Administrator's Blog

Village Square Stakeholder's Meeting

2009-03-24T08:01:00.000-04:00

Public Notice

Village Square Project
“Stakeholders Meeting”

As a Village Square Stakeholder, we request your presence.

On Tuesday, March 24th at 7PM the Village of Glendale will hold a Village Square Project stakeholder’s meeting in the upstairs conference room of the Village Office. This first meeting will include Stakeholders - those that are building owners/tenants immediately around the Village Square property, public officials, and persons with immediate interest. This will be the first of many meetings to gather public input through participation. Future meetings will be expanded to include everyone as the planning process moves forward.

In this meeting, TEC Engineer Ed Williams will review the base plans that were used to secure a grant in the amount of $416,160 ($520,200 is the total estimated construction amount). Time will be allocated for Q&A and to obtain direction in the various elements and design of the project plans.

Walter Cordes
The Village of Glendale
771-7200

2008-11-25T08:40:00.001-05:00

Erickson Retirement Community Cancels Development Plans

The Village of Glendale has received notice from Steve Montgomery, a representative of Erickson Retirement Communities, that Erickson will no longer pursue development of a retirement community on the property owned by Landmark Baptist Church. Approximately 68% of the project was to be built on the Glendale side of the Landmark property and the remaining portion was to be built on the Evendale side.

For over a year Erickson management has been interacting with the administrations and governments of both Glendale and Evendale. This project required both communities to agree to proceed. Glendale was prepared to receive the application and work with both Erickson and Evendale to design a retirement community with approximately 1,200 dwelling units, two restaurants, a pub, recreation and cultural activities. “The Erickson concept was attractive to us”, said Glendale Administrator Walter Cordes, “it was to be a full service retirement community of which the majority would be located in Glendale and it would have provided unique lifestyle living for those 62 and up. We heard from enough residents to realize that this concept may have provided a valuable service and living opportunity for our residents and those of our neighbors. It’s unfortunate that we will not get the opportunity to review the application and explore what could have been.”

According to Mr. Cordes, Erickson informed him that they were being approached by two other communities in the area and could wait no longer for mutual agreement to proceed.

Administrative Updates - Fall 2008

2008-11-25T08:23:00.002-05:00

Administrator’s Project Updates

Sidewalks 2008 – This Fall, as we finish up repairs to sidewalks, the Streets Committee and Council will be studying public streets that do not have a sidewalk on at least one side. There are a few streets that did not have sidewalks installed when their homes were built. It is the developer’s responsibility to install sidewalks when building a home. But sometimes obstacles prevent sidewalks from being built, such as the geography along the side of the street or a lack of right-of-way to build a sidewalk. Some streets do not have sidewalks include Oak from Chester to the railroad (1/2 of the street is in Woodlawn), Osprey, Albion Ave, Grove, Coral, Springfield Pike, part of Kingfisher and Lippleman.

Streets 2008 – Concerning streets, we have applied for two(2) State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP) grants. The first one is to restore Sharon Avenue between Morse and the railroad tracks. If awarded, this project would include curbs, storm drainage and paving. As a second application, we have included all of Chester Road. SCIP grants require very high traffic volume and only 4 streets have the necessary volume (SR4, Congress, Sharon and Chester). Recently we learned that the Sharon Avenue project rated 305 points on Hamilton Counties rating system. Last year, anything over 300 points received funding. We will let you know if we will receive funding for this necessary project - it looks promising.

Water Plant Project – Our bids to replace the high service pumps and related plumbing at the water treatment plant came in under what we expected. The savings will be used to address other needs in the plant and hopefully when we are finished we will be under budget. As always, should our costs go down, the rates are adjusted accordingly.

Public Buildings – The facade of the Town Hall received exterior lighting to brighten up the sidewalk at night and to illuminate the historic 1876 building. Cannon lights now bring out the height of the building at night. Glendale’s Serveall Electric was the contractor.

