OMG - IT IS 911 in EC - ATTACK OF CREEPY WHITE FOLKS HAS BEGUN
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 02/14/2010 - 07:11.
There is a very disturbing article in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer, written by their urban-planning-master-in-training at Cleveland State University, that is so full of conflicts-of-interests and halftruths it will take weeks to dismantle the mess.I won't say more now other than everyone at the PD well knows I live in EC, and am expert on its transformation, and they did not contact me for my thoughts about our community, even as they and NED HILL OF STEVEN LITT'S CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY write of dismantling my city. EC is not the problem - Cleveland is the problem. The PD is a problem. Dismantle Cleveland. Dismantle the PD. Or, learn to communicate.
Continued best wishes to you, Mayor Norton, your team at City Hall, and Commissioner Jones - I still trust you.
Litt - go back to writing bad art reviews... or have you completely killed creative class in Northeast Ohio?!?!
Above - realneo-ambient-music-3-schism - an ambient film of real NEO people walking, shot from outside the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper headquarters, featuring late afternoon activity in the newsroom as seen from Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, realNEO... "Schism" by TOOL is playing in the background, accompanied by the sounds of realNEO...
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 02/14/2010 - 08:21.
After reading this, I am seriously considering taking my son out of The Intergenerational School and enrolling him in the city of East Cleveland Schools - I BELIEVE IN EC!
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 02/14/2010 - 08:30.
I love how bad economists with bad data do stupid things like kill a city with bad analyses and poor technology.
I'll get into the details later, but point out now in the sidebar of the bad article by Steven Litt about good East Cleveland he makes reference to data intended to make EC look bad, including:
East Cleveland by the numbers
16 percent of the workers commute via public transportation, the highest rate in the state.
32 percent of households do not have a vehicle, the highest rate in the state.
They also walk and ride lots of bicycles, even in the dead of winter... they'd be healthy if the white, failed medical and industrial complex didn't poison them with pollution and shitty food.
EC IS THE BRIGHTEST GREENEST CITY IN NEO, with the Brightest Greenest population, and the people in charge of the region are too stupid to even understand what that means.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 02/14/2010 - 08:46.
The first thing I want to see are any contracts or paper-trails related to planning of a powerplant at Euclid Avenue and Lakeview, as announced by Mayor Brewer in the presence of the leadership quoted in the PD as not working with Brewer....
You haters all had your shot at Brewer - you knew what was going down and you worked with him and planned a powerplant with him, and you did not expose any flaws - now that he has been exposed by Channel 19 in a way that makes him seem unreal, you use it to your advantage. For shame.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 02/14/2010 - 10:17.
We've had 1,000s of EC kids lead poisoned in EC over the past four years or so, and now the PD says we have a crisis... CSU says we have a crisis... Case, that buys coal generated power that pollutes my neighborhood, says we have a crisis...
We have a problem called Lead Poisoning.
Thanks to the efforts of Cuyahoga County, Concerned Citizens Organized Against Lead, and the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council, East Cleveland lead poisoning levels have been declining, awareness and testing have been increasing, and lead hazards have been reduced - we have made great progress...
But lead poisoning is still the crisis in EC and Cleveland, and that isn't in Litt's bad article...
Here is real economic data on lead poisoning reality in EC and a few other communities you may have thought you should respct, but should not - this data is NOT FROM CLEVELAND STATE or CASE or LOCAL GOVERNMENMT but from the real live grown-up government, and Environmental Health Watch, a partner of Community Housing Solutions, who are supposed to be redeveloping MY NEIGHBORHOOD... and we shall eradicate lead poisoning in EC this year, because I know Mayor Gary Norton cares about that.
The above quote is from today's Plain Dealer article by Steven Litt--I would caution Mayor Norton to very carefully choose whom he trusts with regard to making plans for East Cleveland.
Good luck--Norm--I do encourage you to consider East Cleveland Schools. I worked with teachers at the Kirk School before the City of East Cleveland tore it down. These teachers work to engage their children in the world outside school walls and to make University Circle institutions available to their students--and would regularly take their classes to the downtown Cleveland Public Library for instruction.
(Of course, you have to take anything I say as second-class, since I have never had children of my own....)
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 02/14/2010 - 11:31.
The nuclear age of Nuclear Families blew up family structure and understanding for all of us.
I'm learning to parent anew every day and just try to learn and get better... same as everyone else dealing with everything in life.
The difference in parenting is you can really cause great harm when you make mistakes - your innocent people may die every second of every day, on your watch, and you are responsible for preventing that and everything else that may harm a child. Not easy, in today's nuclear society..
In case the following comments mysteriously disappear from the PD's new dashboard model--yes, Norm--I do give you credit where credit is due for introducing a format that should have been recognized in the first place, years ago--2003-2004.
All text following is from a poster at PD site--ostensibly Eric J. Brewer, former mayor of East Cleveland:
Gus Frangoes never called me. I do, however, understand Jim Rokakis' oft-handed comments.
