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Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 7:51 am
by Brian Essi
Summers, Bullock and others at City Hall are trying to run over and force 33 homeowners on a section of Edgewater Drive to hire separate contractors and pay for what appears to be the city's obligations with the US EPA. Some homeowners have received estimates of $15K to $17.5K to comply with the city's demands. Last year, pursuant to an agreement with the US EPA, the city put in a new sanitary sewer on the street.
Now they claim every homeowner has to hire their own contractor to pay the costs to connect to it.
So far, city officials have given no clear legal authority that would require homeowners to comply with the city demands---Kevin Butler has yet to clarify even if a legal opinion exists.
They claim that all Lakewood residents will eventually have to do the same, so could your neighborhood could be next?
Hint: read your recent water bill
In another neighborhood in Lakewood, the city has a "pilot" program where the city is paying 90% of the costs of similar work and is handling the contracting.
Doesn't this sound like a form of discrimination?
Is that fair?
Who is deciding which neighborhoods will pay and which pay only 10%?
After the email exchange below, one Edgewater homeowner asked me: "Why does Bullock hate America?"
Why is Bullock trying to regulate free speech and association among Lakewood homeowners?
Needless to say, many of my neighbors are outraged at Summers, Bullock and others.
If this happened on your street, what would you do?
To Bullock, Tom
From Brian Essi
CC 65 other neighbors and government officials
Hi Tom,
Listening to my neighbors as I have, I can say there is a genuine distrust and fear of government here.
So I don't think it is a good idea for a government official to attempt interference with citizens exercise of their constitutional rights of freedom of association, freedom of speech and legal representation.
If you cannot add clarity to the subject with substance or propose a solution other than forcing homeowners to pay, then we all know where you stand and your attempt to regulate our interaction is not helpful.
Sincerely,
Brian
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 14, 2016, at 5:58 PM, Bullock, Tom <Tom.Bullock@lakewoodoh.net> wrote:
Mr. Essi,
I do not think it is a good idea for neighbors to attempt to speak for one another. Let everyone communicate directly in their own words without the real potential for misinterpretation that can take place via indirect means of communication.
Thanks,
Tom
On Jun 14, 2016, at 5:41 PM, Brian Essi <bjessi@sbcglobal.net> wrote to 65 neighbors and City Hall:
Dear Neighbors, Mayor Summers, Council Members, and Mr. Butler,
Given the ongoing uncertainty of our legal obligations, I think it is premature for the Mayor and the city to presume that any homeowner will bear all the costs of fulfilling the city's obligations to the US EPA.
Some time ago, I asked for a legal opinion or legal basis that would require individual homeowners to bare the costs of the city's compliance with an agreement it reached with the US EPA. Law Director Butler provided some ordinances that do not address the issue at hand. Is my understanding correct?
My understanding is that we homeowners are all currently in compliance with the ordinances that Mr. Butler sent and that we would only become non-compliant if and when the city disconnects the current combination storm/sanitary from flowing to the treatment center. In other words, individual homeowners will only become non-compliant due to a plan and agreement the city made with US EPA. Is my understanding correct?
It is my understanding that city will not disconnect the current combination sewer flow to the treatment plant until all homes have completed separation. Is my understanding correct?
It is my understanding that when the city changes the water main on a street, the city reconnects individual homeowners' waterlines to the new main at the city's expense. Is my understanding is correct? If so then it would follow that in this case, since the city installed a new sanitary sewer, it should reconnect our sanitary sewers just as it would if it was upgrading a water main.
If my understandings are correct, it seems logical and reasonable for the city to take the lead and bear the costs of connecting homeowners' sanitary sewers to the new sanitary.
It is my understanding that most homeowners still do not know the costs that the city expects them to bear and many don't even have their reports yet.
Unless there is clarification of all issues, I am respectfully refusing to proceed withand I would encourage my neighbors to do likewise until all issues are clarified.
It is my understanding that many fellow homeowners are refusing to act.
If my neighbors would like to privately and confidentially email or call me as to their respective intentions, I would greatly appreciate it and I can report to the group where folks stand.
Brian J. Essi
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 8:03 am
by Michael Deneen
Tom Bullock attempting to stifle dissent.....what a shock!
City Hall can't tolerate citizens speaking to each other....god forbid that they try to organize and speak out.
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 9:11 am
by Brian Essi
Michael Deneen wrote:Tom Bullock attempting to stifle dissent.....what a shock!
