Greenway Corridor, Budget Discussed At Town Hall Meeting

Mayfield Village residents had an opportunity to ask questions about the current state of the village’s financial affairs and its 2012 capital expenditures with Mayor Bruce Rinker at a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday night.

Rinker’s presentation, along with assistance from Finance Director Ronald Wynne, focused mainly on various elements of the Greenway Corridor project which the village plans to have completed next year.

Rinker said that when the Greenway Corridor is finished, a 2½-mile trail will run from Wilson Mills Rd. to White Rd. This will provide walking access to Center Elementary School, Wiley Park, the future county library site, amphitheater and the North Chagrin Metropark.

The mayor drew attention to this year’s capital projects and outlined their costs for Wiley Park ($20,000), the road program that covers the North Aintree neighborhood ($971,000), Town Center Green expansion ($150,000), the Amphitheatre ($37,000), the Highland Road sidewalk ($125,000) and the library driveway ($175,000).

“With all these improvements, it’ll be well integrated, something that’s aesthetically pleasing and very useful for residents and should get a lot of wear over the years,” Rinker said.

David Hoehnen, 72, who has been a 45-year resident of Mayfield Village, was concerned about how much of the library’s driveway costs will be passed on to residents. The library’s new plot is held as a partnership between the village, Progressive Insurance and the county.

“I feel the library should absorb some of the cost of the driveway, in light of the fact that they’ve been given the land at no cost to them. Basically, that’s how I feel,” Hoehnen said.

Rinker assured Hoehnen that the village is continuing to negotiate with the county on that issue.

Mary Murphy, 56, who lives in Hardwood Court at Hanover Woods, feels her development could use some help from the village to put up some new signage and help sell four homes there.

“We really haven’t had (a sign) in eight years. There’s been no sign. It’s a nice development in the village and there’s no signage on Wilson Mills,” Murphy said.

Rinker advised Murphy to rally the development’s home owners association and approach village officials about any issues with the area.

Joe Loconti, 81, who has lived in the village for 40 years, contrasted many in the audience who seemingly wanted the mayor to fix various issues in the village right away. Loconti appreciates the village’s deliberate pace.

“I like governments that take their time. I don’t like anyone rushing in and giving you a sales job. Before you know it, the money’s gone. And it’s double the budget or triple the budget,” Loconti said.

Wynne’s presentation primarily focused on the village’s finances with a power-point presentation that mostly looked at the last five years and demonstrated the challenges the village has faced in light of the economic woes many communities have endured.

As an example, the village’s budgeted revenue is expected to drop from $19,687,000 in 2011 to an estimated $17,311,000 in 2012, Wynne said.

While overall projections have been tempered with caution and the number of village employees remains the same at 37 after five years with barely a bump in wage increases, the community has been able to hold the line and maintain its services, Wynne said.

He expressed confidence the community has made the proper fiscal adjustments, but one area definitely gets the area’s residents and administration buzzing.

"I’m really not concerned about the budget. I think we’re really doing a good job of having that under control. The concern of the community is that Progressive is such a big part of who we are. What if they decide to downsize or relocate? How would we be able to react to something like that,” Wynne said.

Beyond 2012, the village will attempt to focus its road programs in the Kenwood neighborhood for streets including Kenwood Dr., Oakwood Dr., Thornapple Dr., among others, and the septic sewer conversion project.