Bay Village

Deer in the limelight Nov. 5 and 17

UPDATE: Geoff Westerfield's discussion at the Bay Village City Council meeting has been changed to Nov. 17, as reflected below.

Urban deer are an emotional issue. Whether you want to cull the herd, save Bambi, or find a middle ground, you will want to attend two upcoming Bay Village meetings. Both are open to the public, and both feature Geoff Westerfield, Assistant Wildlife Management Supervisor for the Ohio Division of Wildlife and an expert on damage caused by deer.

On Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Bay Village Branch Library, Mr. Westerfield will speak at the Bay Chapter League of Women Voters' meeting regarding the types of problems deer present for urban communities, factors to consider when managing deer, and techniques available to residents within the City's current parameters.

On Monday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m. in City Hall, Bay Village City Council will host Mr. Westerfield to discuss the state's role in helping cities assess and manage deer populations. This has become a hot topic since neighboring Avon Lake passed legislation allowing culling of deer by archery under certain conditions.

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Volume 6, Issue 22, Posted 9:39 AM, 10.28.2014

Budget talk at City Hall

Have you ever wondered how Bay Village decides when to buy a new ladder truck for the fire department? How many new police cruisers will we buy over the next five years? How much would reorganizing the police department save? What's next up for improvements to the pool or Play in Bay? Which of Bay's 47 miles of roadway will be resurfaced next summer? Is Community Services planning any new programs? Will any taxes or fees need to be raised to pay for it all?

It's all in the budget book. And that is available on the city's website, along with the most recent state audit and month-end financial report.

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Volume 6, Issue 22, Posted 9:39 AM, 10.28.2014

Bay's Ward 2 and 3 reps host meeting

On Sept. 30, Bay Village City Council Members Paul Vincent (Ward 2) and Karen Lieske (Ward 3) held a town hall meeting at the Community House. We would like to sincerely thank everyone that came out to discuss the various topics covered that evening. 

We discussed everything from tax revenue to deer control to recording Council meetings. We enjoyed the lively conversation with residents that led to a number of very helpful ideas and we appreciate the many comments about how to improve our beautiful city. We look forward to having another town hall in the very near future and hope to see even more of you there.

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Volume 6, Issue 21, Posted 10:30 AM, 10.14.2014

Bay councilman weighs in on deer decisions

Deer. For many residents of Bay Village, that word elicits an emotional reaction. Some think of damage to their landscaping or remember when a loved one was injured in a deer-vehicle accident and wonder why the city isn’t “doing something.” Others think of the cute fawns in their back yard last spring or remember the joy of feeding them crabapples and wonder how anyone could ever consider “killing these beautiful creatures.”

It’s an emotional issue, but there are facts and research on the matter about which informed citizens should be aware. One way of framing the discussion is to focus on three key questions: Do we have a problem? If so, what should we do about it? Finally, how do we make sure our choices are safe, effective, and humane?

Do we have a problem?

Experts at the Cleveland Metroparks hold that a “deer problem” exists when the number of deer in a given area exceeds the environment’s ability to support them.

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Volume 6, Issue 20, Posted 10:05 AM, 09.30.2014

Bay Village hires new community services director

The City of Bay Village has hired Leslie Selig as its new director of community services, replacing Debbie Bock who left in July after accepting a position as head of Rocky River's senior center. Ann Orin served as the department's interim director until Selig's hiring.

Selig will bring her expertise in working with the elderly to her new position. She owned a senior home care business for the past five years, focused on keeping seniors safe and independent in their homes as long as possible.

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Volume 6, Issue 20, Posted 9:53 AM, 09.30.2014

Report: Westshore Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) Fire Study Meeting, Aug. 20, 2014

This report, which contains observations and selected highlights, is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Official minutes are prepared by Mayor Clough's office.

[Brief background: In July 2013, the four JIC cities received a $100,000 grant from the Local Government Innovation Fund for the Westshore Regional Fire District Phase Two Feasibility Study, to be completed by July 2015. The original study, conducted by Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI), was completed in October 2010.]

Present: Bay Village – Mayor Debbie Sutherland, Fire Chief Chris Lyons, Safety Director Scott Thomas; Westlake – Mayor Dennis Clough, Fire Chief James Hughes, Assistant Fire Chief Gregory Mortus, union representative Patrick Graelis; Fairview Park – Mayor Elaine Patton, Council Member Peggy Cleary, Fire Chief Tony Raffin; union representative Mike Fink; Rocky River – Mayor Pam Bobst, union representative Kevin Bednarski.