City Hall can't tolerate citizens speaking to each other....god forbid that they try to organize and speak out.
Mike,
You're so right---they are "intolerance" of any organized and truth telling voices.
So much so last election cycle that they took $50K from a charity and made up a pack of lies to attack the opposition organization and voices.
I believe everyone in my neighborhood affected by this bungled project is for clean water. Due to Administration attacks on me on the hospital issue, I remained silent on the sewer project for many months. It was only after all of my neighbors saw the same Summers dynamic play out that I got involved.
The Summers-Bullock MO--1. pathetic planning 2. keep people in the dark. 3. feed them BS and stall on answering any questions in an effort to wear them down 4. undermine and marginalize the rational outspoken.
It's dishonest bullying, plain and simple.
In this case, several of my neighbors decided to refuse all cooperation largely because of how Summers et al treated them.
My neighbors emails reacting to Summers and Bullock are amazing. Open hostility. I am still hoping we can work with the rational players on city council and be treated fairly--like the other neighborhood.
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 9:56 am
by Lori Allen _
Brian,
It appears that the citizens of Edgewater may have a class-action lawsuit. It appears that it was Summers negligence that led up to this. This has been going on since Summers and Fitz! came into office and both seemed to do nothing. Ignorance and laziness on their part does not constitute a fiscal emergency for the residents.
Summers, council, Butler, and maybe others appear to now be grasping at straws because it appears Summers has bankrupted the city.
Look here:
http://www.tos.ohio.gov/local_salary at what a choice few at City Hall make a year. Draw your own conclusions and use your own judgement. Salaries at City Hall should be equivalent to what private sector workers make.
If council knew that the city was in fiscal trouble last year, why did they vote for a pay raise for council?
If the city is in fiscal trouble, why did the taxpayers buy Summers, Beno, and the police chief a car? They can drive their own personal vehicles and keep track of their mileage.
If the city is in fiscal trouble, why was money spent on Solstice Steps (although some outside funding was acquired for this, in fairness)?
If the city is in fiscal trouble, why did council and Summers want a fiber-optic system for $900,000? Oh, wait! I recall that Summers received a campaign contribution from a big-wig at South Shore Cable!
If the city is in fiscal trouble, why does City Hall keep hiring outside attorneys instead of using our two or three in-house lawyers?
If the city is in fiscal trouble, why did council vote to give the owner of the Hilliard Theatre $1 million to demolish the building? If it is so dangerous, why is Italian Creations allowed to do business right next door?
If the city is in fiscal trouble, why did council vote to give the owner of the Lake Erie Screw building $500,000 to fix it? How about issuing him a correction notice to fix his stuff? If he doesn't take him to court.
Admittedly, I have not been to a council meeting recently. When I used to attend however, the council would appear to spend money like drunken sailors. 500,000 here, 900,000 there, maybe 2 million over there, and so on.
In summary, tell your neighbors to stay engaged.
I will wait now for one of the mayor's five amigos to blast me off planet Earth even though I have documentation to back all of this up!
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 11:38 am
by cmager
Mr. Essi, what is the street/neighborhood where the pilot program in paying 90%...?
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 11:52 am
by Lori Allen _
It appears that putting the citizen's of Lakewood lives in danger was not the only reason that the hospital should not have been given away to CCF for pennies on the dollar. Lord and Company and Extended Company lost the city approximately 1.1 million a year in lease money. I believe they also let their CCF buddies out of paying the remainder of their lease. Let's look at this: 1.1 million a year times ten years, hmmmm. It appears that greed and self gratification were more important to Lord and Company than the citizens of Lakewood were. Maybe this is another part of the reason why the city appears to be in fiscal trouble.
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 11:56 am
by Dan Alaimo
Lori Allen _ wrote:It appears that putting the citizen's of Lakewood lives in danger was not the only reason that the hospital should not have been given away to CCF for pennies on the dollar. Lord and Company and Extended Company lost the city approximately 1.1 million a year in lease money. I believe they also let their CCF buddies out of paying the remainder of their lease. Let's look at this: 1.1 million a year times ten years, hmmmm. It appears that greed and self gratification were more important to Lord and Company than the citizens of Lakewood were. Maybe this is another part of the reason why the city appears to be in fiscal trouble.
... and there's another $1 million a year in lost income tax.
