City Council Approves Purchase of New Police Cars, Fire Department Radios

Tuesday night’s  meeting burst with items scheduled on the agenda. At the council committee meeting held beforehand, grants, fire and police requests and street construction were just some of the topics discussed.

The purchase of four 2011 Ford Crown Victoria cars for the was the biggest on the agenda. The purchase of the cars, with a cost of $86,352, was approved by council, along with the $51,000 purchase of three Ford Fusion SE cars for similar purposes. Maintenance issue costs were also covered.

Council approved another safety-service department purchase for the ’s six replacement mobile radios needed because of outdated narrowband accessibility requirements.

An agreement with Osborn Engineering for the Cuyahoga County Municipal Energy Grant Program and the purchase of a 2012 International 3-ton truck for the service department were also approved.

Other discussions:

Mayor Jerry N. Hruby spoke with Cleveland Metroparks executive director, Brian Zimmerman, about the Seneca Golf Course project. Zimmerman proposed to include adding a connecting trail–from a Broadview Heights complex to Brecksville—to the project, with Brecksville city’s approval. It is an $850,000 grant that Brecksville could partner. Hruby wanted to bring the topic to council’s attention early in the decision process.

“People enjoying that wooded area could walk from one part to the next,” Hruby said to council, and most agreed.

The Brecksville Travel Baseball Association requested that Brecksville donate and plant 10 trees at the Broadview Heights ball field, costing between $1,350 and $1,600. The field is located in Broadview Heights, but used and maintained by Brecksville, as well.

The intersection at the is being considered for either a new traffic signal or a intersection reconfiguration. Council and the mayor agree that a new signal is the best answer and the least costly one. A recent study found almost all of the recent intersection collisions were from illegal left turns, according to the Brecksville Police Department. This is why council sees a new signal as a better plan than realigning the intersection.

“When we saw the cost of it [realignment], it was just ridiculous,” Hruby said.

City Engineer, Gerald Wise, addressed the 2011 FEMA maps showing the city flood zones, particularly around the Cuyahoga River. About 50 homes have been added to the map, so they must purchase flood insurance unless the property owners can otherwise prove it is not needed.

“Anyone that has money that is federally backed, you have to get it [flood insurance],” Wise said.

These maps are available at the building department and on the city website.

A final point, Blossom Hill’s second well, was discussed to be placed further south on the land than originally proposed. Hruby wanted to see it farther from street view behind the trees. This way, the well driveway could also serve as a path to the soccer fields.