Government - http://maxpages.com/minnickward4/MINNICK_LETTERS_TO_THE

Dear Editor: (MARCH, 2001)

In a recent letter to the editor, Mayor Hill summed up her administration quite eloquently. "It's not what you do but the way you do it that counts." Time and time again, residents have voiced their concerns on several different projects and issues. Time and time again they were ignored and plans were implemented without taking their concerns into consideration. Time and time again information was skewed or withheld from decision makers and residents.

Frustrated, a citizens' group was formed and referendum petitions circulated to have a voice at the polls on issues that would profoundly affect the entire city. But their votes didn't count because the law director kept changing the rules and council added frivolous emergency clauses. Even appealing and winning in the Ohio Supreme Court was of no avail because the administration continued to forge on. The administration and majority on council kept doing it their way-- residents, laws, and courts be damned.

The administration said sewers must be constructed because the EPA will mandate them--there is a health hazard in our City. Yet, homeowners have been told they will not be required to have sewers unless the trunk line goes by their house. If they want sewers, they will have to petition the city and request that laterals be constructed. The mayor also stated that the sewer will serve 65 percent of the city that has no waste water treatment. In reality, only eleven existing homes on Race Rd. will be served by a 30" trunk sewer. (Residents have been led to believe the entire trunk line is 36 inches, but actually just a very small portion of the trunk is 36 inches.) The project runs through 93 percent of developers' property. Why are developers paying only 73 percent of the trunk line with so few residents benefitting?

The mayor believes her projects are financially beneficial. Sewers were put up to Lorain Road and Lear Nagle several years ago in the hope of developing the interchange area. Why isn't the interchange area being built up? What happened to AutoNation, the movie theatre and restaurants we were promised? Why were residents told they would get mounds then not constructed as promised? Why are so many strip stores on Center Ridge unoccupied?

We're told septic systems are failing on Center Ridge. If they are, the EPA could mandate that they be replaced rather than mandate sewers. Are developers clammoring to put commercial projects on western Center Ridge? If so, why should we build additional empty commercial areas?

The mayor said she doesn't take risks. Why is the city issuing bonds for the entire Westerly Sewer Project and not requiring developers to pay the debt back for five years? If the economy cools and home building slows down; if developers take out construction loans and use their land as collateral; if the developers can't begin paying their debt in five years, who will pay off the bond debt? Why would anyone put our residents at such a risk!?

What will our infrastructure be like at build-out? How much will it cost taxpayers to widen our roads, build new schools, hire additional employees, add to our safety forces, etc., etc? It is proven that residential developments are not economically feasible for cities. We are told a north/south collector road will be built to keep traffic that is generated by Meadow Lakes and Waterbury off existing streets. But, the collector road goes nowhere! Who will pay to finish the collector road to I-480 (Rt. 10) and Chestnut Ridge?

Legislation was written for a Community Center and the concept of a Town Center. Hidden in that legislation are words that take away the checks and balances that are supposed to exist in our city but rather give the mayor spending privileges with taxpayer money.

Mayor Hill claims she is not a politician. The well-greased political machine has raised thousands of dollars from political allies and developers. She routinely accuses residents of being political terrorists and against development. Debate is healthy but not if you disagree with the mayor; and her personal attacks on individuals and groups cannot disguise her smarmy politics.

The list goes on and on and on. The mayor extended an olive tree but the residents have been clobbered with it. The problems in North Ridgeville have been escalating for five years and have reached the point where drastic measures must be taken to ensure individual Rights guaranteed under the Constitution of these great United States. Despite repeated attempts to have their voices heard, people have been ignored, gaveled down, belittled, insulted, alienated, threatened, and lied to. Recall is a drastic, unpleasant measure to be sure. But it is the one last Right that residents can use under the law to obtain justice with an out-of-control administration that does what it wants the way it wants. That's what counts. As one resident so aptly put it, "God help North Ridgeville."

FEBRUARY, 2001

Mayor Hill replied to my Feb. 7 letter to the editor in the Feb. 14, P&L Press Line. She claims she spent two months trying to explain the CHIP Grant to me. She also said she was not fined with regard to the technology grant. (Perhaps "finding for recovery" as stated in the Morning Journal is what Hill would prefer.) Hill's administration is still a continuous play on words. Rather than continue a war of words in the newspaper, here are the facts. The Feb. 7 Press & Light letter to the editor was a synopsis of the past two months (copy is below) of my trying to get information on the CHIP grant. It is the latest information I received. As for the fines on the technology grant (here are excerpts from newspaper articles, for those who may have forgotten or may not have been in N. Ridgeville in 1997:

Morning Journal (6/97): "Nothing to show for Hill's $400,000. That's right, Mrs. Hill went through $400,000 and N.Ridgeville has nothing to show for it. Waves of kids came out of N. Ridgeville schools since the early 1990s having missed out on the computer education that could have resulted from Hill's project. State Auditor Jim Petro, whose examiners initially questioned $12,506 of spending from the grant, in the end, demanded recovery of only $365.51 from Mrs. Hill, including $291 in political contributions, $40.88 for movies and honor bar purchases at a hotel and $33.55 for a meal that cost more than the limit set by school policy. The auditor apparently could say little about the rest of the expenditures because state officials, who gave Mrs. Hill the money, didn't properly spell out how she should spend it."