Joint Fire District Study – You may have read that Managers and Administrators from many neighboring communities jointly applied for a grant to pay for a study to explore collaboration of firefighting services and equipment. The grant was denied. However, the managers, including Glendale, will continue to meet and look at areas where municipalities can work together to provide excellent fire protection services at the lowest cost.
Economic Development Update – As the Mayor noted in his report, the Erickson Project is no longer a Glendale option. But other new business news is happening. The Iron Horse http://www.ironhorseinn.com/ (Robin Thomas) is now open and running at full strength; offering lunch, dinner and special occasions. This has greatly increased traffic into the square and the word out there is that the food and service is excellent. To off-set the closing of the Glendale Pub, Mr. Chris Penn and David Brooks have purchased the building and business from Paul Preston and they will re-open as the Cock and Bull English Pub http://www.theenglishpub.com/. They are famous in Covington (Main Strasse Village) for their many (about 30) draft beers, fish and chips and full menu pub food and they have received many Cincinnati restaurant awards. It gets better. On November 3rd the Planning Commission approved plans for a new Dewey’s Pizza http://deweyspizza.com/ to be located next to the former dentist office at 10 E. Sharon Avenue. The owner is Andrew Dewitt and he owns and operates a dozen of these well know pizza restaurants. They too have received many Cincinnati awards for best pizza and best salads. The plans are currently being reviewed by Village Council as they consider legislation to allow an expanded parking lot on Congress at Lake (vacant lot). We are most fortunate to have these premium businesses’ reopen or locate in historic Glendale. While many communities have a theme (such as Reading’s bridal district), we are quickly establishing a theme beyond historic preservation… our current restaurants, along with the three new restaurants, have made Glendale a stellar Cincinnati dining destination. To the restaurant owners that are investing in Glendale we thank you. To the Glendale residents and patrons that will visit us, bon appetite.

Summer Sewage Fee Program Report
As you recall, Ordinance 2008-26 was adopted unanimously by the Glendale Council after several months of review by the Utility Committee and Administrative staff. This action was taken as a response to the feedback from residents concerned about last year’s high summer bills during the severe drought of 2007 when they made great efforts to water lawns and trees. Your July, August, & September usage, billed in October, received the benefit of this reductions. The saving ranged from just a few dollars to $1,000; all depending on the amount of water used for sprinkling. On average, if you watered outside, you saved between $125 -$200 (reduction of sewage fee). In total, we discounted $26,000 in sewage fees. However, more water was consumed than normal and this partially recaptured some of the losses. Council will consider renewing this program for the summer of next year. Let us know what you think of it… as always, your opinion is valued.

Find Out First! Subscribe To Our Email News & Bulletin System At http://www.glendaleohio.org/ (easy front page gold button subscription link) or call 771-7200 to be added by our staff. Over 551 of 1,070 households now subscribe!!

Two Special Events In Glendale Sunday, June 22 2008

2008-06-17T08:07:00.002-04:00

11am to 4pm Historic Car and Motorcycle Show
Historic Glendale Car Show and Motorcycle Show presented by the Village of Glendale and Glendale Chamber of Commerce, benefits to go to the GYS and HWB Community Center. Sponsored by Sweeney Automotive, Kerry Ford, Reece Campbell Corp., 5/3 Bank and Price Automotive. Registration available at the Village Office. Free viewing of all antique vehicles. Hotdogs and hamburgers by the Glendale Fire Dept.

6:30pm to apx. 8:30pm Cincinnati Civic Orchestra “2008 Summer Pops Concerts”
The Cincinnati Civic Orchestra will play in the Village Square. Theme: Musical Fun For The Family. (we recommend you bring a lawn chair) Program:
Star Wars MedleyOklahomaPirates of the CaribbeanOliverArmed Forces SaluteSnow White FantasyBeauty and the BeastThe Wizard of OzBlue tangoGovernor Bradford MarchThe Waltzing CatWe hope you will be able to join for our 2008 Summer Pops Concerts, Musical Fun for the Family. The concert will include the Broadway hits Oklahoma and Oliver, music from the movies The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars, Disney favorites Pirates of the Caribbean, Snow White Fantasy and Beauty and the Beast.

