glenn Combes, a long-time resident who served the community as president of the Rocky River Little League from 1957 on. He commented that Mr. Combes' service was very much appreciated and that he will be missed.

MAYOR'S REPORT:

The Mayor echoed Mr. Moran's comments, adding that she will miss the annual call to talk about Little League and the first pitch. Thoughts and prayers were extended to his family.

The restrictors installed close to sewer openings earlier in the spring are being adjusted because during heavy spring rainfalls, the streets are not clearing rapidly enough. Safety-Service Director Linden and Service Commissioner Winterich are overseeing the adjustments.

There are currently 15 applications in process for the County's Storefront Renovation Rebate Program.

The "rating the suburbs" issue of Cleveland Magazine was released last week, and the Mayor was pleased to announce that Rocky River placed at # 5, and is the best in the west. Also in this issue was the supplement featuring Rocky River together with a large advertising supplement for 11 River, the new residential development in the City. The Mayor thanked Mr. Koran, the Economic and Community Development Director, and his assistant, Mrs. Wagner who assembled the submission.

On Sunday, the first program of the summer concert series will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Senior Center and in keeping with tradition, features the Community Band and Community Chorus.

Beach cleanup will be Thursday and Friday. The Mayor explained the difficulties because debris collects following every rain or windstorm. This cleanup will be extensive and the Service Department will continue to monitor the beach area.

The Valley View Water Line Project is now complete.

Two abstracts submitted by the West Shore Council of Governments have been accepted by EfficientGov.Now, a program which seeks collaborative projects entered by more than one city to save time and money. The two projects accepted were one for regional fire collaboration and consolidation, the other to hire a sustainability coordinator who will review cost and energy saving measures for the West Shore communities. Upon acceptance of the abstracts, larger proposals were drafted and submitted. Residents will be able to vote on the organization's website; each project illustrates cost savings to the participating community and will mean $100,000 to that community.

Discussion: Mr. Hunt thanked the Administration for its work to clean up the beach, particularly since some residents have expressed concern about that issue. Further, concerning the restrictors, he asked if tree debris, particularly seeds, have impacted their efficiency. Mr. Linden said that was probably a part of the problem, and that the department will continue to adjust the restrictors for maximum efficiency.

ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR'S REPORT:

Mr. Koran began his report with commercial properties on Center Ridge Road:

The second Center Ridge Road Corporate Corridor Networking Forum, held on April 29, had an exciting agenda:

• •Beginning at 8:00 a.m., Mr. Koran summarized the high school survey
• •Presentations were made on the Storefront Rebate program
• •Cuyahoga Corporate College discussed its training grant program
• •Chamber of Commerce representatives discussed the benefits of membership
• •The Buy River card program was explained
• •Finally, there was an opportunity for the Center Ridge businesses to talk about themselves and the services they offer.

Mr. Koran then discussed the Incubator Project, modeled after a similar project in Beachwood. Mr. Paul Gallagher introduced the idea at a Chamber meeting, and a committee was formed to encourage new businesses with a focus on technology and green technology as well as medical technology companies, particularly in the Center Ridge corridor.

Further development on Center Ridge: lots have been cleared and the foundation is in for the new First Merit Bank at Center Ridge and Plymouth. Mr. Koran said, interestingly, that in the light of the current economy, First Merit had announced the postponement of its expansion plans, but in view of the site, has opted to go forward with this new building.

Some of the vacancies at 20575 Center Ridge have been filled with several new tenants, including Dr. McNamee who vacated his house to make way for the First Merit building and University Hospitals which has taken half of the fifth floor. In addition, a call center has moved in on the first floor.

Rocky's River Pour House, a new restaurant, is doing very well.

There has been no news regarding Rockport. As suggested by Council members, Mr. Koran has approached Mr. Fisher regarding mixed use, and although the property owner will consider it, he is focused on commercial applications.

On Wooster Road, ASAP Fitness has opened and seems to be doing well. Great Scott Bakery is also doing well after its expansion.

On Detroit Road, Leonardo's Bridal is now located in the River Terrace Building, and Mr. Koran said that the shop is spacious and very attractive.

• •On Old Detroit Road, Stino's is expanding, and Mr. Koran was pleased to report that the road is almost 100% occupied.



• •Timan Custom Windows at 19317 is doing well and will be a sponsor of the Business to Business show. It will also sign up for the Buy River card program.



• •BeachCliff Market Square has done well since Bill Brink has taken over as the new manager. He is also working with a new bead shop which will be coming soon. New landscaping and many events have also helped them.



• •Unfortunately, Rite-Aid on Detroit Road has closed.



• •Kelly Martin's buildings are now fully occupied except for the former Urban Home store at 20033 on the south side. The building on the north side is fully occupied where Workflow.com and Re/Max have moved in.