I wrote him a letter in 2006 asking that he not sell anymore properties through third-party tax lien sales to GLS Capital and Plymouth Park Investments out of East Cleveland. Mayor Frank Jackson had also asked him not to sell tax liens from Cleveland.
I was critical of Rokakis pushing this blight-causing deal in 1999 when I hosted a radio show on WERE. I think it's absolutely horrible how he, as an elected official, pushed for a tax lien sale state law that created blight in East Cleveland by letting third party investors sit on vacant properties without cutting the grass, boarding them up, maintaining or rehabilitating them. If Steve Litt wants to write a real story, investigate Rokakis' third party tax lien sales and the impact they've had on school district budgets. He claimed it helps the schools but empty houses don't generate property taxes. Rokakis' policies have done much to decimate the East Cleveland school district's budget and that of every other community in Cuyahoga County where he's been selling tax liens to third party investors.
I had some blocks with 37 properties and 25 delapidated vacancies. Every year we had to divert general fund and HUD dollars from other purposes just to take care of abandoned properties. Go to Rokakis' website. He won't update the "tax lien certificate sales" information past 2006 because it will show just how his policies have devasted the county. Through 2006 it shows he sold the tax liens to 22912 properties from East Cleveland, Cleveland and other cities throughout the county. How many tax liens has Rokakis sold over the past four years? That's the number he's hiding from the public. He has refused to allow the individual tax delinquent homeowner to buy their own tax lien at up to a 30 percent discount, but he sells their tax lien to a third-party for that amount. Steve Litt. This is the real story.
I did not automatically buy into Rokakis' countywide landbank program because by his own rules, it doesn't help East Cleveland. Additionally, he told me in 2006 during a meeting coordinated by Jimmy Dimora, Tim Hagan and Peter Lawson Jones, that he had $250,000 in demolition funds for East Cleveland that was to be funded through monies controlled by him and Bill Mason. Mason, however, had the final authority to say yes or no. When I followed-up with Rokakis, after I shared "his" promise with council and the residents, he said Mason decided to use the funds for another purpose and I ended up with egg on my face. From then on I viewed everything he told me with skepticism.
It's positions llike those described above that made some view me as abrasive. Anyone who fights for poor people or a predominantly Black city that has been disrespected, used and abused by everyone is always viewed as abrasive, and so is anyone who stands up to the Plain Dealer.
It's always interesting to see what a PD reporter leaves out of a story. Steve Litt contacted me after he apparently joined Norton and others on a bus tour. During the conversation he indicated that Norton and Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones had made disparaging comments about me. Litt was excited about the bus tour until I told him I conducted at least eight bus tours and personally drove potential developers around the city another dozen or so times.
I have included Litt's orginal email to me in addition to my response. I've also included his responding email, which acknowledges receipt of my response and letters I sent to him regarding Community Housing Solutions and a report I received from the Project Alliance, which investigated and determined that Andy Nikiforov's leadership of CHS showed he made no progress on the development plans we'd expected him to prepare for the Circle East Project. If Norton pays the agency the $180,000 Nikiforov claims the city owes him, HUD will investigate and force the taxpayers to return the funds through the general fund, and Norton will be required to sue CHS to get the money back. He should wait until the conclusion of the audit, talk to staff and talk to HUD before he brings CHS back. We've had to re-do at least a dozen homes the agency rehabbed because of shoddy work.
Regarding Norton's experience, six years as a go-pher for PLJ and two degrees doesn't qualify him to manage East Cleveland. He was fired from the only management training job he ever held in Miami-Dade as a management trainee. He was fired from a letter writing job for the Cleveland Education Initiative and he worked for ex-Cleveland school superintendent Barbara Byrd-Bennett responding to constituent letters. His last job with the county saw him approve seven housing rehab loans for the County Department of Development's Neighborhood Stabilization Program. He was kicked out of Morehouse University after earning 10 D's in 10 subjects, a U in two subjects and a C in four. He had a 2.0 GPA after three years before Morehouse showed him the door for poor academic performance. At CSU he earned F's in 8 subjects and was placed on academic probation. He got an unsatisfactory in volleyball and badminton, but he passed African dance. Managing East Cleveland's $25 million budget is his "first" management job. Only God can help East Cleveland.
Litt didn't credit me for obtaining the first audit of CHS since 1974, even though the agency was required to be audited annually by the city. He also got my term of office wrong. It ran from 2006 through 2009, not 2005 through 2009. I think it's also unfair to lump my administration with the corrupt past. My administration was clean, open and competent. Criticism from Nate Martin, who served as council president and voted to approve an illegal and no-bid contract with CH2M Hill that landed Onunwor and Nate Gray in jail is a badge of honor for me.
Now if the PD wants me to stop using this site to exploit the shortcomings and omissions of its reporting staff, then recognize the fact that I'm a private citizen and leave me alone. If I want to talk to the PD or any media, I'll deliver a news release. And when I want to talk to the public, I'll publish my own newspaper ... again.