Mayor Sutherland began the meeting by stating that the purpose of the $100,000 state grant is to hire a project manager to oversee the feasibility of implementing the ESCI recommendations, which range from collaborative efforts to operational efficiencies up to possible fire district consolidation. In her understanding, acceptance of the grant did not require consolidation.

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Volume 6, Issue 18, Posted 9:49 AM, 09.03.2014

Bay's administration trains to trim the fat

Bay Village’s mayor and several department directors spent a week at the end of July attending a boot camp focused on getting lean. No, it wasn’t a warmup for the healthy-city initiative that is expected to launch next January. This was an intensive, practical training session aimed at helping public sector employees streamline their operations and reduce wasted time, effort and resources.

The LeanOhio Boot Camp, conducted by Cleveland State’s Levin College of Urban Affairs, offers government-specific examples and exercises to illustrate the principles of “Lean” and “Six Sigma.” These continuous-improvement methods focus on cutting red tape, improving efficiency and eliminating “non-value added activities.” The goal is to make government processes “simpler, faster, better and less costly,” according to the state’s LeanOhio office website.

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Volume 6, Issue 16, Posted 9:32 AM, 08.05.2014

New Bay bike ordinances focus on safer cycling

In 1990, the Federal Highway Administration described bicycling and walking as “the forgotten modes of transportation.” Between the years 1980 and 1990, the number of people in the U.S. utilizing these two forms of transportation for commuting dropped from a combined 6.7 percent to 4.4 percent. This was attributed to a lack of planning, policy, funding and engineering by the federal, state and local governments.

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Volume 6, Issue 9, Posted 9:54 AM, 04.29.2014

Are townhouses in central Bay's future?

Efforts to update Bay's Attached Residence (townhouse) ordinance are currently focused on easing regulations for land abutting retail and commercial districts. Townhouses are already permitted within retail and commercial districts, which include the Dover Center corridor, the corner of Columbia and Eaton Way, and the southeast corner of Clague Parkway. Requirements for other residential areas – which include a 5-acre minimum – will likely stay the same, at least for now.

At their latest meetings, members of the Planning Commission and City Council's Planning Committee expressed the hope that more realistic requirements would encourage new development. Attractive new development, in turn, would reduce neighborhood resistance to townhouses in other areas of the city.

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Volume 6, Issue 9, Posted 9:50 AM, 04.29.2014

Report: Bay Village Civil Service Commission, March 19, 2014

This report, which contains observations and selected highlights, is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Official minutes are posted on the City of Bay Village website.

Chairman James Potter called the fourth Commission meeting of the year to order at 5 p.m. Present were members Martha Krebs and Dr. Dennis Lekan, Police Chief Mark Spaetzel and secretary Joan Kemper. 

After approving the minutes of the prior meeting, the Commission reviewed Rules 1 through 6 of "The Rules and Regulations of The Bay Village Civil Service Commission – Revised March/1992." The purpose of the review is to ensure it is current.

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Volume 6, Issue 7, Posted 9:27 AM, 04.01.2014

Bay Village to hold town hall meeting March 31

On Monday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m., the City of Bay Village will be holding a town hall meeting at the Dwyer Memorial Center, 300 Bryson Lane. The goal of the town hall meeting is to inform residents on issues and 2014 projects in our town. 

Sewers, rates and Bay Village’s portion of increasing costs associated with the Rocky River Wastewater Treatment Plant will be a main topic of the evening. Bay Village service director Scott Thomas and Bob Greytak of CT Consultants, consulting engineer for Bay Village, will be present to provide an overview of the plant and answer questions from the public.

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Volume 6, Issue 6, Posted 9:18 AM, 03.18.2014

Report: Bay Village Planning Commission Meeting, March 5, 2014

This report, which contains observations and selected highlights, is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Official minutes will be posted on the city website.

The main agenda item was revisions to Chapter 1158, which governs attached residence (townhouse) developments.

Planning Commission chairman Bela Persanyi presented a new proposal that would define a per-unit acreage requirement, allowing smaller "pop-up" developments. For example, the previous working model allows 6-12 units per acre. Given the minimum acreage and maximum density, each townhouse development could have 15-18 units. The new model would allow roughly 6-10 units per acre, with developments of 10-15 units.

