Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Mentor may cast its line into Lagoons fishing tourney

Mentor may offer a new fishing tournament, some changes are coming to the Route 2 construction project, and the city’s first community garden is about to open. Those items and more in the latest city manager memo to City Council:

• Recreation Superintendent Paul Hegreness is working with a group to sponsor a perch fishing tournament at the end of July. The tournament will be based in the Lagoons with the money raised going to the Wounded Warrior Fund. Stay tuned for more information.
• SR 2 Widening – The contractor was to switch traffic to the new lanes in the eastbound direction last weekend and westbound traffic is expected to be switched to the new lanes this weekend. Center Street widening and the Heisley ramp work are ongoing.
• The Community Garden sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and Lake Health in cooperation with the City will hold its official opening planting. Join us at the garden on Wednesday at 9 a.m. for the official ceremony. 

Manager’s comments
• Negotiations with the Part-time Firefighters Union have gone well and a tentative agreement has been reached on all issues.  On a related note, six part-time firefighter candidates have been reviewed and approved and have been offered positions with the Department.
• State Auditor Dave Yost visited the City of Mentor on Monday, May 14 at 11 a.m. The Auditor will be presenting the Auditor of State Award with Distinction to the City for its most recently released financial audit FY 2010 and discussing the Lake County Capital Utilization Study with David Malinowski and me.
• Ron Traub, Tom Thielman and I met this week with an international trade consultant with extensive experience in Greater Cleveland regarding our International Trade Initiative. Ron and Tom also met with the Director of the International Trade Assistance Center (ITAC).
• The Restaurant Showcase Chamber event at Mentor Beach Park last Wednesday was a great success.  Nearly 150 people attended the event and were joined by 17 different dining and catering establishments.  The feedback was very positive and the Chamber is gearing up for a 2013 Showcase. 
• Terms for city representatives from Lake County on the OPWC District 7 Integrating Committee expire May 17. The nominating process for new representatives was coordinated by my office in accordance with ORC, as the largest city in the County. Two nomination slates were offered from among the cities, both of which were unanimously approved. I am one representative, with Kirtland Mayor Mark Tyler as an alternate; and Mentor-on-the-Lake Administrator Kip Molenaar is the other representative, with Willoughby Mayor Dave Anderson as his alternate. We will serve three year terms.

Fire Department
• On May 8, the Department responded to a male who passed out. Paramedic crews were able to successfully resuscitate the male from full cardiac arrest.
• On May 10 at 1:22 a.m., fire crews were dispatched to a fire alarm at Comfort Inn. Crews arrived to find smoke in the pool mechanical room. Their investigation revealed a problem with the motor from the pool heater, but no fire. The area was ventilated and power to the motor was secured. No evacuation was required.
• On May 10 at 7:56 a.m., fire crews were called to 9443 Mentor Ave. for a low pressure gas leak. The leak occurred when a construction crew struck a 1-1/4” natural gas line. Fire crews isolated the area and ensured that the leak did not pose a hazard to the neighboring businesses. The leak was repaired without further incident.
• On May 10 at 3:54 p.m., paramedic crews responded for a 30-year-old male, who suffered a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the head. He was treated at the scene and transported to Sterling Morton School where fire crews setup a landing zone for Metro Life Flight. 
• Third-grade educational tours of the Children Safety House are continuing.
• Hydrant flushing and testing continues.

Police Department
• Olivia Weber, who escaped from custody at Lake West Hospital, was captured on May 7. Members of the Detective Bureau received a tip that she was at a physician’s office in Concord. They responded to the office and arrested her.
• The police department’s Facebook page has now reached over 3000 “likes.”

Engineering and Building Department
• 2012 Road Program – Work on the concrete streets in the 2012 Road Repair Program has begun in the Pinegate Subdivision. Concrete sawing began the week of April 30. In regards to the asphalt portion of the 2012 Road Repair Program, approximately 15 streets have been completed (This equates to approximately 50% completion of scheduled streets.) The contractor anticipates being substantially complete with the asphalt portion of the program in early June.

Parks and Recreation Department
• Last week the Safe Routes to School program sponsored Bike to School Day at Orchard Hollow. The 75 students plus parents and grandparents met at the Pinegate Pool to start their ride to school as a group. The group was joined by two of Mentor Bike Police who gave safe rider citations to all the children that showed up with helmets. This was a first time event and judging from this year’s participation we will expand to other schools.
• The Mentor Lagoons Marina rack operation started last Friday. The rack will be running on 8 a.m. -8 p.m. Saturdays, and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays until Memorial weekend.

Economic and Community Development
• Ron Traub met with a European manufacturer and his U.S. agent regarding contract manufacturing a product in the city.
• Terry Botirus is attending a training seminar given by the National Association of Development Companies covering the loan closing process for SBA 504 loans. The loan closing training is conducted by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 designated closing counsel providing attorneys and administrators an in depth education on the process.
• Tom Thielman participated in his monthly radio show as part of WELW -1330’s Small Business Talk Radio Show. Topics included the SBA 504 Refinancing Loan Program and new businesses opening in Mentor.

Finance Department
• The City received $217,000. from Time Warner and AT&T for video service franchise fees for the first quarter of calendar year 2012. Annual revenue from this source is estimated at $760,000.

Public Works Department
• The Public Works activity highlights this week were:  Crack sealing Broadmoor Road from Mentor Ave. to Rt. 84 is complete; 8165 Broadmoor Road, concrete slab jacking complete in south bound lane; Silvermound Drive., repair of two inlet structures; Dove Lane., installed chain gate at access to Blackbrook Practice Center; Rt. 306 & Tyler Blvd., installed new concrete pad for pedestrian access to pushbutton for signal actuation; Washington Ave., replaced asphalt at driveway aprons and storm sewer crossover; Park Maintenance, mowing and lining of baseball, soccer and football fields; and Civic Center Pool painting and miscellaneous plumbing repairs are complete.

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

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