Eric J. Brewer
From: STEVEN LITT To: ejon49 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net Sent: Thu, February 11, 2010 10:53:14 AM Subject: Questions for story in The Plain Dealer
Dear mayor,
Steve Litt here. I received this email address from Ron Brooks.
I'm the art and architecture critic of the PD. I'm writing a story about the potential for a turnaround in East Cleveland with Gary Norton now in the office of mayor.
I'd like to speak to you about the demise of the Circle East project and criticisms you made of Andy Nikiforovs, plus your thoughts on recent developments in the city.
I can be reached at this email address and at 216 999 4136. My deadline is noon tomorrow.
Thanks,
Steve
Fri, February 12, 2010 9:06:09 AM From: EJB View Contact To: STEVEN LITT
Steve,
To reiterate our conversation of yesterday.
I conducted bus and personal tours no fewer than 20 times during my four years in office. They included tours with state and regional officials from HUD, prior to my meeting in 2008 with former US HUD Secretary Alfonso Jackson, in addition to numerous banking officials and developers of all sizes. I never invited the media. I held an economic develoment summit that included speakers like Joe Ditchman, the managing partner for Collier's and an East Cleveland native, as well as Paul Oyaski and many others. Wells Fargo Bank reps were regular speakers at my town hall meeting to talk to residents about reverse mortgages, and I held numerous meetings that included reps from US Bank, National City Bank, Charter One Bank, Sky Bank and others. If I had invited you to attend my meetings you would have been equally as encouraged by the enthusiasm of the individuals involved who said the same good things about me they're now saying about Gary. That's just politics.
I spoke to Mark Chupp's class and invited him to assist us in developing the Neighborhood Stabilization Program application last year and enjoyed his support as a stakeholder in the implementation of the $2.2 million we received from the Ohio Department of Development (HUD) to demolish up to 150 homes and renovate up to 15. Gus Kious committed to working with us to create a Huron neighborhood of hospital employees. There are tape recorded meetings in which Gary attacked the NSP application he's now using to help make himself look good. The irony is that Paul Herdeg, Gary's boss in the county department of development, reviewed the application and made recommendations that we actually implemented. Even after Chupp and Herdeg's assistance, Gary attacked the plan and called it "crap."
I met with George Phillips of CMHA last year to discuss East Cleveland's participation in an application to receive a portion of a $74 million NSP II grant. Those dollars will be used to purchase and renovate several apartment buildings along Euclid Avenue for senior housing, as well as to develop new single family homes in the "Circle East" area. I was informed prior to my departure that CMHA and the county development department received the grant.
Jorgelle Lawson of HUD in Columbus informed me prior to my departure that East Cleveland would receive an additional $2 million block grant from D.C. in 2010 as a result of President Obama's stimulus package. We also received an additional $300,000 in stimulus funds in 2009 that was directed towards demoltion.
I was further informed by Kathy Crago, a HUD inspector general out of Columbus who audited my administration's management of the stimulus funds, that we did not have a single audit finding. Gary was allowed by me to participate in the exit conference, even though, as council president, the legislative body is not allowed by HUD to join those discussions. The IG giving the report indicated that my decision to include the mayor-elect was "laudable" and "unprecedented."
CHS operated as Lutheran Housing since 1974 without ever being audited by the city even though it is an annual requirement that audits be conducted. Residents, including members of council like Mildred Brewer and Barbara Thomas, complained bitterly about the substandard rehab work the agency performed on resident homes. The suspension was long overdue. We had to re-do no fewer than one dozen homes that CHS had rehabilitated because the work was so substandard. Federal money was misspent on ineligible activities, there is no evidence that CHS followed public bidding procedures with contractors and vendors, and work was performed on homes that was not tied to the specs. East Cleveland has been forced to repay HUD on several occasions for work CHS performed that violated federal laws and policies. East Cleveland doesn't owe CHS a dime.
Gary is simply building upon relationships that I started. Everyone you mentioned was already at the table, including Peter Lawson Jones. Jones didn't seem to have a problem with my personality when he asked me to stand on the steps of Cleveland city hall with other mayors, and to speak on his behalf, when he sought to be re-elected in 2008. That's why I have no problem with the quote that Cuyahoga County will be a much better place to live in when he's no longer an elected official.
I'll note that during my first year in office, I invited leaders of organizations with ties to EC to join me in a series of joint cabinet meetings. I initiated the requests. I took my cabinet to meet with Gus Kious' cabinet, George Phillips cabinet at CMHA, Rob Hilton's cabinet at McGregor, Joe Calabrese's cabinet at RTA, the commissioners' cabinet, Myrna Loy Corley's cabinet at the EC school district. The meetings were unprecedented relationship building exercises.