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Volume 6, Issue 6, Posted 9:24 AM, 03.18.2014

The beauty of Bay

Bay Village Planning Commission meetings usually focus on the technical work of applying existing ordinances to specific projects. February's meeting began with just such a discussion of the Bay Diner's relocation to East Oviatt Road, and it moved on to approval of the Normandy and Westerly school projects.

Then something rare happened: the Planning Commission talked about rewriting rules. Attached residences (defined in Chapter 1158 of the city's codified ordinances) have been in the news since Andrew Brickman proposed building townhouses at Cahoon and Wolf. That development was tabled when the rezoning issue failed last November. With no specific project at hand, now is an ideal time to rework Chapter 1158. Much debated but never amended, it stands as written in 1974.

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Volume 6, Issue 5, Posted 9:58 AM, 03.04.2014

Developments in Bay development

There is an important discussion taking place in the Bay Village Planning Commission about the character of our city. Bay's attached residence housing code (Chapter 1158) was passed in 1974 and, despite numerous proposals and untold hours of debate, it has not been amended for 40 years. The Planning Commission is now considering changes to 1158 that open the possibility of new development.

What are attached residences? Housing units that share a wall and have separate private entrances. Townhouses for sure, condos maybe, perhaps certain apartments.

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Volume 6, Issue 3, Posted 10:19 AM, 02.04.2014

Bay Mayoral Candidate: Deborah Sutherland

City Council and I have worked hard to maintain and improve Bay’s quality of life. That hard work has paid off… Bay Village has been consistently recognized by Cleveland Magazine as a top community, No. 1 in 2012; by Family Circle Magazine as 2012’s Top Ten Best Towns in America to raise a family; by Forbes Magazine for rapidly increasing housing values; and by Yahoo in 2013 for being a hip place to live.

We have also been recognized by the Auditor of State for excellence in financial reporting and I, along with the other Westshore Mayors, have been awarded the Taxpayer Hero Award for creative, collaborative approaches to saving tax dollars. I am the only candidate who stated I won’t raise your property taxes! But that doesn’t mean that Bay Village, like most communities, won’t face challenges in the years ahead.

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Volume 5, Issue 21, Posted 10:07 AM, 10.15.2013

Report: Westshore Council of Governments meeting, Oct. 9, 2013

This report, which contains observations and selected highlights of a meeting of the WCOG, is the second in a new series by members of the League of Women Voters - Cuyahoga Area. It is not an official statement of the LWV.

The Westshore Council of Governments was founded in 1971 "to foster cooperation between municipalities in all areas of municipal service." The mayors of the six WCOG cities meet on the second Tuesday of the month, 9:30-11:30 a.m., at the Lakewood Women's Pavilion. Official minutes are prepared by Mayor Summers' office. All meetings are open to the public.

Present: Mayors Pamela Bobst (Rocky River), Dennis Clough (Westlake), Eileen Patton (Fairview Park), Deborah Sutherland (Bay Village), Michael Summers (Lakewood)

Absent: Mayor Kevin Kennedy (North Olmsted)

Also in attendance: Dave Greenspan, District 1 Representative, Cuyahoga County Council; Police Chiefs from Bay Village, Fairview Park, Lakewood, North Olmsted and Rocky River; Lakewood’s Fire Chief; Steve Presley; and presenter Darryl L. Anderson of MARCS.

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Volume 5, Issue 21, Posted 10:06 AM, 10.15.2013

Bay Voters' Guide: Mayoral Candidates

Download the entire Voters' Guide as a printer-friendly PDF.

Downlaod the mayoral candidates' responses to questions posed for the Primary Election.

View the video of the League of Women Voters' Bay Village Oct. 2 candidates' night.