We will honor our military personnel and veterans with the Armed Forces Salute and include a few of our audiences’ favorite Leroy Anderson selections such as Blue Tango and The Waltzing Cat as we continue to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth. (we recommend you bring a lawn chair)

Council Meetings Now Online To View

2008-06-05T09:36:00.000-04:00

Council Meeting (June 2, 2008) May Be Viewed Online

June 2 Village of Glendale Council Meeting Now Online To View:

The June 2, 2008 Village of Glendale Council meeting (televised) may be viewed on Cable TV or via online at http://www.icrctv.com/glendale-village-council-meeting-6-2 Prior televised meetings are archived on this site as well.

Note: If you visit the ICRCTV site to view a Council meeting and it will not play, it may be necessary to load a free Quicktime program to view (if you do not already have it) http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

Glendale Fire Department To Flush Hydrants April 14th to May 9th 2008

2008-04-04T11:14:00.001-04:00

Glendale Fire Department To Flush Fire Hydrants
Thursday, April 14th thru Monday, May 9th, 2008

The Village of Glendale Fire Department will be servicing and flushing fire hydrants beginning Thursday, April 14th thru Monday, May 9th, 2008. The Village is divided into 4 zones with the railroad tracks and Sharon Avenue acting as the boundaries. The zones and flushing dates are as follows;

Zone #2 (all homes North of Sharon and East of the tracks): April 14th to April 18th

Zone #4 (all homes South of Sharon and East of the tracks): April 21st to April 25th

Zone #1 (all homes North of Sharon and West of the tracks); April 28th to May 2nd

Zone #3 (all homes South of Sharon and West of the tracks): May 5th to May 9th

This process involves the greasing of the hydrant valve stem, opening and closing of a hydrant to exercise it and substantial flushing of water to clean out sediments that have accumulated in the water mains. Immediately following the flushing of your nearest hydrant, you will notice a temporarily discolored water (iron and mineral sediments). While the water is safe, you should run your faucets several minutes to draw in clear water prior to doing your laundry. It is preferable to run faucets that do NOT have strainers or aerators (commonly found on the kitchen sink and bathroom sink faucets.) Most basement laundry tub sinks and bathtubs do not have such devices and are desirable to flush out your home’s water lines. Should your laundry ever become discolored due to our flushing, please call or visit the Village Office for a free product that will remove all iron discoloration. Lastly, if you have a water softener and or filtration system, we strongly suggest you bypass it until such time as your zone has been flushed and you have run your faucets clear. Glendale appreciates everyone's patience and understanding for any inconvenience this very necessary and required flushing process may cause.

March 18-19 Flood Emergency

2008-04-03T14:34:00.002-04:00

The Village of Glendale, along with other Hamilton County communities, experienced a flood emergency on March 18th and 19th, 2008. The creeks flooded, causing numerous problems to storm and sanitary sewers throughout the County; Glendale included. The 5-7"" of rain after 12" of snow melt overwhelmed collection systems. We have made a list of the 31 properties that reported water in their basements. They are as follows;

1178 Lincoln Avenue, 1177 Cole Avenue, 1185 Cole Avenue, 1120 Church Street, 41 W Sharon Avenue, 61 W Sharon Avenue, 55 W Sharon Avenue, 58 W Sharon Avenue, 62 W Sharon Avenue, 66 W Sharon Avenue, 117 W Sharon Avenue, 183 Garfield Avenue, 745 Woodbine Avenue, 750 Woodbine Avenue, 755 Woodbine Avenue, 855 Greenville Avenue, 1084 N Troy Avenue, 301 E Sharon Avenue, 920 S Troy Avenue, 330 E Willow Avenue, 316 Cleveland Avenue, 9 Warwick Place, 355 E Sharon Avenue, 380 E Sharon Avenue. 395 E Sharon Avenue, 521 E Sharon Avenue, 533 E Sharon Avenue, 539 E Sharon Avenue, 557 E Sharon Avenue, 559 E Sharon Avenue, 440 Oak Rd

