Politics & Government

City Council Quick Bites: Model Railroads, Firefighters and Flooding

See what Mentor City Council discussed during its Tuesday night meeting at City Hall

Mentor City Council began its Tuesday night meeting by handing a $1,000 check to Rick Montgomery, the curator of the Western Reserve Model Railroad Museum.

The city had received the money . The magazine selected Mentor as a stop on its after it featured the railroad museum in its annual "Best of America" issue.

The city could have spent the money any way it wanted. However, City Council thought it was appropriate that the museum should get it.

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"We received an award but, had it it not been for you, we would have never received it," Council President Robert Shiner said to Montgomery.

The . Montgomery previously said that it owed $100,000 in rent and utilities.

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"We're very happy to be in Mentor," Montgomery said, thanking Council. "And if you haven't visited us yet, shame on you," he added teasingly.

Also at the City Council meeting:

  • On Councilman Ed Walsh's request, Shiner set up a subcommittee to look into  in Mentor.

Council Members Scott Marn and Carolyn Bucey will join Walsh on the subcommittee.

Mentor City Engineer Dave Swiger said the city got more than seven inches of rain this April, the most on record. It usually gets about 2.5 inches.

Five residents from three different parts of the city came to the Council meeting to say their houses flooded between April 23 and 25.

The city administration said they are continuing to work with Lake County to identify ways to address flooding at a systematic level, as well as find backflow prevention devices that homeowners could install.

Mentor City Manager Ken Filipiak said some proposed changes could be very expensive for the city. However, he added, one of the most cost-effective ways the city can help is by dredging retention basins to help them regain water capacity they've lost.

Marn suggested the city revisit a 10-year-old plan it compiled regarding its retention basins. Shiner agreed to add discussion of the plan to Council's next work session before its meeting May 17.

  • The Mentor Fire Department had two pieces of news. Deputy Fire Chief Pete Grendze recently graduated from the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program.

The program takes about four years to complete and, in 25 years, about 3,000 people have graduated from it, Deputy Chief Tom Talcott said.

"It's a pretty select group that makes it through," said Talcott, who graduated previously from the same program.

Grendze joked that the program reminded him that he "still doesn't like school that much.

  • Also, City Council took a moment to thank Talcott, , for his 34 years of service to the Mentor Fire Department.

"I'm going to miss you, man," Shiner said to Talcott.

"It's very mutual," Talcott replied.

  • City Council decided not to vote on the ordinance . Instead, the proposed change will be revisited at the next Council meeting
  • Council approved the purchase of 13 new Tasers for the police department. The Tasers will cost about $10,000 but most of that money is coming from a grant. The city will only pay about $3,500.


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