Council to Have “Comprehensive Conversation” About Proposed Mega GETGO Development Plan This Week

MEGA GETGO DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT

Council President Cathy Murphy wants to have a “comprehensive conversation” with developer Lance Osborne about his proposed mega GetGo development plan during this week’s Committee of the Whole meeting.
That meeting will take place on June 19th, 8 pm, Highland Heights City Hall.

Murphy has warned Osborne---several times---that the details of the development agreement (and its many appendices) have to be nailed down before Council votes to put a GetGo-related zoning issue on the November ballot.

The Board of Elections’ deadline for approving the zoning issue is August 6th . There are only 3 regularly scheduled Council meetings remaining before Council begins its annual August recess.

Tick, tick, tick.

When asked where things stood, Law Director Tim Paluf reported that he had met with Osborne recently and that Osborne’s lawyer sent some materials to him, but he hadn’t had time to look at them.

Meanwhile, as a sign of good faith, Council heard a first of three required readings of the zoning issue legislation.

Some residents seemed confused about Council’s involvement with the proposed mega GetGo development.

It’s pretty clear to me that Council is simply doing its duty, trying to protect residents’ Charter rights with regard to the zoning issue and trying to get the best possible deal for the city.

Their official involvement doesn’t mean that Council members personally support or endorse the project—far from it. Like the rest of the community, Council members appear to be split on the issue.

Bottom line, the only opinion that really counts is the opinion of Highland Heights residents.
Ultimately it will be up to them to say Yes or No to GetGo.

 ROAD WORK CONTRACT

Council unanimously approved the $599,620 bid submitted by Specialized Construction for 2012 road work and miscellaneous concrete repairs.

Council did not go along with the suggestion that Service Director Thom Evans put forth last week: that Council authorize engineer Brian Mader to order “nonperformance” of the over-estimate concrete repair work and allow Evans to informally award that work (i.e. without public bidding) to a contractor of his own choosing.

FINAL WORK ON THE NEW CITY GAZEBO REMAINS UNDONE

Last September, Council accepted Monarch Construction’s $ 85,376 bid to construct a gazebo on the municipal center green space.

http://www.highlandhts.com/docs/city_council/minutes/2011/09-13-11_council_minutes.htm

It’s been 9 months, and the contractor still hasn’t fulfilled its obligations to the city.
The area around the gazebo needs to be reseeded, and the waffling and/or hole-ridden sections of the exterior soffits need to be fixed and/or replaced.

Council President Cathy Murphy was quite perturbed that the contractor was taking so long to satisfactorily complete the small and relatively simple project. She told engineer Brian Mader:

“Please talk to the law director. I’d like to see some activity on it. It’s been along time.”

Monarch also won an above-estimate contract to install the Community Park’s new Party Barn.
Mader told Council he would develop a final punch list for that project soon.

Mayor Scott Coleman already had one item to add to that list:

“The inside sliding door facing the parking lot has only one locking mechanism. Someone could pry the door open and squeeze in there. There needs to be a locking mechanism on both sides.”

For more pictures of the gazebo, and to read about the real estate investor who is interested in developing the land south of Hawthorne Drive, go to: www.amyferan.com.