Thursday, September 1, 2011
Strongsville is among communities opposing proposed NEORSD fee
A battle between two dozen communities in Cuyahoga and Summit counties over a storm-water fee is heading to court. The city in July joined the other communities in a lawsuit against the fee sought by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Negotiations between the two sides, mediated by County Executive Ed FitzGerald, have broken down. The trial is scheduled for Oct. 31. Strongsville City Council agreed July 5 to pay $15,000 toward outside legal fees in the case, which seeks to thwart a stormwater management fee that would cost the average homeowner about $57 a year. NEORSD is seeking an increase of about $14.25 per quarter to pay for a stormwater program to manage stream bank erosion, flooding and other issues, said Jeannie Chapman, …
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Man says he had evidence sex charges were faked
A man who lost a federal court case against the city and police department has appealed. Daniel Roth filed suit in U.S. District Court in 2008 against the police department and county prosecutors who charged him with gross sexual imposition charges on which he was acquitted. In late April, the last part of that case was dismissed. Law Director Ken Kraus said Roth has appealed the dismissal. Roth sued the police department and prosecutors over his 2005 arrest on sex charges. The charges were made by the 15-year-old girlfriend his his 30-year-old son, with whom Roth had had a falling out. Roth said he had e-mails from his son threatening to frame him with bogus sex charges. He reported his son to Beachwood police anyway after the younger …
Monday, May 16, 2011
Last contract expired in 2009
An arbitration hearing is set for May 19 on a contract between the city and its firefighters, whose last contract expired 16 months ago. Both sides say the main issues of the contract have been resolved, but the city has not signed the agreement because of what Law Director Ken Kraus calls "a technical issue" over wage scale figures. "It has to do with the calculation of paramedics' pay," Kraus said. Firefighters' previous contract expired in December 2009. The firefighters union voted to accept a new agreement hammered out by a factfinder last fall, but the city challenged the wage scale numbers. Strongsville firemedic Tony Hunt, the department's union spokesman, said the wage scale is the same one in use for the last several years. But …
Friday, May 13, 2011
Judge sides with city in 3-year-old lawsuit
A three-year-old lawsuit involving a Strongsville police officer, the city and county prosecutors has been dismissed by a U.S. District Judge who said none of the defendants violated the complainant's civil rights. Daniel M. Roth filed suit in U.S. District Court on July 9, 2008 against the law enforcement officials who prosecuted him on gross sexual imposition charges. He was acquitted of the crime. Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. on April 29 issued a summary judgment that dismissed the case against the last remaining defendant, Patrolman Brian Sloan. The cases agains the other defendants, including three assistant county prosecutors, Cuyahoga County and the city of Strongsville, had already been dismissed. "The case was thrown out in pieces," …
Thursday, May 5, 2011
State is looking to regulate sweepstakes slot machines, while city maintains they're illegal
A plan by state officials to regulate Internet sweepstakes cafes could potentially open the door for them in Strongsville, although Law Director Ken Kraus said that's far from certain. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is supporting legislation introduced by State Reps. Marlene Anielski (R-Walton Hills) and Nan Baker (R-Westlake) to establish oversight of gaming that takes place at Internet cafes and similar establishments. The bill addresses electronic games that look like slot machines, which DeWine said can mislead players and cause confusion for law enforcement. "Internet cafes and sweepstakes parlors that are skirting the definitions of what is legal are popping up all across Ohio. Since these games are unregulated, there is no …
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Court ruling will allow city to tear down structure and bill property owner for cost
A judge has ruled in favor of the city regarding a half-built, windowless house at 17361 Drake Rd. Law Director Ken Kraus said Common Pleas Judge Kathleen Sutula has sided with the city's efforts to get the house either fixed up for removed. He said Sutula last week gave property owner Brian Mathoslah of Shaker Heights 30 days to take down the house or the city can immediately demolish it and assess all costs. The city went to court last July to try to force Mathoslah to either finish the house or tear it down. The shell of the windowless house is standing, but officials said no one has maintained the property since the owner, who fell into financial distressed, halted work on the home. Ward 2 Councilman Ray Haseley said neighbors …