This list of homes that received flooding in their basements has been forwarded to our engineer, Dan Miklos, of Advance Treatment Sciences, Inc. (ATS). This is the first sewer infiltration to homes that we have experienced in almost four (4) years in spite of improvements made to date. We are on track with recommended improvements and expect to finish up with Village owned sewer system improvements in late 2008. After we are done repairing and upgrading our sewer collection systems, we will then need to look at each home's lateral sewer line to determine if it is tight and that it does not allow rain water to infiltrate.

The new sewer plant will also help immensely. It is being built to handle larger flows and is 87% complete. Over 70% of the Village has been investigated (underground TV and smoke testing) and repairs and many improvements which will help to prevent storm water from entering sanitary systems. The Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) improvement program, while near completion, is not complete and this storm combination has overwhelmed that which it can handle. It remains our goal to wrap up both projects this year; which will increase our ability to handle future severe flooding situations.

Whenever a resident has basement flooding, we ask that you try to determine the source and report it to us. Your observations of what took place at your home will be compiled for further engineering study and included in a plan of action for future improvements.

We hope that all residents understand the severity of the March 18th –19th storm and know that we are doing everything within our means to remedy an old problem. We pledge our continued diligence in the implementation of corrective measures.

Sincerely,

Walter W. Cordes

Hazardous Waste Program for Glendale Begins March 1st, 2008

2008-01-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

The Household Hazardous Waste Program for Glendale and all Hamilton County residents will open this year on Saturday, March 1st and extend through Saturday, November, 22. They are extending the duration of the program by almost a month, and cutting one of the less popular week days. The hours for the program will be as follows:

Southern Site
4650 Spring Grove Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45232
Tuesdays 2pm-6pm
Saturdays 9am-1pm

Northern Site
10163 Cincinnati-Dayton Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45241
Wednesdays 2pm-6pm

For more information about the HHW program or what hazardous items may be excluded, please visit their website at www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org or contact Michelle Balz, Program Specialist Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District, 250 William Howard Taft Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 (513) 946-7789 Fax: (513) 946-7779 www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org

Administrator's Updates and Notices

2007-11-27T07:47:00.000-05:00

Water Plant Project – (A. Hoeweler, Committee Chair) Our engineer continues to design and plan for the strategic replacement of deficiencies and obsolete processes at out water plant. This project is scheduled to be completed over the next three years. We did have a complete well failure (it was installed in 1953) and we are replacing it ($165,000) so that it will perform twice its former capacity and last another 50 years with proper maintenance. We maintain two deep wells at all times.

Inflow and Infiltration Project – (A. Hoeweler, Committee Chair) This ongoing project, sealing the sewer mains from infiltration of ground/storm water, is now finished for 2007. Next year we will target the area north of E. Fountain to Sharon and everything west of Congress. We will smoke test and TV for any storm or soil water leaks into our sanitary sewers and make the appropriate repairs. It is a pleasure to note that flooding of basements, due to sanitary sewer overloading, has stopped! We will, however, continue on and finish up the entire Village over the next two years.

North Troy Bridge - This project is complete and was under budget. The majority of it was funded with a grant and was necessary due to the cement bridge, which spans a large creek system, was failing and becoming very dangerous.

Tree Planting 07-08 Project (T. Carruthers, Park Board Chair) In late November Tom Carruthers, Chair of the volunteer Glendale Park Board, convened a Park Board meeting and target areas in the Village that need street or park trees. With the help of our arborist, the Board selected species and locations for a Winter planting. If you have a location to suggest or wish to donate, please contact Mr. Carruthers at 30 Village Square, Glendale OH 45246 (771-7200). If the front or your property receives a new tree, please consider watering it during dry times until it can establish roots. Thanks!

