Westshore Council of Governments (WCOG) meeting, Nov. 13, 2019
This report is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Official minutes are prepared by Mayor Summers' office.
Present: Mayors Summers (Lakewood) presiding; Kennedy (North Olmsted), Bobst (Rocky River), Patton (Fairview Park), Koomar (Bay Village), and Renee Mahoney, COG Fiscal Officer.
Guests: County Council members Nan Baker and Dale Miller. Mayor Summers welcomed Meghan George, newly elected to replace him as Lakewood mayor; and Patrick Cooney (not present), elected to replace Mayor Patton of Fairview Park. He explained the background of WCOG and noted that the police chiefs and fire chiefs also meet monthly to discuss common issues.
The meeting was called to order at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 11:30 a.m.
Fiscal Officer’s Report: Budget allocations for enforcement in 2020 went according to previous years.
RTA: The new president will come to next WCOG meeting. There is still a vacancy on their board. Patton stated that Fairview is having safety problems with the transit station on Center Ridge where there is no off-street parking and people have been sleeping in the heated shelter. She wants to know the role of the transit police. Are there general safety regulations? She will bring up these concerns at the end of the next meeting, as they may need to have a separate conversation.
NOACA: Nothing new to report.
Land Bank: Cuyahoga County councilman Dale Miller reported that the Land Bank is making a strategic shift, turning to restoration rather than demolition. Summers asked who will replace him on the appointed Land Bank board after he is no longer mayor and indicated interest in remaining as a private citizen.
County Planning Commission: The new director should be invited to a future WCOG meeting. Summers noted that he expects to see a lot of work on I-90 in the next 2-3 years and answers are needed about possible traffic issues.
Mayors and Managers Association: The next meeting will include training for the new mayors. The Lakefront Trail project, proposed by Cuyahoga County is beginning stage and will be described at the next WCOG meeting.
Other issues: Recycling and its costs: What happens with city contracts? Rocky River and Lakewood handle their own recycling, so they don’t have contracts with haulers. Surcharges are coming. Bobst stated that the cities have to be honest and careful with residents in explaining the changes. Where a city used to get paid for recycled materials, now the city has to pay to have it hauled away. Contaminated bags go to landfill. People don’t want to abandon their habits, but these are the realities. The best option may be for citizens to buy fewer single-use items, or packaging, in the first place.
Old Business: Reserve engine: The possibility of sharing the expense of a new fire engine will be discussed by the fire chiefs at their meeting.
Home Rule and Plastic Bag Ban: The mayors stated that if the bag ban isn’t communicated or implemented well, cities will be forced to react. Charter cities can pass laws that supersede county laws now, but state action could possibly change this. Cities aren’t sure what they are expected to do about implementation and enforcement. Councilman Miller noted that the enforcement date has been changed to Jan. 1, 2020, which may serve as a soft roll-out. He said that this is a consumer-driven law, thus voluntary compliance is key. The county’s Consumer Affairs Department visits stores regularly and will be able to communicate if they see non-compliance. Councilwoman Nan Baker admitted that the county acted on this legislation without reaching out to local mayors. Summers said he will ask State Rep. David Greenspan and State Sen. Matt Dolan for the status of H.B. 242 and S.B. 222, which would allow the use of “alternate containers.”
The next WCOG meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 9:30 a.m. in Bay Village City Hall. All meetings are open to the public.