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 12:10 pm
by Bridget Conant
cmager
According to this article, homeowners on Atkins and Eldred would pay ten percent of the cost of repairs. Not sure if this is the same scope of work that is being done on Edgewater.
http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index ... rogra.html
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 12:11 pm
by Jim O'Bryan
Dan Alaimo wrote:Lori Allen _ wrote:It appears that putting the citizen's of Lakewood lives in danger was not the only reason that the hospital should not have been given away to CCF for pennies on the dollar. Lord and Company and Extended Company lost the city approximately 1.1 million a year in lease money. I believe they also let their CCF buddies out of paying the remainder of their lease. Let's look at this: 1.1 million a year times ten years, hmmmm. It appears that greed and self gratification were more important to Lord and Company than the citizens of Lakewood were. Maybe this is another part of the reason why the city appears to be in fiscal trouble.
... and there's another $1 million a year in lost income tax.
And the untold millions lost in revenue and taxes from sale and services to those that came to the hospital or worked there. I was talking with two long time businesses in "DowntowN" and they claim that business is down 40% from last year.
Build?
.
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 12:22 pm
by Dan Alaimo
Jim O'Bryan wrote:Dan Alaimo wrote:Lori Allen _ wrote:It appears that putting the citizen's of Lakewood lives in danger was not the only reason that the hospital should not have been given away to CCF for pennies on the dollar. Lord and Company and Extended Company lost the city approximately 1.1 million a year in lease money. I believe they also let their CCF buddies out of paying the remainder of their lease. Let's look at this: 1.1 million a year times ten years, hmmmm. It appears that greed and self gratification were more important to Lord and Company than the citizens of Lakewood were. Maybe this is another part of the reason why the city appears to be in fiscal trouble.
... and there's another $1 million a year in lost income tax.
And the untold millions lost in revenue and taxes from sale and services to those that came to the hospital or worked there. I was talking with two long time businesses in "DowntowN" and they claim that business is down 40% from last year.
Build?
.
Jim,
As Tom would say, you missing the big picture. Look at the Solstice Steps...
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 12:23 pm
by Bridget Conant
Restaurant business is down - no denying it. I guess those hospital employees weren't just eating in the hospital cafeteria!
You know, no one mentions the professional building that will be torn down to make way for the CC MOB. It had tenants that earned good wages, too, and several businesses. Not only do we lose them and their income taxes, the building, owned by the city, brought in almost $45,000 per year in property taxes (paid by the Clinic).
That property will sit empty, not collecting property tax, until the medical building is completed in the fourth quarter of 2018. At that time, it will be exempt from property taxes, like all Cleveland Clinic properties.
The hospital property on the east side of Belle will be idle until at least 2018 because they have the "ER" there. So basically, NOTHING will be able to be built there until after the end of 2018. That's a long time to sit empty.
Funny how Jenn Pae was so worried about Lakewood being stuck with empty "bricks and mortar," yet that is exactly what we've got right there.
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 1:34 pm
by Brian Essi
Here is one email to Bullock from my neighbor who has decided to sell her home and leave Lakewood.
Is Bullock good for Lakewood?
Subject: Re: Clarification Needed Before Any Action---No Legal Basis Provided Yet
Mr. Bullock,
It is my understanding that city council will have to vote to pay for our connections to the new sanitary sewer that you installed on our street.
Mr. O'Leary was supposed to bring the discussion of our sewers up to city Council.
Has city Council discussed the allocation of funds to pay for our Edgewater Dr. connections? If it was possible for city Council to pass the emergency measure to declare the pilot study homes a nuisance and then pay the $900,000 for the pilot study home connections, why is that not possible for us?
Why did you just not tell the residents in the pilot study area, we have to do this in order to remain in compliance with the EPA, so you're going to have to pay for it? Please explain to me how Edgewater Drive homeowners are different from the pilot study homeowners? I understand that lakefront owners pay significantly higher taxes than other property owners in the city of Lakewood, but aren't all taxpaying citizens in Lakewood the same?
The Pilot Study, the long term control plan, our Edgewater Dr. sanitary sewer, as well as numerous other projects, have all been initiated in order to remain in compliance with the EPA. We understand that there is no messing with the EPA. We understand and appreciate the importance of a very clean Lake Erie.
What I can't understand is how anyone on city council or at City Hall can justify this obvious mistreatment of its citizens.
The next area in Lakewood that needs to be aggressively looked at for EPA compliance is Birdtown. Should the homeowners that live in Birdtown be prepared to pay for sewer connections in the upcoming years? Should a potential buyer be informed of that disclosure before they purchase a home in Birdtown or other areas in Lakewood that have combined sewers? We just listed our home for sale and had to disclose the sewer connection on our property disclosure form. Should all sellers in Lakewood now have to disclose a potential sewer connection on their disclosure forms?
