Mayor vetoes road repairs

Councilman calls move ‘offensive’

Lorain Mayor Chase Ritenauer has vetoed repairs on three east side streets in Ward 2 because Ward 2 Councilman Dennis Flores voted against the plan.

Meanwhile, Lorain’s tree lawns may be treeless in the future, according to new legislation that would prohibit plants and trees more than 2 feet tall in those spaces.

On July 3, Council approved allowing the administration to enter a contract for the 2017 East Side Rehabilitation Program.

The resurfacing would include three roads at

a total of $399,966, according to plans. The streets would be Kentucky Avenue from D Street to East Erie Avenue; and D Street and E Street, from Louisiana Avenue to Kansas Avenue.

However, Flores voted against the project — prompting Ritenauer’s veto on July 10.

The councilman’s vote was “unbelievable,” Ritenauer said. However, Flores said his “no” vote was accidental.

“I wouldn’t want to purposely vote against something that would benefit the ward,” Flores said.

The need for repairs is obvious and Ward 2 has not been included in the last several rounds of roadway projects, Ritenauer said in his letter to Council.

Ward 2 includes much of downtown Lorain, streets immediately east of the Black River and several blocks around the intersection of East Erie and Kansas avenues.

Lorain also might “achieve economies of scale by bidding together roadways in a confined geographic region,” the mayor said.

“However, I must veto this ordinance,” Ritenauer said.

“It is unbelievable to me that a ward councilman — my ward councilman at that — would oppose roadway repair projects within his ward,” said Ritenauer, who lives in Ward 2.

“Even more strange, the ward councilman was the only dissenting vote and was laughing at me as he voted against repairing roadways in his own ward,” the mayor said. “The city has numerous needs, and its limited resources should be invested in areas of the community where the projects are not only merited but are supported and advocated by ward representation.

“Every other ward has needs, and I will be sending down an alternate ordinance to appropriate the

$400,000 of roadway dollars to other, deserving areas,” Ritenauer said.

Flores conceded he found it “somewhat humorous” that the project passed, even though he voted against it. He added he did not contest the final tally or ask to revisit the issue because Council approved it.

He called Ritenauer’s veto “offensive” and noted Council could revisit the project when the board meets again July 17.

“It passed — why would the mayor veto something that Council passed?” Flores said.

Lorain was to use $405,000 in Community Development Block Grant money to pay for the job.

In other business, Lorain City Council’s Building & Lands Committee has proposed the entire Council consider legislation barring trees, shrubs or vegetation that grows 24 inches or higher, in the city tree lawns.

City residents also would not be allowed to put any structures, signs or objects that obstruct the safe operation of cars, trucks or bikes in the treelawns.

On July 10, the committee spent about 40 minutes discussing the legislation and its effects on existing trees and future plantings. The group also discussed whether the city or residents would pay for costs of removal in various circumstances, such as when underground pipe repairs are needed, or if a tree is a nuisance.

Committee Chairman Brian Gates and Councilmen Mitch Fallis and Angel Arroyo Jr. generally approved the legislation. Flores had questions about it and Councilman Greg Argenti asked for clarification and amendment to address existing trees.

Councilwoman Mary Springowski spoke against the legislation. She questioned how the city would enforce the law and noted Lorain officials have “many things” to work on before regulating the tree lawns.

Council could consider the legislation as early as its next regular meeting, scheduled July 17 at City Hall, 200 W. Erie Ave.