Non-partisan information provided by the League of Women Voters - Cuyahoga Area, Bay Village chapter

Absentee Voting Begins: Oct. 1
LWV Candidates Night: Oct. 2, 7 p.m., Bay High School
Voter Registration Deadline: Oct. 7
Election Day: Nov. 5
Polls Open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Bay Village Mayor
Term: 4 years
Salary: $81,153 (2014); $86,120 (2017)

Questions for Bay Village mayoral candidates:
1. What new ideas do you have to meet the challenges of the next four years? How will you implement them?
2. Our sewer, water and electrical infrastructure is aging. What is your approach to planning for and financing (or encouraging others to plan for and finance) its maintenance and/or replacement?
3. Discuss the budgetary options and constraints that the city faces in negotiations with its public service unions. How can you reduce expenditures with these groups of employees while maintaining and/or improving morale?
4. Bay Village was one of the Westshore communities most poorly served in the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy. In addition to improved communication, what else would you do to improve service to the residents should another similar disaster occur?
5. State your position on the need for an animal control officer in the city and for a stray animal kennel operated by the city.
6. What is your vision for the future of Cahoon Park? Do you support additional active recreational activities and/or business ventures on this land? Why or why not?

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Volume 5, Issue 20, Posted 9:12 AM, 10.01.2013

Bay Voters' Guide: City Council Candidates

Download the entire Voters' Guide as a printer-friendly PDF.

View the video of the League of Women Voters' Bay Village Oct. 2 candidates' night.

Non-partisan information provided by the League of Women Voters - Cuyahoga Area, Bay Village chapter

Absentee Voting Begins: Oct. 1
LWV Candidates Night: Oct. 2, 7 p.m., Bay High School
Voter Registration Deadline: Oct. 7
Election Day: Nov. 5
Polls Open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Bay Village City Council
Term: 4 years (At-Large); 2 years (Ward Reps)
Salary: $8,138 (2014); $8,635 (2017)

Questions for Bay Village City Council candidates:
1. (At-large candidates) What new ideas would you bring to the job that would be of value to the entire city?
1. (Ward reps) What improvements would you recommend in your ward, given its unique characteristics, that would benefit the city overall?
2. Executive meetings, special meetings, suspension of Council and Charter rules, and emergency clause legislation all reduce the opportunity for public oversight and input. Are they over-used? If no, explain; if yes, what would you do to reduce their frequency?
3. Identify the services whose costs might be shared through regionalization with other communities or with the county. Identify what services could be privatized.
4. Where and when is it appropriate to use public dollars to support private business ventures in the community? How would you craft legislation to that effect?
5. State your position on the need for an animal control officer in the city and for a stray animal kennel operated by the city.
6. What is your vision for the future of Cahoon Park? Do you support additional active recreational opportunities or business ventures on this land? If yes, what kind(s)? If no, why not?

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Volume 5, Issue 20, Posted 9:11 AM, 10.01.2013

Bay Voters' Guide: Issue 6, Proposed Zoning Amendment

Download the entire Voters' Guide as a printer-friendly PDF.

Non-partisan information provided by the League of Women Voters - Cuyahoga Area, Bay Village chapter

Absentee Voting Begins: Oct. 1
LWV Candidates Night: Oct. 2, 7 p.m., Bay High School
Voter Registration Deadline: Oct. 7
Election Day: Nov. 5
Polls Open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Bay Village Issue 6: Proposed Zoning Amendment
“Shall Ordinance No. 13-56 amending the Zoning Map of the City of Bay Village to change the classification of Permanent Parcel Numbers 203-09-017, 203-09-018, 203-09-019, 203-09-020, and 203-09-021 located on Cahoon Road containing approximately 2.349 acres from its present zoning classification of Third Residence District to Attached Residence District, be approved?” A majority affirmative vote throughout the City and in Ward 2 is necessary for passage.

The PRO position that follows was prepared by City Council President Paul Koomar. The CON position was prepared by Richard Majewski, who is a member of the Planning Commission. Both were informed that their statements would be printed in their own words and that each would be solely responsible for the content of their statements. The League of Women Voters - Cuyahoga Area, Bay Village Chapter neither endorses nor opposes either view.

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Volume 5, Issue 20, Posted 5:17 PM, 09.30.2013

Meet the Candidates: A promise to serve Bay's citizens

Please exercise your constitutional rights and get out to vote on Sept. 10, our first ever Mayoral primary election. Of course, at the same time, I am humbly asking for your vote to be the next Mayor of Bay Village!

Open and accessible government is my goal. I offer my honesty, integrity and reliability. I am committed, hardworking and resourceful. My word and a handshake are as good as gold as I demonstrated with my promise to former Mayor Jim Cowles 33 years ago, a promise to serve the citizens faithfully. A promise I would like to continue keeping!

