Amherst News-Times, 1999-02-24

              City to model law after Vermilion's — Page 3   [Deegan signs to play — Page 7
Amherst News-Time
Wednesday. February 24,  1999
Amherst, Ohio
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Cops file host of'grievances against the cit
by QLEN MLLER
Nawa-Timas reporter
Full-time Amherst patrolmen have filed 17 grievances
against the city over the use
of part-time officers, court
time and the number of days
they work in succession.
All were filed with the city
by the Ohio Patrolman's Benevolent Association (OPBA)
between Dec. 30 and Jan. 4.
Most were denied by mayor
John Higgins because they
were signed by patrolman
Walter Gould, director of the
local OPBA, not the aggrieved officers.
Higgins said he hopes the
grievances can be settled
through arbitration.
Gould said the option of
seeking arbitration will be decided by the OPBA and its
executive board.
Most involve decisions to
use part-time patrolman to fill
vacant shifts or hours rather
than first asking full-time officers if they wish to work
overtime.
Higgins said the decision to
use part-time officers is an
effort to cut down oh overtime pay.
In a letter to the OPBA,
Higgins said the use of part-
time officers to fill open
shifts has been a longstanding
police department practice and
was agreed to in a new
three-year contract approved
late last fall.
"It is the most efficient and
economic way to provide
necessary coverage," he
added.
The applicable section
doesn't prohibit the use of
part-time officers and deals
with how overtime is to be
distributed among full-time
patrolmen, Higgins said.
According to Gould, full-
timers are offered overtime
work when part-time patrolmen turn it down.
Other grievances deal with
the failure to give officers
two days off in succession.
These and several other complaints — one dealing with
split shift day — also were
u)
denied becaus)
signed by Got
the aggrieved
The contrac
will be schedi
days of duty — — . .
days off. However, the mayor
noted there are occasional exceptions, such as when work
schedules are being changed.
Gould said the contract
CONTINUED on page 3
Street tax
to appear
for fall
election
by QLEN MLLER
News-Times reporter
A hurried effort to place a
half percent street levy on the
May primary ballot was
quickly dropped by city council last week because of the
cost of paying for it
The decision was made by
consensus after council clerk
Olga Sivinski learned the city
would have to pay $5,600 to
have the 0.5-mill renewal levy
placed on the ballot    -
In effect, the city would
have to pay for the election
if no accompanying issues or
candidates were on the Amherst ballot, according to Lorain County Board of Elections
director Marilyn   Jacobcik.
The issue was discussed at
council's Feb. IS streets committee meeting. It voted to
place the renewal on the May
ballot pending action by the
entire council at a special
Feb. 17 meeting.
That meeting was cancelled
after council learned of the
cost Instead, council opted to
delay the levy renewal until
November when several council members will seek
reelection.
Mayor John Higgins said
the delay has its good and
bad points. It will give the
city more time to form a citizen's committee to promote
the levy and explain its need.
Conversely, it cuts the ballot
opportunity to the November
election.
Had voters rejected the renewal in May, the city would
have had a second opportunity to seek approval during
the November general
election.
Even though the levy does
not expire until Dec. 31,
2000, the city must wait one
year after the levy is passed
before it can begin collecting
funds generated by it, about
$1.5 million a year.
"So November is it, otherwise we will have to look at
a greatly reduced street rehab
program in 2001, something
.we don't want to do and
_ something people won't like,"
Higgins explained.
Money can be borrowed,
although the repayment and
interest would reduce the
amount available to the rehabilitation program. It pays for
street repairs and paving, and
any work dona to storm sew-
ajapd bridges, lha mayor
, He 10-year levy was first
&cd in 1990 and raised ab-
$700,000 a year for im-
The
of
James Melendez (front), The Veranda's executive ctief, shows    of his secrets for making a mouth watering flish.
general manager Thad Gregg and owner Dave Moore (at rear) one
Making Amherst his hometown
by QLEN MLLER
News-Times reporter
Dave Moore doesn't consider
himself a restaurateur, just an astute
businessman who occasionally takes
risks.
That's one reason he downplayed
the opening of The Veranda, an upscale restaurant and catering service
in early December and his role in
the revitalization of downtown
Amherst.
Including The Veranda, he owns
an estimated $2 million worth of
real estate on Park Avenue and Five
Points. The restaurant got its name
from the large veranda that was
built on the second floor.
Businessman takes a risk
on both sides of Five Points
Moore moved his main business.
Crystal Mortgage Co., from Elyria
to Amherst a few years ago because
of its small town atmosphere reminded him of the town where, he
grew up, Davison, Mich.
"I wanted to live and work in a
town with a really nice family atmosphere and this was it," he
explained.
The decision to convert the old
Fraternal Order of Eagle Club into a
restaurant wasn't by design; it just
happened.
Every day Moore could see the
building from his second floor office window. All he had to do was
turn around in his swivel chair.
He wanted it, but not for a restaurant It was the parking lot in the
rear he was interested in because it
would provide parking for employees and customers of the Crystal
Mortgage Co. The old building
would be a good rental hall for weddings, parties and whatnot, and the
second floor might be a good place
for meeting rooms.
But something clicked in the back
his mind after he bought it Years
ago, he and some old schools chums
had talked about someday opening a
restaurant
So, the dream reappeared and became a reality after Moore spent an
estimated $750,000 to renovate the
building. Along the way, he decide
to add Dave's, a cigar bar, as part of
the restaurant even through he
doesn't smoke.
Dave's was added because he
thought patrons would enjoy having
a place where they could have a few
drinks without having to shout over
blaring music.
There just isn't anything here in
town for elegant eating that has a
nice atmosphere and good food," he
CONTINUED on page 3
CONTlNUtU) en page 9
Century day kids
St. .Joseph Catholic School students
comber and 8t§von Bernard try lo r'
Board. Jains* Mow-
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H was hist ono the 100 things students did last
that 1^ day tfeohool
W. Martin
residents
petition
for signs
A petition asking that stop
signs and crosswalks be
placed along part of West
Martin Street has been referred to police and safety
officials by city council.
Saying it has no jurisdiction, council's streets committee asked safety service director Sherrill McLoda, law director Alan Anderson and the
police department to review
the petition signed by more
than 40 West Martian Street
area residents.
The petition, reviewed by
the committee at its Feb. IS
meeting, seeks to have crosswalks and three-way stop
signs placed on West Martin
at the corners of Long Street
and Candy Lane to force
drivers to slow down.
In their petition, the residents said stop signs and
crosswalks are needed to ensure the safety of children
walking to and from school.
In addition, they also would
provide notice that "the Cast
moving cars will no longer
be tolerated" on a residential
street with a 25 mile per
hour speed limit
Although the request is
valid, law director Alan Anderson and committee chairperson Nancy Brown said the
use of stop signs to slow
down speeders may not be
legal
"If you are using the atop
signs strictly as a traffic control device, then you may
have a (legal) problem," Anderson said.
They might be legally
erected due to an increased
volume of traffic on Weat
Martin. Proving this would
first require a traffic count
and other research to justify
their use, be added.
Crosswalks with signs
wanting motorists to stop for
pedestrians on them can also
be added.
Anderson questioned
whether three-way atop signs
will help. He reported witnessing motorists turn on to
West Martin from aide streets,
including Candy Lane and
Long Street, without stopping,
even though slop signs are
posted on tnsua.
As fo the speeding, he
the rebuilding of a
along We
N. Main and N.
its small several yearn ago.
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