I know the PD wants to support Norton to justify its very left-handed endorsement of him. The bus tour is a publicity stunt. From what I've heard about his management of the city, East Cleveland is on its way back to fiscal emergency. The mayor's office budget is already out of whack. I had two employees on my administrative payroll. He had six in unbudgeted positions during his first month in office. That doesn't also include his doubling his salary in violation of Ohio ethics laws. Think about it. When has a Director of Law ever referred a matter involving a mayor to the county prosecutor? Gary's law-busting actions were referred by Almeta Johnson to the county prosecuting attorney. He should have already sent lay-off notices to at least 20 police employees and extended furlough days to try and balance the budget. But he can't touch the cops and firefighters because their unions endorsed him. I didn't seek any employee union endorsements for just those reasons.
I reference the budgetary issues as I did because residents are already complaining about the drug boys returning to street corners that I had the police and sheriff's deputies drive away. When the spring hits and crime becomes more visible, all the good ink will turn to bad ink and investors may once again steer clear of EC if Gary doesn't aggressively focus on managing the city's resources and keeping services strong. Developers want to know they're coming into a strong community. And if you really want to know what the residents think about the new mayor, attend council meetings or watch the recordings of the last three meetings or so. They're not as enthusiastic.
Thank you for having the professional courtesy to contact me regarding the comments made by Jones and others. I don't particularly like reporters telling me what others have told them without hearing the full context of the statements the reporters attribute to those they're quoting, but I have every confidence that Dr. Kious' comments were not meant to reflect any ill will or displeasure with me. He called me after I left office and invited me to have dinner with him on January 15 to express his pleasure with our working relationship. We worked well together on the hospital's plans to construct a new 60,000 square foot facility on Euclid Avenue and Belmore. Gary will get to participate in the photo op and ground breaking, but my administration laid the groundwork for the project with Dr. Kious and his staff. Everything Huron wanted it got from me.
Eric
From: STEVEN LITT To: EJB Sent: Thu, February 11, 2010 5:40:45 PM Subject: Re: Letter to Andy Nikiforovs
Eric, thanks for your note and the letter. It's good to have your response.
Thanks,
Steve
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: STEVEN LITT To: EJB Sent: Thu, February 11, 2010 5:40:45 PM Subject: Re: Letter to Andy Nikiforovs
Eric, thanks for your note and the letter. It's good to have your response.
Thanks,
Steve
>>> EJB 2/11/2010 2:14 PM >>> Steve,
Below is the letter I sent to Andy Nikiforovs and to HUD in September 2008. Copies were given to Council, including Norton, in 2008. The allegations are all based on public records on file with both the city and with CHS.
The report from Zayac's organization, the Project Alliance, stimulated me to write the letter below and to suspend CHS. The agency had not been audited in 34 years even though all mayors were required to ensure that each of its sub-recipients of federal funds were audited annually. I, obviously, became the first mayor to make it happen.
I had a mess to clean-up, which included stepping on CHS's toes, and my diligence towards complying with the rules and law is the sole reason I angered many people. I don't apologize for doing the right thing. The real question here is if the county, under Peter Lawson Jones, is holding CHS accountable like I did. I don't believe the city owes CHS a dime and if Norton pays them he's doing so for politics and no other reason.
CHS doesn't have a board that contains one-third EC residents as required by HUD regulations as a "sub-recipient." Andy came up with some BS to try and skirt the issue but I checked with HUD and his tactic was nothing more than a way to control who served on his board. Federal law requires that one-third of his board consist of people from the actual community that delivers him the federal funds and one-third low income. He said poor people "elected" folk who lived in Pepper Pike to represent them. He couldn't show me who voted to let Pepper Pike and Shaker Heights residents "elect" them to serve poor people.
CHS also violates open meetins laws. Andy told me that he had to check with his board to see if it was okay for me to attend a meeting of its board. Federal and state laws require agencies receiving governments funds to comply with public meetings laws, just like any other public agency. Andy didn't know this and I was shocked at his response. He also told me he didn't have to give me records showing how he'd spent Cleveland Foundation funds that I sent a letter asking them to award him on East Cleveland's behalf. These were among the reasons I chose to suspend him from doing business with EC.
The letter below and attached was delivered to the PD in September 2008. The newspaper chose to ignore it. CHS does business with Cleveland and with the county. I informed Peter Jones, Kevin Conwell and Mamie Mitchell of my decision and advised each to evaluate how CHS was spending Cleveland and county funds.
EJB
September 9, 2008
Andris Nikiforovs, Director Community Housing Solutions 12114 Larchmere Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44120
Mr. Nikiforovs:
As you are aware, I took over the duties of the Director of Community Development in May 2008. Over the past four months I have directed staff to provide me with an evaluation of the activities being performed on behalf of the city by its HUD funded sub-recipients. That information, coupled with information we have obtained from the HUD Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has raised questions that demand answers about how Community Housing Solutions (CHS) has spent CDBG and HOME funds it has received from the City over the past several years. We are currently concluding our review of the relationship between CHS and the City, and a letter outlining our findings will be forthcoming to your organization upon completion.