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Volume 5, Issue 17, Posted 9:51 AM, 08.20.2013

Meet the Candidates: Life in Bay is great!

City Council and I have worked hard to maintain and improve Bay’s quality of life. That hard work has paid off… Bay Village has been consistently recognized by Cleveland Magazine as a top community, No. 1 in 2012; by Family Circle Magazine as 2012’s Top Ten Best Towns in America to raise a family; by Forbes Magazine for rapidly increasing housing values; and by Yahoo in 2013 for being a hip place to live. 

We have also been recognized by the Auditor of State for excellence in financial reporting and I, along with the other Westshore Mayors, have been awarded the Taxpayer Hero Award for creative, collaborative approaches to saving tax dollars. I am the only candidate who stated I won’t raise your property taxes! But that doesn’t mean that Bay Village, like most communities, won’t face challenges in the years ahead.

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Volume 5, Issue 17, Posted 9:50 AM, 08.20.2013

LWV 2013 Bay Village Primary Voters' Guide

Download this guide as a printer-friendly PDF.

Non-partisan information provided by the League of Women Voters - Cuyahoga Area, Bay Village chapter
Absentee Voting Begins: August 6
Voter Registration Deadline: August 12
LWV Candidates’ Night: August 13
Election Day: September 10
Polls Open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Bay Village Mayor
Term: 4 years
Salary: $81,153 (2014); $86,120 (2017)

Questions for Bay Village mayoral candidates:
1. State revenues are declining and inheritance funds have been spent. Outline your plans to offset losses. Be specific as to measures you recommend to balance the budget.
2. When are regionalization and collaboration arrangements with adjoining cities appropriate? State your view on regionalization of the Fire Department.
3. Building inspection has been contracted out. What other city services would you contract out in order to reduce expenses?
4. What are the most important issues facing the city?
5. What is your vision of what Bay Village will be like in ten years?
6. What is your management style and how will you work with City Council?

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Volume 5, Issue 16, Posted 12:00 AM, 08.06.2013

Bay Village LWV plans for upcoming election season

Look for the Bay Village non-partisan primary election Voters' Guide in the next edition of the Observer.

The Bay Village chapter of the League of Women Voters - Cuyahoga Area is pleased to announce the upcoming publication of Voters' Guides as they pertain to the fall municipal elections. The first Voters' Guide will present biographical information about the four candidates for mayor of Bay Village. In addition, candidates were asked to respond to a series of questions regarding finances, regionalization, vision and leadership. The questions and their answers will be found in the Voters' Guide. In alphabetical order the four mayoral candidates are: Claire Banasiak, Martin Mace, incumbent Deborah Sutherland and David Volle.

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Volume 5, Issue 15, Posted 9:48 AM, 07.23.2013

Why I joined the League

Six years ago on a hot July night, I was part of a large audience at a public hearing on a proposal to amend Bay Village's City Charter.

The mayor had been reelected in 2005 by 49 percent of the vote. The majority vote, 51 percent, was divided among four opponents. There was a grass roots movement to establish either a primary or a runoff election. Passions were running as high as the thermometer, on both sides of the issue.

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Volume 5, Issue 14, Posted 9:51 AM, 07.09.2013

Birth of a fire district

It takes only nine months to grow a baby. A fire district, it seems, takes at least nine years. With the recent approval of a $100,000 grant for a Westshore Fire District, it is worth a look back to see how we arrived here.

In September 2004, with help from a $566,000 federal grant, four Westshore Council of Government (WCOG) cities – Bay Village, Westlake, Fairview Park and Rocky River – joined together to build the Westshore Central Dispatch Center at St. John Medical Center. This facility, which opened in March 2006, deploys ambulances and fire engines to answer member cities' emergency calls and responds to mutual aid requests from neighboring communities. 

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Volume 5, Issue 12, Posted 10:42 AM, 06.11.2013

New Bay councilman selected to fill at-large seat

Bay Village City Council welcomed its newest member at the Jan. 14 meeting. Councilman-at-large Steve Lee was sworn in to replace outgoing Councilman Scott Pohlkamp, who resigned Dec. 31, 2012, to devote his full energy to his new position as CEO of the Bay-based firm All-American Teleradiology.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the residents of Bay Village,” Councilman Lee said. “I want to be part of maintaining this special place and enhancing the quality of life for current and future residents.. It is my hope that if, in twenty years, my children were to decide to raise their families in Bay Village, they will find it to be the same great community we know it to be today.”