Fall Leaf Schedule and Brush Schedule
This Fall we started the Fall Leaf Program 3 weeks early, much due to the draught and the early release of our tree leaves (extreme hot/dry weather caused trees to loose their leaves early this year) . Please rake your leaves out to the edge of the street. You may do so up to and including December 15th, 2007. We will vacuum them up. After the 15th of December, you may put them in bags for Rumpke to collect with the trash. We want to remind everyone that you should NEVER mix any thing with the leaves - foreign objects or sticks will serious damage our new leaf machine.

Brush will also be collected up to December 15th. Please stack them at the edge of your yard and make sure only sticks are in the untangled piles. (One time a steel rod was mixed in a pile and it nearly caused an employee serious injury and it caused thousands of dollars of damage to our chipper machine). After the 15th, you can put miscellaneous brush in your trash cans for Rumpke until we resume all service in the Spring.

Snow Removal
As always, we will work all night and day as necessary to plow accumulated snow on the streets. We use minimal salt as compared to our municipal neighbors because we are a green community with many times the inventory of trees. While using minimal salt, we greatly improve the health of our street trees and reduce damage to our aged streets. Also, in keeping with our Glendale heritage, we will plow your street side sidewalks after we finish with the streets!

Glendale Office and Service Holiday Schedule Notes
Thanksgiving – closed on Thursday, Nov. 22nd and Friday, November 23rd.
Christmas – closed on Monday, Dec. 24th and Tuesday, December 25th.
New Years – closed on January 1st.

Rumpke will not pick up on Christmas day (Dec. 25th) or on New Years Day (Jan. 1st)…. During this time the Tuesday and Wednesday pickups will be one day late.

Suggestions and feedback Welcomed
It is often difficult to provide service to so many households and families with diverse needs and expectations. It is our goal to make Glendale your unique hometown and to make your living here a cherished experience for you and your family. We value your opinion and ask for your feedback on how we are doing and what we can do to better serve you. Please send your comments to the Administrator at wcordes@glendaleohio.org or Administrative Assistant pdepeel@glendaleohio.org . Of course you can also call (771-7200) or stop by… we have an open door policy and no appointment is necessary. Thank you!

Find Out First! Subscribe To Our Email News & Bulletin System At www.glendaleohio.org (easy front page gold button subscription link) or call 771-7200 to be added by our staff.

Decorating Contest in Glendale Revived!

2007-11-27T07:43:00.000-05:00

Since 1938 (with the exception of the last few years), the Glendale Garden Crafters have organized a holiday decorating contest. This year they are re-establishing the tradition! Though the original criteria included doorways only, they have expanded the judging to include the house fronts and yards. With help from all the Glendale garden clubs, the decorative efforts by homeowners will be viewed and judged.

Judging will be on Monday, December 17th. Ribbons will be awarded and the homeowner’s names and house pictures will be posted on the Village website. All residents are invited to join in the Glendale Garden Crafter contest and everyone is invited to tour Glendale to see the incredible decorating results! This contest will once again make Glendale one of the merriest and most festive towns in Cincinnati.

Sexual Offender Article Correction

2007-07-30T12:43:00.000-04:00

From: Walter W. Cordes, Administrator

To: Mr. Korte, author of Sex Offenders article in the Cincinnati Enquirer 7/29/2007

Dear Mr. Korte,

Your special report (sex offender) article featured Sunday, July 29th made a gross error concerning the amount of sex offenders residing in Glendale. The linked web page search engine that the Enquirer hosts also contains the same gross error. Zip code 45246 does include Glendale (we are under 2 square miles and have a population of 2,177), but the 45246 zip code is predominately Springdale. In fact, not one sexual offender lives in Glendale, Ohio 45246 and by no means is our population 14,342. Instead of having a high ratio of "8.4" sex offenders per 10,000 residents , we have a rating of "0" per 10,000.

We officially request that a correction be published and that the Enquirer correct the web page link "See if a sex offender lives near you".