41.29043
-81.82214
17361 Drake Rd, Strongsville, OH
/articles/half-built-house-on-drake-road-can-be-razed-judge-says
/locations/4208275
Thursday, April 7, 2011
No plans for one now, but funeral home says there may be in the future
The city is drafting a list of regulations for crematories after an inquiry from a funeral home. Jason Jardine, whose family runs Jardine Funeral Home, said there are no immediate plans to build a crematory at the Pearl Road business, but said he can see a time down the road when there will be a need. "We believe it (cremation) will eventually become the future of our industry," he said. "More people these days are turning to that." And while the vast majority of cremations are outsourced by funeral homes, Jardine said families would appreciate the secure environment of a local crematory to know their loved ones stay close to home. He said he called city officials to ask about regulations and learned crematories are not addressed in …
41.30141
-81.83521
Jardine Funeral Home
15822 Pearl Rd, Strongsville, OH
/articles/city-to-regulate-crematories-in-case-one-is-built-here
1080096
/locations/3923343
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Jackpot winners must now pay city taxes on their prizes
Just in time for the opening of a casino in downtown Cleveland, City Council has voted to collect municipal income taxes on gambling jackpots. Anyone who wins $600 or more at the new casino -- or any other gambling establishment, for that matter -- must now pay 2 percent to Strongsville. "A lot of communities in the area are doing it," Law Director Ken Kraus said. "It's a revenue enhancement." It's not a new concept. Strongsville and most other northeast Ohio cities already tax lottery winnings. But council this week expanded its legislation to not only apply to jackpots from lotteries in which Ohio participates but to any "gambling or sports winnings, games of chance and/or awards of $600 or more." "If a resident goes to a casino and wins…
41.31452
-81.8326
Mike Kalinich, Sr. City Council Chambers
18688 Royalton Rd, Strongsville, OH
/articles/win-big-at-the-casino-strongsville-will-take-a-cut
1812335
/locations/3899935
Thursday, March 3, 2011
City threatens to prosecute operators if they move in
An Internet sweepstakes cafe has yet to open in Strongsville, and with good reason. The city has threatened to charge operators of the businesses with a crime. "We think they violate state and local law," Law Director Ken Kraus said. While other communities have said Internet cafes are not considered gambling, Strongsville has stood by an opinion Kraus penned last July and has prohibited the cafes from operating here. When an Internet cafe tries to move in, the city hands the owner a warning letter. "Your business is predicated upon affording customers a place to gamble," the letter says. Players, operators and owners may be breaking the law, it says. "You are further notified and cautioned that any such use may expose such individuals to…
41.27415
-81.83682
55 Pearl Rd, Brunswick, OH
/articles/internet-sweepstakes-cafes-shunned-by-strongsville
/locations/3556158
Friday, February 11, 2011
Years-old case set for oral arguments March 9
A lawsuit over an access road that reaches back more than two years will bring the city and Home Depot to court again. Law Director Ken Kraus said oral arguments are scheduled for March 9 in the Eighth District Court of Appeals. At issue is a "ring road, an an interior access road that was supposed to connect the retail stores on Pearl Road at Sprague Road -- which are now Home Depot and Walmart -- with the stores just south -- the Lowe's store at Pearl and Whitney. "The original intent (of the ring road) was to alleviate the traffic on Pearl and Whitney," said Council President Mike Daymut, who represents that area. While plans for the developments showed an internal connecting road that would spare motorists from exiting onto Pearl Road…
41.348672
-81.821963
Home Depot
8199 Pearl Rd, Strongsville, OH
/articles/ring-road-lawsuit-brings-home-depot-city-to-court-again
1079202
/locations/3360337
Gustavo Plumlee
7:05 am on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I feel the city should make cutbacks in the fire and police departments. Why should Strongsville be any different from any other community suffering through budget cuts? more ›