Our home was featured on the Historical Society House Tour. We have done project after project to restore and improve our home. We are the type of homeowner that city Council and city hall should be trying to keep in Lakewood, not mistreat and push out. After 29 years of being a very proud Lakewood resident I can't get out of here fast enough!
It makes me very sad.
Barb
Sent from my iPad
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 2:11 pm
by Lori Allen _
We are the type of homeowner that city Council and city hall should be trying to keep in Lakewood, not mistreat and push out.
This person is 100% correct on this. They SHOULD be trying to keep quality citizens in Lakewood.
However, it appears that Summers & Company are trying their hardest to push out all of the decent residents.
Think about it: if you rent your house and get evicted at the end of every month and bounce from place to place, are you really going to have time to register yourself to vote? Are you really going to care about what city leaders are doing or what the laws are (even if unenforced)?
Is Summers & Company allowing the long grass, garbage, and decaying homes to exist on purpose so as to drive out the people that care? Think about it. It makes sense.
Also, look at the amount of homes that are coming up for sale.
This is my prediction:
Summers & Company will try its hardest to push out the decent residents, finalize the hospital deal, and then jump ship and leave the trail of destruction for someone else to clean up. It will be like the Bronx and Upper Manhattan during the crack craze of the 1980's and early 90's.
Bank on it.
Sorry to thread drift, but this person's writing was too good not to comment on.
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 2:33 pm
by Michael Deneen
Brian Essi wrote:Subject: Re: Clarification Needed Before Any Action---No Legal Basis Provided Yet
Mr. Bullock,
It is my understanding that city council will have to vote to pay for our connections to the new sanitary sewer that you installed on our street.
Mr. O'Leary was supposed to bring the discussion of our sewers up to city Council.
Has city Council discussed the allocation of funds to pay for our Edgewater Dr. connections? If it was possible for city Council to pass the emergency measure to declare the pilot study homes a nuisance and then pay the $900,000 for the pilot study home connections, why is that not possible for us?
Why did you just not tell the residents in the pilot study area, we have to do this in order to remain in compliance with the EPA, so you're going to have to pay for it? Please explain to me how Edgewater Drive homeowners are different from the pilot study homeowners? I understand that lakefront owners pay significantly higher taxes than other property owners in the city of Lakewood, but aren't all taxpaying citizens in Lakewood the same?
The Pilot Study, the long term control plan, our Edgewater Dr. sanitary sewer, as well as numerous other projects, have all been initiated in order to remain in compliance with the EPA. We understand that there is no messing with the EPA. We understand and appreciate the importance of a very clean Lake Erie.
What I can't understand is how anyone on city council or at City Hall can justify this obvious mistreatment of its citizens.
The next area in Lakewood that needs to be aggressively looked at for EPA compliance is Birdtown. Should the homeowners that live in Birdtown be prepared to pay for sewer connections in the upcoming years? Should a potential buyer be informed of that disclosure before they purchase a home in Birdtown or other areas in Lakewood that have combined sewers? We just listed our home for sale and had to disclose the sewer connection on our property disclosure form. Should all sellers in Lakewood now have to disclose a potential sewer connection on their disclosure forms?
Our home was featured on the Historical Society House Tour. We have done project after project to restore and improve our home. We are the type of homeowner that city Council and city hall should be trying to keep in Lakewood, not mistreat and push out. After 29 years of being a very proud Lakewood resident I can't get out of here fast enough!
It makes me very sad.
Barb
Sent from my iPad
Dear Citizen:
Solstice Steps. Have you been to the Solstice Steps? We had a great celebration at the Solstice Steps.
To learn more about the Solstice Steps, please visit our fake "Lakewood Community" Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Jen Pae
City Hall Information Ministry/Finance Department
Re: Anti-American Sewer Hoax? Will You Be Next To Be Bullied by Summers & Bullock to pay $17K?
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 6:35 pm
by kate e parker
wait, I thought the rich folk on edgewater were supposed to pay their fair share? isn't that what we've been told for the past eight years? so now there are tears about the rich paying their fair share? so the folks in birdtown should pay the same as the "decent residents" on edgewater? fair share, eh?
a lot of coded words in this thread...."decent residents"...."quality citizens"...rossen I need a safe space!