Many topics covered at meeting

Editor’s note: Another Viewpoint is a column the Morning Journal makes available so all sides of an issue may be aired. Gail Shinsky lives in Lorain.

This column is in response to the article titled “Residents revolt against Mercy building project” in the Sept. 30 Morning Journal.

I was thoroughly dismayed at what appeared to be a total disregard for unbiased reporting of the Ward 8 2017 Town Hall Meeting. The article stated that residents came out in droves. There are about 6,000 registered voters in Ward 8 and about 35 people attended this meeting.

The agenda included: Promises Made — Promises Kept, Major Issues, Questions from the Public, and Closing Remarks. Items presented in the first part included Ward 8 fair share of roadwork money, westside flooding and planned remedies, holding developers accountable, protecting property values, fighting to give people a voice at council meetings and seeking economic development.

Ward 8 Councilman Joshua Thornsberry presented very interesting information. One item of note is that starting in January 2018, council members will no longer be eligible to receive health care through the city because they are not full-time city employees.

The major issues came next. There were questions and comments, but no major complaints on the issues of trash cans, the fire levy, the new Meijer coming to the old Kmart location, the Clover Project off of Cooper Foster Park Road, sewer rates and reciprocity.

There is a reciprocity change that went into effect for 2017. The income tax rate is still 2.5 percent, but the credit for working outside Lorain has changed. The credit is 2 percent maximum for income taxes paid to other cities. That means anyone who works in a city where the income tax rate is more than 2 percent will owe an additional .5 percent in income tax to Lorain.

Next was the Kolbe/Jaeger Project, which generated more comments and conflict. The 15year tax abatement came up regarding the lost property taxes for Lorain and the Amherst School District. For those that support school levies, it is a hard pill to swallow.

The first homes that benefited from this tax abatement are starting to hit the 15-year end of abatement. One consolation is that the project developer will donate $200,000 to the Amherst School District. There also was discussion on the extra load on the sewer system, possibility of additional flooding problems, and road repairs to Kolbe Road.

The last major issue was the Mercy Project on Oak Point Road currently under Planning Commission review. It will require a zoning change. The Morning Journal article on the town hall meeting was only about this issue.

There were about six people who spoke in opposition to the project. To imply that we all came to express our opposition to the project is totally untrue. There was not enough allotted time remaining to allow those who supported the project to speak. Commercial development of that property is going to happen sooner or later, so we need to take advantage of it now. Mercy will be a good fit: a clean business with a larger payroll than most other potential occupants.

Lastly I would like to say something about Ward 8 Councilman Joshua Thornsberry and Councilwoman at-large Mary Springowski, who also attended the meeting. I was very impressed by their dedication, knowledge, and hard work; their willingness to listen to the people and their concerns but also doing the research and making decisions on what is best for the city.

Sometimes the best course of action is not the most popular. As I learned in my 22 years serving in the U.S. Navy: Good leaders are not necessarily popular, but very effective and efficient in getting the job done.

Gail Shinsky