I, however, have just obtained and reviewed a copy of a “Circle East Project Current State Assessment” researched and written by the Project Alliance. The document contains information which reveals that after more than four years of spending nearly $280,000 in the City’s CDBG funds, and receiving and spending $270,000 in grant funds from the Cleveland Foundation between 2006 and 2008, CHS has made no progress in moving the project forward.
The Project Alliance assessment explains why a prominent developer acted as if he had no knowledge of the project when I met him during a shopping center convention in 2007; and why you have not scheduled a meeting between us as I have asked of you.
As your organization has been allocated and spent the City’s federal block grant funds, and as East Cleveland has supported CHS’s requests for funding from the Cleveland Foundation, it is important that you deliver the following information to the City no later than 4 p.m. on September 12, 2008.
1) Copies of reports CHS has delivered to the Cleveland Foundation detailing how it has spent nearly $270,000 in grant funds on the Circle East project since 2006. A summary is not acceptable. The City is seeking a full and detailed accounting of how CHS has spent Cleveland Foundation funds on behalf of Circle East. The information is to include but not be limited to all contracts or invoices generated for each vendor employed by CHS. 2) Copies of the time allocation sheets for you and each CHS employee detailing the activities that have been undertaken on the Circle East project since January 1, 2004. The Project Alliance report indicates that you, personally, allocated 33 percent of your time and that a CHS employee devoted 100 percent of their time on Circle East. The City wants evidence to support the claim. 3) An inventory of the $63,000 in building materials CHS purchased from Tesco Builders with federal funds for six homes. The City has learned that CHS purchased the building materials at a highly inflated rate from Tesco Builders while the company was in bankruptcy and going out of business. Documents show that CHS purchased hot water tanks for $600 each when the agency previously listed the cost of those items at approximately $300 each. The City wants any and all documents associated with the $63,000 in purchases. The documents shall include but not be limited to any and all contracts, invoices or cancelled checks. It shall further include all public bidding information to determine how Tesco Builders was selected and if any other companies bid to supply CHS with building materials. 4) The City has learned that CHS purchased six homes in the Circle East area in 2006 with the approval of a former Director. The building materials identified in Item #3 were to be allocated to the rehabilitation of the homes. To date, none of the homes have been rehabilitated. More specifically, CHS purchased building materials from Tesco Builders for a home that was identified for demolition. A review of records from the Cuyahoga County Auditor further identifies that CHS charged the City significantly more than the value of the homes. It further appears that CHS charged the city for a home that had a value of “zero dollars.” The City is demanding copies of any and all documents connected to every home CHS has purchased in East Cleveland for the past 120 months (10 years). 5) In each of the six homes CHS purchased in the “Circle East” area in 2006, the agency paid Progressive Urban Real Estate a $3000 “commission” from the “buyer” instead of the seller. CHS also agreed to the $3000 commission in violation of a purchase agreement limiting the commission to approximately $1000. Purchase agreements were not signed by all parties, which indicate they were not fully executed. The City is demanding any and all records associated with the purchase of each home. 6) CHS obtained the approval of a former Director in 2006 to spend approximately $200,000 in HOME funds to rehabilitate one home on Bender and another on Speedway-Overlook. Approximately $97,000 was spent on one home in which CHS paid a contractor to “lift” the property to repair the foundation. Staff has informed me that the property should have been demolished and the homeowners relocated to another home. To date, and with such a large allocation of funds, that property will require an additional and significant investment in funds to be usable. Staff has informed me that investing more isn’t worth it and that in today’s housing market, it’s better to demolish the property. The City wants any and all records associated with the two identified properties. This includes but is not limited to any and all contractor information, public bidding information, cancelled checks, and all communications between CHS and city officials about the properties. 7) The City has learned that a member or members of CHS’s board have been contracted and paid to perform services for the agency. This is a conflict of interest as board members are required to provide oversight services to protect the federal funds received by CHS. Furthermore, as a sub-recipient, CHS is required to follow all applicable federal, state and municipal laws and ordinances that include but are not limited to the Charter of East Cleveland. In essence, as a sub-recipient of federal block grant funds, CHS acts as if it is an agent of the City and HUD and is bound by the same laws that govern each entity. As such, East Cleveland’s Charter, the Ohio Revised Code and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) prevent officials from having an “interest in a public contract.” Under CFR 24, Section 92.356(b)(c) the following applies: “Conflicts prohibited: No persons described in paragraph (c) of this section who exercise or have exercised any functions or responsibilities with respect to activities assisted with HOME funds or who are in a position to participate in a decision-making process or gain inside information with regard to these activities, may obtain a financial interest or benefit from a HOME-assisted activity, or have an interest in any contract, subcontract or agreement with respect thereto, or the proceeds thereunder, either for themselves or those with whom they have family or business ties, during their tenure or for one year thereafter.” Paragraph (c) reads as follows: “Persons covered. The conflict of interest provisions of paragraph (b) of this section apply to any person who is an employee, agent, consultant, officer or elected official or appointed official of the participating jurisdiction, state recipient or sub-recipient which are receiving HOME funds.” The City is demanding any and all resolutions, contracts, invoices and / or cancelled checks that identify any and all federal funds spent with each and every business owned by a CHS board member, employee, official or their family members for the past 120 months (10 years) on any and all East Cleveland projects. 8) The City wants a list and / or copies of agreements with any and all vendors associated with CHS that have participated in any manner on any and all East Cleveland projects for 120 months (10 years). The information sought includes but is not limited to vendors performing construction and rehab services, and those providing professional services as well. The information shall further include but not be limited to data involving how the vendors were selected through a public bidding process if any. This will include but not be limited to board resolutions approving CHS officials to advertise for bid, the actual advertisements for bid in any publication, copies of bids, documents identifying the officials opening the bids, and any and all purchasing records for each successful bidder. The information will further include change orders and documents identifying who authorized them, whether the person was a CHS official, City official or otherwise. If no public bidding was engaged, then the City wants any and all documents identifying the city official or HUD official who gave CHS written authorization not to bid; including copies of the written authorization. 9) The City wants any and all “communications records” between CHS and city officials since January 1, 2004. The “communications records” shall include but not be limited to letters, memorandums, reports, email and or notes. The records will include communications generated by CHS to the City, and communications generated by the City to CHS.
