Civil War Timeline.

 VILLAGE OF CHAGRIN FALLS
FACILITIES AND SERVICES COMMITTEE
June 22, 2009

Members present: Patton, Watterson, Milko
Also present: Himes, Bloom, Byron, Trace, White, Brosius, Vedder, Subel, Lutz, Evans, Rogoff, Lannon

The meeting was called to order at 7:15 p.m. by Chairman Steven Patton.

COLUMBARIUM WALKWAY

Mr. Himes explained that this proposed walkway was one of the items that was cut out of the budget earlier this year.

Mrs. White showed pictures of a columbarium in Hudson with a walkway around it. She said this is what they modeled their columbarium after. She said the walkway was a part of the project to begin with but there was quite a delay (about 6 months) from when the defected columbarium was removed and the new one was delivered and installed.

Mrs. White said several niches have been sold in the columbarium and they expect to sell a lot more in the near future. She said two out of four memorial benches (for cremation interments) have already been installed. They are proposing a paver surface around the columbarium and leading back to the roadway. This is primarily for the purpose of access to the columbarium for families and visitors and to complete the project. Planting/flowers are also proposed.

Mrs. White said the estimated cost of the project is $6,000, which can be done in-house by our own people in the cemetery. She said they would like to have the newspapers do a story on it when it is done but they still have this half-finished project. The Board of Cemetery Trustees have tried to raise extra money by selling single graves, which are difficult to sell because most people like to buy in pairs or larger quantities. They are doing their best to make more money than they typically would.

Mr. Watterson suggested dividing the cost of the proposed walkway by each niche and add that to the cost of the niche.

Mr. Milko suggested waiting until after more niches have been sold and ask families who purchase niches to make a donation towards the walkway.

Mr. Himes said the Mayor has given the administration a directive that, even on items that are currently in the budget, we are to refrain from spending on things that are absolutely not necessary this year without his approval.

LAND BANK PROGRAM

Mr. Himes explained that when Senlac was subdivided, the retention basin was created on two sub lots and the idea was that at some future date the retention basin would be relocated off-site and those sub lots would be sold. The subdivision was built and there was no place to move the retention basin so the sub lots remained and they transfer from owner to owner and sheriff’s sale rather frequently. Mr. Himes said in July of 2008, the Village issued a property maintenance violation notice to the property owners of the Senlac retention basin. It had come to their attention that the fencing was in very poor shape and the control structure for the retention basin itself needs some maintenance. A citation was issued to one of the owners, which is pending in Bedford Court. That owner was amenable to turning the property over to the Village to relieve the violation.

Mr. Byron said if the property was quit-claimed over to the Village, the Village would be stuck with the tax bill. He said they were looking for a method by which the Village could acquire the property and tuck the tax bill aside and nobody would have to worry about it. The land bank allows you to do that; it would provide a deed in leu of foreclosure.

Mrs. Evans said she is very concerned about the controversy that has been in the newspapers about the land bank and with the County Treasurer and she really does not think it is in the Village’s best interest. She said she is not comfortable with this. Mr. Subel said he is also very concerned about this.

Mr. Patton said he will leave this ordinance (2009-32) on readings at the Council meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.

____________________________
Steven Patton, Chairman
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