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Volume 5, Issue 2, Posted 11:59 AM, 01.22.2013

Bay Village hires new finance director

Renee Mahoney’s appointment by Mayor Debbie Sutherland to the position of Bay Village finance director was confirmed by City Council in a unanimous vote on Dec. 27. Mahoney, a certified public accountant, has 20 years of municipal finance experience with the city of Shaker Heights, advancing from staff accountant to assistant finance director. Her employment at Bay Village City Hall began on Jan. 4, on a part-time basis initially as she transitions from her former job. Mahoney takes over for the previous finance director, Steve Presley, who accepted a position in the Pepper Pike finance department.

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Volume 5, Issue 2, Posted 12:01 PM, 01.22.2013

Bay Village transfer station building to be demolished, kennel to remain

The Transfer Station Building at the Bay Village Service Department Garage on Naigle Road is scheduled to be demolished in early July. This building was built in 1976 with the construction of the service garage structure. The building has provided a transfer point at the north ramp and bay for waste disposal. The south bay was designed for road salt storage.

The building was constructed with concrete masonry walls and a precast concrete roof deck. The exposure to salt for thirty-four years caused the reinforcing steel in the roof deck to deteriorate and ultimately collapse under the weight of the concrete roof.

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Volume 4, Issue 13, Posted 10:19 AM, 06.26.2012

Bay council members take oath of office

Following the longstanding tradition of installing council members on the first day of their terms, Bay Village held an inauguration ceremony at Dwyer Memorial Center to administer the oath of office for reelected and newly elected members of City Council on Jan. 1. Bay Village is unique in that the elected officials are sworn in on the day that their terms begin, rather than waiting for a business day or a scheduled council meeting.

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Volume 4, Issue 1, Posted 10:20 AM, 01.03.2012

Bay's school board and council candidates will take your questions Oct. 20

Bay High Student Council members will work in partnership with the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area, Bay Village Chapter, to present Bay Village Candidates Night on Thursday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m. at Bay Middle School.

The public is invited to attend and ask questions of candidates in contested races on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Running for two Bay Village Board of Education seats are incumbent William Selong and new candidates David Campbell, Steve Merkel and Bob Piccirilli. Running for the Bay Village Council Ward 3 seat are Karen Lieske and Bob Ziebarth.

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Volume 3, Issue 20, Posted 3:53 PM, 10.04.2011

Bay Village stray dog report

Since mid-July, the City of Bay Village has sent four stray dogs to the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter. The first dog was evaluated for about two weeks and found to have some behavioral issues that made it unsuitable for adoption in an urban, family environment. As a result, it was adopted by a loving Geauga County family with a farm so the dog has plenty of room to run and play. 

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Volume 3, Issue 17, Posted 3:01 PM, 08.23.2011

Bay leaders work to manage revenue challenges

The financial challenges faced by local municipalities have been well-documented and editorialized in recent months. As residents of the city of Bay Village, and of our West Shore and greater Cleveland neighborhoods, we each see the difficulties first-hand. 

We are reminded daily of the ongoing challenges of the financial markets, including high unemployment and sluggish residential real estate markets, coupled with deficit concerns at the federal, state and local levels. As Bay Village City leaders, those funding challenges are direct, coming clearly into our view over the past several years.  

Historically, Bay Village has been very fortunate to enjoy a consistent flow of primary and recurring revenues, ones funding vital and essential municipal services, which make Bay Village the great place in which our residents live, enjoy and raise their families.

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Volume 3, Issue 15, Posted 3:36 PM, 07.26.2011

Bay's final "Letters to the Future" winner announced

The Bay Village Bicentennial Committee announce the third and final winner in its “Letters to the Future” contest. The committee will add this winning letter to Bay’s bicentennial time capsule along with the two letters previously announced.  The capsule will be sealed on December 31, 2010, to be opened 100 years from then—in 2110, Bay’s 300th birthday.

The first two letter-writing winners, nine-year-old Caroline Dannemiller, who represented the 16-and-under age category, and Dianne Borowski, who represented the 66-and-older category, will be joined by John Suter, winner of the 16-to-65 age category. Congratulations to all our winning writers and a big thank you to those residents who took the time to enter the contest and visit with the future.