The City is confident that CHS understands the implication of the information contained within the Circle East assessment. You and I first talked about this project three years ago prior to my being sworn-in as Mayor. To say the least, I am disappointed.
The City looks forward to obtaining the documents identified above. Please ensure that your staff promptly delivers the public records to the Mayor’s office no later than 4 p.m. on September 12.
Finally, the City is demanding that CHS immediately suspend all activities on the Circle East project and its HOME activities. CHS will continue, until further notice, to engage Security Hut as a sub-recipient to provide four police officers in the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area.
You may contact my office at 216-681-2208 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Eric J. Brewer, Mayor Acting Director of Community Development
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 02/14/2010 - 11:56.
I can confirm Brewer's comments - I went on the bus trips - I went to the meetings at MacGregor and most recently at EC library, attended by the people now stabbing Brewer in the back - who knocked him down - I thought Brewer was way too nice to these people stabbing him in the back... especially as they stabbed me in the back as well.
Welcome to private life, Mayor Brewer - I still think you are awesome.
PD won't touch Brewer's story, Norm---because so many people have made out on the real estate scheme put in place by Jim Rokakis--special friend to the Plain Dealer. Let's ask Gus Kious to talk about the Huron Hospital expansion....
Steven Litt knows all about the games played in Brooklyn Centre. He wouldn't touch the story as it related to Sheryl Hoffman and Abe Bruckman. I will say Steven Litt helped me with some pointers on using Section 106, but other than that--this land bank real estate scheme has to be seen for what it is--PARASITISM.
If Steve Litt wants to write a real story, investigate Rokakis' third party tax lien sales and the impact they've had on school district budgets. He claimed it helps the schools but empty houses don't generate property taxes. Rokakis' policies have done much to decimate the East Cleveland school district's budget and that of every other community in Cuyahoga County where he's been selling tax liens to third party investors.
The above quote is taken from Eric Brewer's comments--see above.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 02/15/2010 - 00:56.
Speaking of creepy white people... read the PD comments to Litts bad article...
I'd say cleveland.com had trolls from the competition, making them look like white supremacists, but they don't have competition... these are just unreal NEOans being themselves in their own environment... the hater dealer... starting with a man who sped through my city - got a ticket - and "would call in airstrikes immediately.R.I.P EC." ... real NEO hatred for all, compliments of the Cleveland Plain Dealer...
As a former resident of EC,I remember what a wonderful place it was in which to live.After many years of corrupt politicians and rental properties catering to mostly low-lifes,it is now Baghdad.Toss in their traffic scam network,which is administered by a Cranston ,RI company, and it is extremely difficult to schedule an appointment with an ECPD representative to state your case.Having talked to others,they prey on passers-through,as well as their own citizenry.If it were in my power,I would call in airstrikes immediately.R.I.P EC.
East Cleveland was a great place to grow up 50-60 years ago. That clearly is not the case today. I doubt it can be rehabilitated and rebuilt. Break it off, if you can, to Cleveland and Cleveland Heights. Knock down as much as you can and create a big county park.
No one is going to read that long post from you because no one cares. You are a disgraced politician. One of a long line to come from that cess-pool known as East Cleveland.
Developers can come and go, "outside the box" ideas come and go.....
Let's bottomline it:
East Cleveland is a failure because it is inhabited by failures. I've worked with East Clevelanders in E.Cleveland. They are nice people. They just have no ambition and don't understand how to function outside of East Cleveland.