I am a resident of Wyoming and I see that the same error was made with Wyoming's count (you report 43 sex offenders in a population of 31,355 with a ratio of 13.7). The zip code 45215 is in Lockland, Wyoming, Lincoln Hts, Reading and part of Cincinnati) and I trust they will contact you as well for a correction... a quick check of the Sheriff's web page indicates only a fraction of the 43 reported sex offenders live in Wyoming.

Respectfully,

Walter W. Cordes
Village Administrator
Village of Glendale
30 Village Square
Glendale OH 45246

(513) 771-7200

CC: Mayor Joseph Hubbard, Council, Clerk and Solicitor, City Manager of Wyoming

Air Quality Hotline

2007-06-27T07:32:00.000-04:00

Many times in Glendale residents call to let us know that foreign smells are in the air. With so many commercial facilities surrounding us, it is not uncommon to smell flavors, batches of food cooking and chemicals several times a week. While the problem has gotten much better over the years (many thanks to the Glendale residents that call violations in for investigation), it still is an annoyance from time to time.

A new Air Quality Hotline is now available 24/7! It is hosted by the Hamilton County Dept. of Envioronmental Services (HCDOES) and here is the number;

For Complaints; (513) 946-7777

There are other HCDOES hotlines for information that might be of interest to you;
Air Quality/Pollen and Mold Count Hotlilne; (513) 946-7753
Living With Allergies/Air Quality Brochure Hotline (513) 946-7747

Walter Cordes

Duke Energy: Gas Main Construction Work In Glendale - 2007

2007-06-11T11:26:00.000-04:00

We have been notified by Duke Energy (formerly CG&E) that their contractors will be replacing aged gas mains on many streets in Hamilton County this year. We have obtained a copy of the Glendale streets that will receive work (see below). They report that they will start work in late July and end in late December. We are told that traffic will be maintained wherever possible and that they will have off-duty police assisting with traffic whenever needed. Our Public Works supervisor Ron Hafner has been assigned the task to monitor all of their work (excavation and restoration). We have also asked them to make timely and courteous notice to residents prior to starting work on their Glendale roadways.

Should you have difficulties, let us know and we will try to help out. (We will have a name/phone list of all the key contacts with Duke and their contractors).

Walter Cordes
Village Administrator

Washington
Jefferson
Church
W. Sharon between Jefferson and Church
E. Sharon between Congress and N. Troy
N. Lake
Coral
N. Greenville
N. Troy
S. Troy
Cleveland
Albion
Osprey
Hedgerow
Glendale
Oak
Kingfisher
Chester

Emerald Ash Borer Now In Ohio

2006-12-20T09:19:00.000-05:00

In July of 2002 the aggressive insect “Emerald Ash Borer” or EAB was discovered in Michigan. By February of 2003 it was discovered in northwest Ohio. This non-native insect is part of the metallic wood-boring beetles from Asia. They aggressively feed upon all species of Ash trees; of which forest approximately 10% of Ohio. Their eating habits, just under the Ash bark, disrupt the tree’s ability to transmit water and food up the trunk and throughout the tree. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) asks that all communities develop a plan of action to stop the spread of this insect. If not stopped now, it will spread throughout our county with devastating financial, ecological and esthetic impact.

The Village of Glendale’s tree canopy is managed by the Village Forester (Village Administrator) and the Glendale Park Board. There are state wide quarantines prohibiting the movement of Ash tree wood in Ohio and many communities have and are adopting Plan of Actions to deal with this potentially devastating insect.

The following policy has been adopted, effective August 1st, 2006.

A) The Village of Glendale will monitor and verify infestation of each publicly owned Ash trees; reporting same to the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture’s surveillance plan.
B) The Village of Glendale will remove infested trees.
C) The Village of Glendale will not plant Ash trees until such time as there is no infestation potential.
D) The Village of Glendale will encourage residents to (1) not plant Ash trees on their private property and (2) to immediately remove infested trees without transporting the firewood.
E) The Village of Glendale will encourage utility Right of Way (ROW) trimmers (Cincinnati Bell, Duke Energy, or Warner Cable) to remove instead of trim Ash trees.