John Suter’s handwritten letter notes his reasons for selecting Bay Village as home 40 years ago and examines the many social changes he has witnessed over those same 40 years. Suter concludes his letter to 2110 residents with a series of interesting queries that can only be answered by residents reading the letter 100 years from now.

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Volume 2, Issue 19, Posted 12:16 PM, 09.15.2010

Bay considers automated trash pick-up system

The city of Bay Village has started gathering facts and exploring the possibility of switching to an Automated Refuse Collection System for all residents within the city. On Monday, June 21, the city’s Services, Utilities, and Equipment Committee held a meeting during which Dave Kidder of Allied Waste/Republic Services made a presentation outlining the benefits of automated refuse collection. The company currently has a contract with the city for picking up residential trash one day a week.

Under the proposed system, all homes in Bay Village will receive a 96-gallon wheeled refuse container, which holds the equivalent content of four trash cans, and a 64-gallon recyclables container which residents will place on the tree lawn on their collection day. Although trash is presently picked up city wide every Tuesday, collection days have yet to be determined for the new system. They may be spread out over a three-day period throughout the city, possibly Wednesday through Friday.

 

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Volume 2, Issue 13, Posted 9:07 PM, 06.26.2010

The Bay Village Charter

Bay Village is organized around a Charter form of Government. In 1948, a charter commission was elected and on April 12, 1949 the present charter was adopted at a special election. It became effective January 1, 1950. At that same time, the Village of Bay became the "City of Bay Village," having been certified as having 6,917 residents as of 1950.

Currently the population is Bay Village is slightly above 14,000.

The Bay Village charter provides two means for residents to directly influence legislation.

1. Initiative – This allows the electors to propose an ordinance or resolution.

2. Referendum – This permits the electors to approve or reject at the polls any ordinance or resolution passed by the council.

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Volume 2, Issue 1, Posted 6:57 PM, 01.08.2010

Bay Village tax exemptions should include Peace Corps volunteers

The Regional Income Tax Agency (also known as R.I.T.A.) taxes every penny it can without any regard to the message it sends to those who serve the United States.

Tax time can be sobering for many Americans filing to good old Uncle Sam but this year it wasn’t the man in the big top hat that was sobering, it was R.I.T.A.

While serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the country of Kazakhstan from August 2006 – November 2008, I learned that R.I.T.A had taxed my yearly income of $2,400. I thought, “This can’t be, there has to be an exemption for those members of the community who serve our country.”

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Volume 1, Issue 4, Posted 3:21 PM, 09.21.2009

New police officer joins force

New part-time police officer Eric Tuisku was sworn in by Mayor Debbie Sutherland during the September 21st meeting of City Council.
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Volume 1, Issue 4, Posted 1:23 PM, 10.03.2009

Retiring school guard honored

Irene Burkhardt retired this year after spending 29 years as a School Guard for the city of Bay Village. Irene started in 1980 and spent ten years as a backup guard before becoming the regular guard at the corner of Normandy Road and Douglas Drive. She was honored with a resolution during the City Council meeting on September 21st.
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Volume 1, Issue 4, Posted 1:14 PM, 10.03.2009

Let's be friends: Scott uses Facebook in Bay mayoral campaign

Bay Village Mayoral Candidate Jim Scott is using the social networking site Facebook to reach an online audience. The Councilman-at-Large is the focal point of the "Jim Scott for Mayor of Bay Village: Facebook Headquarters" group. According to the group's description, it is intended for Facebook users interested in the mayor's race to share information, concerns and suggestions, as well as for supporters of the Jim Scott campaign.
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Volume 1, Issue 4, Posted 8:24 PM, 10.01.2009

Scott outlines city agenda

Two questions I often hear from Bay Village residents are “Why are you running for Mayor?” and “What are you going to do that’s different?”  Here’s the answer.  I’m going to:

  • Reduce city spending and save taxpayers money. 
  • Hold Town Hall meetings and answer residents’ questions. 
  • Implement a long-term plan to maintain and improve our city infrastructure – buildings, sewers and streets. 
  • Bring transparency to every aspect of city government.
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Volume 1, Issue 1, Posted 3:52 PM, 08.22.2009