Perhaps the black community (E.Cleveland is 95% black? give or take?) should own up to the fact that their lack of family values (marriage, education, having kids when you can afford them, not dressing up like a woman when you're a man and taking pictures of yourself that end up on the internet, etc...) has destroyed what was once a peaceful and good suburb of Cleveland.
As a Clevelander, I care not for merging my already weak services with East Cleveland unless they capitulate to pure annexation.
In the meantime I offer this solution: Every E.Clevelander.... get right with God. Going to church is one thing. Staying with your husband/wife and raising good educated E.Cleveladers is another. I think God would much rather have the later from you all.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 02/15/2010 - 01:19.
One of the greatest conflicts of interest in this Plain Dealer article is that it is designed to discredit and harm a newsman, now retired from government, who is certainly going to return to news publishing - everyone knows that is his calling.
I believe one objective of this article is to put the same death grip on Brewer that killed Citizen Hauser - cause economic harm to Mayor Brewer - to kick the man when he is down, to take him out for good - and that is disgraceful, heartless, and criminal.
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I BELIEVE IN EC!
After reading this, I am seriously considering taking my son out of The Intergenerational School and enrolling him in the city of East Cleveland Schools - I BELIEVE IN EC!
Disrupt IT
EC IS THE BRIGHTEST GREENEST CITY IN NEO
I love how bad economists with bad data do stupid things like kill a city with bad analyses and poor technology.
I'll get into the details later, but point out now in the sidebar of the bad article by Steven Litt about good East Cleveland he makes reference to data intended to make EC look bad, including:
They also walk and ride lots of bicycles, even in the dead of winter... they'd be healthy if the white, failed medical and industrial complex didn't poison them with pollution and shitty food.
EC IS THE BRIGHTEST GREENEST CITY IN NEO, with the Brightest Greenest population, and the people in charge of the region are too stupid to even understand what that means.
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planning of a powerplant at Euclid Avenue and Lakeview
The first thing I want to see are any contracts or paper-trails related to planning of a powerplant at Euclid Avenue and Lakeview, as announced by Mayor Brewer in the presence of the leadership quoted in the PD as not working with Brewer....
You haters all had your shot at Brewer - you knew what was going down and you worked with him and planned a powerplant with him, and you did not expose any flaws - now that he has been exposed by Channel 19 in a way that makes him seem unreal, you use it to your advantage. For shame.
I think Brewer was set up like a bowling pin.
Disrupt IT
Interesting how Mayor Goggins never existed
In fact, I don't see any sign of any residents of EC in this bad article, except those paid by EC residents to care for EC.
Mayor Goggins still exists, and started much that has made EC better... there has been continuity.
Disrupt IT
We've had 1,000s of EC kids lead poisoned...
We've had 1,000s of EC kids lead poisoned in EC over the past four years or so, and now the PD says we have a crisis... CSU says we have a crisis... Case, that buys coal generated power that pollutes my neighborhood, says we have a crisis...
We have a problem called Lead Poisoning.
Thanks to the efforts of Cuyahoga County, Concerned Citizens Organized Against Lead, and the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council, East Cleveland lead poisoning levels have been declining, awareness and testing have been increasing, and lead hazards have been reduced - we have made great progress...
But lead poisoning is still the crisis in EC and Cleveland, and that isn't in Litt's bad article...
Here is real economic data on lead poisoning reality in EC and a few other communities you may have thought you should respct, but should not - this data is NOT FROM CLEVELAND STATE or CASE or LOCAL GOVERNMENMT but from the real live grown-up government, and Environmental Health Watch, a partner of Community Housing Solutions, who are supposed to be redeveloping MY NEIGHBORHOOD... and we shall eradicate lead poisoning in EC this year, because I know Mayor Gary Norton cares about that.
Disrupt IT
Placing trust...
"He realizes the need to reach out for help and not view offers of assistance in a conspiratorial manner, which his predecessors did," said Cuyahoga County Treasurer Jim Rokakis.
The above quote is from today's Plain Dealer article by Steven Litt--I would caution Mayor Norton to very carefully choose whom he trusts with regard to making plans for East Cleveland.
Good luck--Norm--I do encourage you to consider East Cleveland Schools. I worked with teachers at the Kirk School before the City of East Cleveland tore it down. These teachers work to engage their children in the world outside school walls and to make University Circle institutions available to their students--and would regularly take their classes to the downtown Cleveland Public Library for instruction.
(Of course, you have to take anything I say as second-class, since I have never had children of my own....)
Non-parent advice accepted
I LOVE SHAW!
There isn't a TIS High School.
Disrupt IT
Gary certainly knows everyone
Gary certainly knows everyone he is dealing with, and knows them well.
Disrupt IT
Parents
I would say that anyone who has reached the age of eighteen in society--is a parent/role-model.
Norm--there are a lot of folks who can't seem to understand their responsibility to parent in society--whether they have children or not.
It is very hard for parents as well
The nuclear age of Nuclear Families blew up family structure and understanding for all of us.