• •Mr. Koran also commented that for the first time in many years there are vacancies on Detroit Road, and he also said that, generally, when commercial vacancies occur, they last longer than previously, both here and elsewhere in the county. Two sizeable vacancies have occurred at 20200 (10,000 s.f.) and 19800 (23,000 s.f.).

On Linda Street, the restaurant to be located at the former city service garage is still being developed. They have finally succeeded in procuring a liquor license from the Peking House and are now working on a parking issue.

Mr. Koran said he is trying to publicize the county's Storefront Renovation Rebate Program which provides a 30% rebate up to $6000 on any exterior improvement, plus 5% if the improvement is deemed by the county as sustainable, e.g. the glass block windows installed by Leo Luck's which will improve energy efficiency. He said that this program requires a minimum of paperwork and many restrictions that he has seen in other programs do not apply. Fifteen businesses have already applied and some, like the block of Bucci's, SJM and Hilliard Cleaners will spend a considerable amount ($45,000) and receive a sizeable rebate ($13,000). A new business, Mike Urban Chiropractic will receive a $700 rebate on a $2000 sign.

In residential development, 11 River Place had a well-attended groundbreaking last Friday and received a great deal of media attention. He noted that their financing is in place, and that each of the 11 sites on the river will have a boat slip and private pool. Although the units start at $700,000, Mr. Koran reminded everyone that the developers incurred considerable expense in developing the site and the building materials they used are quite expensive. This is an $8 million investment in Rocky River.

• •Mr. Koran was excited to announce that five of the eight available units at John Chandler's Grand View on River Oaks have been sold. Mr. Chandler has told Mr. Koran that he has reservations for two units in the next building which should be starting soon.



• •Hamlets East is still being redesigned to meet approval by the Planning Commission.



• •For Beachcliff Row, there is no news.



• •Home additions are still coming in at a good rate.

In institutional development, Westwood Country Club's new building is complete and will host the next Chamber of Commerce meeting after an absence of 18 months.

• •Rocky River United Methodist Church's addition is complete.

In general news, as reported by the Mayor, Cleveland Magazine has rated the City # 5 of 76 and the schools, # 8.

• •The Detroit Road Streetscape project is continuing. City Architecture is working in partnership with Mackay Engineering to prepare plans and specifications for the project.



• •The Lake Road project is beginning. The City has received an extension for the $100,000 grant it received for pedestrian enhancements and will finish that next year.



• •The Administration and consultant have been busy revising the Development Code. One of the most significant changes is the innovative mixed use overlay zoning concept where a zoning is not changed, but an overlay is created so that in any location within a given area, certain other uses will be permitted with approval from City Council and all Boards and Commissions, including residential and commercial. He noted that other fairly significant changes will be made.
• •Tomorrow Mr. Koran, together with Liz Manning and Jim Reidl of the Chamber will attend a Team NEO program. The City has been named a finalist for the cooperative efforts between the City and the Chamber which have resulted in many fine programs. The winner of the competition will be named tomorrow evening.

Discussion: Mr. Furry asked about Meritain's move from Rocky River. Mr. Koran commented that the property had been sold by John Spielberger to an out-of-state owner. He acknowledged that it created a large vacancy in the City and is unfortunate for its neighbors, but said that already there is interest in the site.

Mr. Bemer said that the Urban Chiropractic sign had been approved this evening at the meeting of the Design Board.

In addition, he said he was disturbed by the Plain Dealer article concerning property values, citing a 9% decline last year and 17% over the last two years, which he feels is inconsistent with other figures. Mr. Koran agreed, saying that another problem is that properties are selling, but financing is not being approved because of requirements that banks hire appraisers that are distanced from them who make low appraisals. This causes problems with loan approval which prevents property transfer. Mr. Furry agreed with Mr. Koran's analysis, also citing lenders' liquidity of capital as a problem which can cause delays in transfers also. He said that, in his experience, appraised values are somewhat down, but not near Plain Dealer estimates.

Mr. Long asked about Mr. Kelly's property at Beachcliff Row. Mr. Koran said that there has been no action on that property.

Mr. Moran noted that there are many positive signs of investment in the City, including the new businesses.

Mr. Hunt asked about the Lake Road project and its impact on businesses located in the construction zone. Mr. Koran said they have to expect less traffic and fewer customers, but he hopes that they can survive. He encouraged all residents to continue to patronize their regular businesses.