Chronicle Telegram (6/97): "She could have been forced to repay as much as $12,000. But her attorney argued that since the Legislature, which gave Hill grants totaling $400,000 did so 'with no strings attached,' there were no rules to govern how she spent it. Hill used bad jusgment in how she spent some of the money. The audit held her accountable for $291......But she also was chided for violating school district policy for failing to perperly document how she spent nearly $12,000 more. She referred to her work only as 'lobbying.' There was no system of checks and balances. Everyone looks foolish here and, once again, the taxpayer is left holding the bag."

Morning Journal (4/23/97): "In one of her first official acts (as administrator of the grant between 1987 and 1991), she threw a dinner party for her political allies, paid for with $226 from the grant, school records show. Ms. Hill went on to spend more than $38,000 of schools money for travel, entertainment, hotels, political contributions and lobbying expenses, records show. In one instance in 1991, she spent $50 at a political fund-raiser breakfast for former state Rep. John Bara, and listed the expense as 'a meeting'. In 1988 she expensed a $143 lunch at Mountain Jack's Restaurant, and gave no reason in her expense reports. In 1991, airfare to a convention in New Orleans cost taxpayers $326.00. No further explanation was listed in those expense reports. One convention in Anaheim, CA, in 1989 cost $482. While in California, Mrs. Hill rented a white convertible for $47/day for six days. On 1/22/88 a check was paid to State Rep. Corwin Nixon for $71.18 for a fund raiser. On 3/14/88 the school district issued a $75 check to State Rep. John Bara's treasurer for a $50 ticket to Bara's 5th annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast and $25 for brunch with Bara at Spring Valley Country Club in Columbus two weeks later."

Morning Journal 5/1/97): "Mrs. Hill's second line of defense was an ironic twist on her first. Whereas she was originally the victim of her superiors and of mean and nasty people who took advantage of her sweet good nature, Mrs. Hill was magically transformed into someone with enough political savvy to make enemies. And it was those enemies, she charged, who launched a witch hunt into her spending of the grant money. We didn't buy the first argument. And we scoff at the second. State education officials investigated her handling of that $400,000 precisely because something smelled wrong about it. But raising just as much of a stink are Mrs. Hill's buckpassing response to the audit, her cry of victimization and her refusal to stand up and answer hard questions."

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Dear Editor (2/7/01):

It's unfortunate that only portions of stories are told in newspapers. As a council person, I should be able to go to departments and request information without hassle. That isn't happening at our City Hall. For this council member, all requests for information must go through either the mayor or safety service director's office, per the administration's interpretation of our City Charter.

It is difficult to obtain information, even when it pertains to me. As a result of my efforts to help residents in my ward get work completed on their new homes, on February 7, 2000, I was informed that the builder was threatening me with a lawsuit. Several times I asked for a copy of the threatening letter. On March 15, 2000, I sent a certified letter to the law director asking for a copy of the developer's letter. To date, I still have not received that copy. Does it exist or was it an attempt to stop me from helping the residents with their problems?

Recently, a constituent called and asked some questions about the CHIP grant, which was awarded to our City in the Summer of 1999. I asked Mayor Hill for the names of the recipients and the amounts awarded. I was given the last names of 29 people showing that approximately $298,000 had been awarded. The grant was for $600,000. The P&L was apparently given information I was unable to obtain. Mr. McVeigh reported that funds had "been awarded to five first-time home buyers, 20 homes were approved for emergency repairs and 26 rehab projects on private homes were given the go-ahead." That's 51 residents that were helped--not 29 as reported to me by the mayor! (I'm very happy so many residents benefitted from the CHIP grant and certainly hope we are awarded additional money this year to help even more people.) According to the P&L, "all the money was spoken for." A check of the unaudited preliminary Financial Report of December 31, 2000, shows 83.28 percent of the money has been collected from the State. I questioned the mayor about the discrepancies and that started the flurry of e-mails reported in last week's P&L. Am I not entitled to receive accurate and complete information? After all, I have been elected to represent the people. How can I do my job if I I'm given partial information or no information at all?

Whatever happened to accountability? Why is it so difficult to obtain public records information-- a right given every citizen under the Constitution? It wasn't that long ago Deanna Hill was employed by North Ridgeville City Schools, applied for a $400,000 technology grant from the State, abused some of that money and was fined.

Here in N. Ridgeville, our freedom is being eroded and it appears there are only a few on council who dare ask questions or speak up. Members of our community have united in an effort to have their voices heard. Yes, I am running for council again. Not because it is a life-long dream, but because I understand what is happening in our city. I care about my neighbors, and I am trying to give each and every person the representation they deserve. Wars aren't always carried out in the battlefield nor are we immune to corruption. Sometimes battles are carried out in our own backyards. It's the price to be paid for the freedom our forefathers fought and died for. May we never lose sight of that fact.

minnickgail@hotmail.com

Page Updated Fri Oct 1, 2004 11:15pm EDT