Walter W. Cordes, Administrator

Glendale Park Board
Thomas Carruthers, Chairman
Matthew Dickman, Arborist
Craig Simonson, Member
Peter Cassinelli, Member

EAB Links of interest:

http://www.ohioagriculture.gov/eab/
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/forestry/health/eab.htm
http://ashalert.osu.edu/
http://na.fs.fed.us/fhp/eab/
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ep/eab/

Railroad Quiet Zones Being Investigated In Glendale

2006-11-14T09:58:00.000-05:00

Sharon, Albion and Oak Avenues To Be Considered

Now that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has approved Quiet Zone regulations, the Village of Glendale will investigate the elimination or reduction of train horn noise at the three railroad crossings; Sharon, Albion and Oak Avenues. It is possible that safety measures can be installed to either prevent the sounding of horns or reduce the intensity of the horn soundings at these three different crossings.

Glendale has hired a consulting engineer that specializes in these matters; Railroad Controls Limited of Benbrook, Texas. This engineer will work in conjunction with our local engineer, CDS Associates, in analyzing each crossing and providing recommendations. The recommendations will include (1) what devices can work at our street crossing and be approved by the FRA, and (2) Their estimated costs.

Obviously there is much to do and study concerning this matter. Mayor Tom Todd announced the need and approved the expenditure to have this analysis done at the October Council meeting and Councilperson Debbie Grueninger, Chairman of the Police Committee and Councilman Ephriam Swafford, Chairman of the Streets Committee, will conduct joint Committee meetings to keep the public informed and to make final recommendation to the Council and Mayor. Their first meeting was held November 14th and a well prepared PowerPoint handout was provided to approximately 25 attendees. You may access this presentation by clicking on the below listed link.

Walter Cordes, Village Administrator and Matt Fruchey will provide the administrative work in this ongoing analysis. Notices of future meeting will be posted on our web page, e-notice system and public bulletin boards. If you have an opinion on the matter and you would like to share it with us, please do so by emailing any of the four officials involved in this study; Debgru@aol.com, swafford@glendaleohio.org, mfruchey@glendaleohio.org or wcordes@glendaleohio.org or simply post to this blog... it will be forwarded to all concerned.

Please see the front page of www.glendaleohio.org to view the Railroad Quiet Zone PowerPoint presentation (prepared by Debbie Grueninger). It was presented at the November 14, 2006 Joint Police / Streets Committee meeting.

Wally Cordes, Administrator
(513) 771-7200
wcordes@glendaleohio.org

Sidewalks to be repaired in Glendale

2006-08-18T07:42:00.000-04:00

Last year (2005) we inspected all of the public sidewalks for damages and hazards that qualified for repairs in 2006. Basically, if a trip hazard existed, that section was identified and marked for replacement. We recently awarded a contract to two separate companies; one to repair the sandstone sidewalks on Greenville and another company to repair all of the cement sidewalks in the Village (those identified in 2005).

Years ago, in the late 1980's, most of the sidewalks were in terrible condition and required over $250,000 in repairs. These repairs were assessed to those residents that had property fronting the sidewalks in need of repair. Surveying and deed research was performed and many hours of administrative and engineer work was charged out to send specific bills to specific residents (to allow them to put the charges on their taxes, to pay direct, or to have the work done on their own). Needless to say the cost to replace a 5'x5' cement sidewalk pad was high... almost double that which is charged when there is a direct pay by the Village.

Now that the sidewalks require less repairs (we check them now every other year), your Council and Mayor have generously agreed to pay the direct charges to repair sidewalks whenever feasible. In this case (and in the case twol years ago), it was feasible and made sound financial sense. Hopefully this process can continue in the future.

What would you like to see done in Glendale?