Mayor Bobst, noting that the new Development Code will be presented to Council in the near future, commented that the working group will meeting once more and the hope is that the draft will be sent to Council in mid-July. From there it will be forwarded to the Planning Commission for their review and recommendation, taking perhaps 60-90 days. It will then be returned to Council for discussion. She noted that Council and the boards and commissions have had an opportunity to review the document and contribute ideas. She said it is a perfect reflection of the process in the master plan and predicted that Council members and residents will be pleased with the final result because it addresses many issues that have caused concern. It will be tested with reference to current agendas of the boards and commissions to see if it works in actual cases. A protocol will also be put in place for future review of the Development Code according to a formal process.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Ordinance No. 32-09: Mr. Hunt noted that this ordinance, authorizing a contract with Community Challenge, was read for the first time last week. This organization seeks to lessen alcohol and drug use in the youth of the City. Mr. Hunt explained that the agreement has been in place for some years, and that in 2007 and 2008, services were authorized up to $43,500 per year, which is more than this year's request. He indicated that they sponsor projects such as summer fun days, basketball challenge cup and other services for youngsters as outlined in Exhibit "A". He requested figures from the year-end report.

• •The Mayor indicated that the complete 2008 report has been provided as well as that for the first quarter of 2009. The Administration has reviewed the proposal with rigorous scrutiny and reduced the funding to $32,000, still keeping in place services most heavily used, like eduvention, some community projects and the newsletter. She explained that when the quarterly report is received, it is analyzed to see what services were actually provided, and those are the services which are funded. For example, $5,250, as appropriated in the budget, will be paid for the first quarter based upon the services provided. Additional programming efforts are being made, and the City will continue to work with them. She also noted that the City does not have a contract with Community Challenge: a proposal is submitted which is reviewed by the Administration. Once services are provided, they are evaluated and payment is made based on the evaluation.



• •Mrs. Arabian Whitman said that she has been a part of Community Challenge for many years, beginning as a student in Rocky River schools and continuing as a board member for six years and an officer of the organization. She is now on the Coalition as the Council representative, and she testified as to the wonderful work they do for the community, in both public and private schools. She said they have a positive impact both on individual families and the community as a whole.

Mr. Moran thanked Councilwoman Arabian Whitman for her involvement with this organization and wondered if it would be possible to schedule a presentation to Council to update any changes. The Mayor suggested that when their proposal is submitted in the fall, it would be a good opportunity to update Council members.

Mr. Moran asked about the name. Mayor Bobst explained that although they have a strategic partnership with Recovery Resources, documents submitted to Council indicate that the name is Community Challenge.

MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS:

Council President Moran offered congratulations to Andrea Hobson, whose father, Fred, is a City employee, for being the only state meet qualifier in pole vault with a personal best of 10' 4".

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Mr. Moran noted that in-depth committee reports will begin next week. There will be one presentation per week until the end of July.

NEW BUSINESS:

Resolution No. 33-09: Mr. Hunt explained that this ordinance, authorizing an agreement with The Irish Barber through its president, Sean Gormley, has been under consideration for some time. He thanked the Law Director for making the amendments to the Cooperation Agreement, attached as Exhibit "A", which were requested by Council members. He then asked if any members had any objections, and hearing none, observed that he was comfortable requesting passage of the resolution and agreement as presented. He said that the agreement restricts use of the liquor license to Council's ideas of its proper use, stating that while this body will not oppose the transfer, Mr. Gormley will be responsible for the requirements of the Liquor License Division regarding the TREX application.

Working drafts: Mr. Bemer noted that initial drafts of proposed ordinances had been distributed this evening. These are the result of changes that were recommended by the Police Division at the last meeting of the Safety Committee. There was a recommendation for changes to fees for various parking violations: basic, parking in a fire lane or tow away zone and handicap. He has also attached a survey of other west shore communities for comparison. The penalty section, 351.99 has been drafted, but another probably needs updating as well because it goes to the issue of failure to respond in any way. The section updated deals with response within 48 or 96 hours. He asked for review this week and for Council members to pass along suggestions so that the formal ordinance can be drafted.

• •Currently, the basic parking fine is $5 if paid within 48 hours and $8 within 96 hours. He recommends a change to $10 and $20 respectively.



• •The fire lane violations are currently $15 and $18 and it has been changed to $20 and $25.



• •Currently there is a $100 freestanding ordinance with a penalty phase in the ordinance. He recommends combining that ordinance with this section, retaining the $100 fine.

The second ordinance, Code section 139.04, looks at modifying the current $8 storage fee if cars are towed. He recommends changing that fee to $15.

The Mayor remarked that these recommendations were made by Police Chief Wagner in his presentation to Mr. Shepherd's Safety Committee.

Mr. Moran commented that unsafe situations can be created by illegal parking. When fines are extremely low, many motorists are not motivated to park legally. He said that $10 is still very conservative.

Mr. Bemer also suggested that the minor misdemeanor charge of $25 may need updating as well and invited Council comments.

As there was no further business by members of Council, the meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

______________________________ ______________________________

James W. Moran Misao Kurokawa

President of Council Clerk of Council