2006-07-20T17:56:00.000-04:00

I often hear from many residents on what they would like to see in Glendale. For example, some time ago there was a strong need for a community bank and after much discussion, the administration was able to attract 5/3 Bank to move to Glendale and rent/restore a village owned buiding where they operate today. Another example was when there was a strong desire to find a new location for the Glendale Heritage Preservation and to see the old train depot saved from demolition by CSX railroad. With great effort, the administration obtained the building for $1, split the costs to restore it with GHP, watched dozens of GHP volunteers work as a team to physically restore the inside and now we have a unique museum partnership between GHP and the Village.

Feedback from the residential population is a valuable tool which brings forth creative ideas. Feel free to list anything you would like to see done in Glendale. You never know!

WW Cordes

Your Summer (July) utility bills

2006-07-15T11:52:00.000-04:00

By now you have received your summer utility (combined water and sewage) bills. As you likely recall from press releases, emails and newsletters, your rates have increased 130 % to pay for mandated (Ohio EPA) improvements to your sewage treatment plant ($4.3 million required to build a new plant prior to the end of 2007) and to significantly upgrade the water treatment plant ($1.5 million required to upgrade the water processing and filtration system to new standards). ATS Engineering has already begun the process of submitting new designs to the OEPA for their approval and we are preparing to go to bid to obtain the lowest price to get the job done. Your Council has researched various options and they are unanimous in that it is the best choice is to keep both plants, upgrade them as required, and to remain independent of the Cincinnati water and sewage systems.

While our rates are temporarily higher now (they used to be one of the lowest) in the area, that will soon change as our neighbors also raise their combined utilty rates to deal with billions of dollars of their mandated improvements.

Many residents are calling in to question the new utility bill....to make sure it is right. The minimum used to be $54.40 and now it is $126.29 . The average bill used to be $122.80 and now it is $284.89 . Residents are encouraged to look at their usage and compare it to their usage from the same time last year. If your usage is up substantially, you may have a leak that needs your immediate attention. With the new rates now in place, it is extremely important to correct any and all water leaks to prevent a larger bill. If you suspect a leak, contact us and we will check your house for you at no charge.

Phyllis (pdepeel@glendaleohio.org) or Sally (swilson@glendaleohio.org) will be glad to accept emails to check water bills or set up an appointment to check for leaks on your property (or you may call them at 771-7200).

The new rates are in place for as long as is necessary to make the required improvements and to pay the debt of the low 2.75% interest construction loans. In August I will be applying for a 0% grant loan from the S.C.I.P. (State Capital Improvement Program) to try to get a grant (0% loan) for apx. $1.5 million to significantly upgrade the water plant. The rates were increased to pay back a loan for this amount based upon a low interest 2.75% loan from the OEPA. If we get the 0% grant/loan, that will mean that we can begin to lower water rates. You have the pledge of the Mayor, Council and Administrator that we will only charge that which is absolutely necessary to get this job done. Any unnecessary excess revenues will result in a reduction of utility rates.

WW Cordes

Rumpke; Taking cans out to the curb

2006-07-01T14:43:00.000-04:00

Over the past few years more and more residents are taking their garbage cans out to the curb for Rumpke to pick up instead of leaving them at the rear or side house. We believe that about 35% are now doing so. A Rumpke employee recently told us that the number is closer to 50%. Mayor Todd and Council are aware of this trend and will study the matter this Fall in Committee. Issue; We pay almost 50% more ($160,000 per year vs. $85,000 per year for the special rear house pickup of your garbage cans). This is a premium of $75,000 of which we may be overpaying $26,000 (35%) and possibly up to $37,500 (50%); depending on how many residents are not using the premium service.

Some possible remedies;

1) Go to curb side collection for everyone and save $75,000
Issues: Some would not care and some would not be pleased by this reduction in service.
All of the Village would have cans at the curb, however, the 3 day Village wide collection could be consolidated to 1 day per week.

2) Offer optional side of the house for only those that wish it and have Rumpke adjust the bill.
Issue: Rumpke may not split out the service and lower their contract.

3) Mandate that no garbage cans would be allowed at the curb (only trash to be placed at the curb).
Issue: Difficult to enforce