I'm learning to parent anew every day and just try to learn and get better... same as everyone else dealing with everything in life.
The difference in parenting is you can really cause great harm when you make mistakes - your innocent people may die every second of every day, on your watch, and you are responsible for preventing that and everything else that may harm a child. Not easy, in today's nuclear society..
Disrupt IT
Brewer's comments
In case the following comments mysteriously disappear from the PD's new dashboard model--yes, Norm--I do give you credit where credit is due for introducing a format that should have been recognized in the first place, years ago--2003-2004.
All text following is from a poster at PD site--ostensibly Eric J. Brewer, former mayor of East Cleveland:
Gus Frangoes never called me. I do, however, understand Jim Rokakis' oft-handed comments.
I wrote him a letter in 2006 asking that he not sell anymore properties through third-party tax lien sales to GLS Capital and Plymouth Park Investments out of East Cleveland. Mayor Frank Jackson had also asked him not to sell tax liens from Cleveland.
I was critical of Rokakis pushing this blight-causing deal in 1999 when I hosted a radio show on WERE. I think it's absolutely horrible how he, as an elected official, pushed for a tax lien sale state law that created blight in East Cleveland by letting third party investors sit on vacant properties without cutting the grass, boarding them up, maintaining or rehabilitating them. If Steve Litt wants to write a real story, investigate Rokakis' third party tax lien sales and the impact they've had on school district budgets. He claimed it helps the schools but empty houses don't generate property taxes. Rokakis' policies have done much to decimate the East Cleveland school district's budget and that of every other community in Cuyahoga County where he's been selling tax liens to third party investors.
I had some blocks with 37 properties and 25 delapidated vacancies. Every year we had to divert general fund and HUD dollars from other purposes just to take care of abandoned properties. Go to Rokakis' website. He won't update the "tax lien certificate sales" information past 2006 because it will show just how his policies have devasted the county. Through 2006 it shows he sold the tax liens to 22912 properties from East Cleveland, Cleveland and other cities throughout the county. How many tax liens has Rokakis sold over the past four years? That's the number he's hiding from the public. He has refused to allow the individual tax delinquent homeowner to buy their own tax lien at up to a 30 percent discount, but he sells their tax lien to a third-party for that amount. Steve Litt. This is the real story.
I did not automatically buy into Rokakis' countywide landbank program because by his own rules, it doesn't help East Cleveland. Additionally, he told me in 2006 during a meeting coordinated by Jimmy Dimora, Tim Hagan and Peter Lawson Jones, that he had $250,000 in demolition funds for East Cleveland that was to be funded through monies controlled by him and Bill Mason. Mason, however, had the final authority to say yes or no. When I followed-up with Rokakis, after I shared "his" promise with council and the residents, he said Mason decided to use the funds for another purpose and I ended up with egg on my face. From then on I viewed everything he told me with skepticism.
It's positions llike those described above that made some view me as abrasive. Anyone who fights for poor people or a predominantly Black city that has been disrespected, used and abused by everyone is always viewed as abrasive, and so is anyone who stands up to the Plain Dealer.
It's always interesting to see what a PD reporter leaves out of a story. Steve Litt contacted me after he apparently joined Norton and others on a bus tour. During the conversation he indicated that Norton and Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones had made disparaging comments about me. Litt was excited about the bus tour until I told him I conducted at least eight bus tours and personally drove potential developers around the city another dozen or so times.
I have included Litt's orginal email to me in addition to my response. I've also included his responding email, which acknowledges receipt of my response and letters I sent to him regarding Community Housing Solutions and a report I received from the Project Alliance, which investigated and determined that Andy Nikiforov's leadership of CHS showed he made no progress on the development plans we'd expected him to prepare for the Circle East Project. If Norton pays the agency the $180,000 Nikiforov claims the city owes him, HUD will investigate and force the taxpayers to return the funds through the general fund, and Norton will be required to sue CHS to get the money back. He should wait until the conclusion of the audit, talk to staff and talk to HUD before he brings CHS back. We've had to re-do at least a dozen homes the agency rehabbed because of shoddy work.
Regarding Norton's experience, six years as a go-pher for PLJ and two degrees doesn't qualify him to manage East Cleveland. He was fired from the only management training job he ever held in Miami-Dade as a management trainee. He was fired from a letter writing job for the Cleveland Education Initiative and he worked for ex-Cleveland school superintendent Barbara Byrd-Bennett responding to constituent letters. His last job with the county saw him approve seven housing rehab loans for the County Department of Development's Neighborhood Stabilization Program. He was kicked out of Morehouse University after earning 10 D's in 10 subjects, a U in two subjects and a C in four. He had a 2.0 GPA after three years before Morehouse showed him the door for poor academic performance. At CSU he earned F's in 8 subjects and was placed on academic probation. He got an unsatisfactory in volleyball and badminton, but he passed African dance. Managing East Cleveland's $25 million budget is his "first" management job. Only God can help East Cleveland.
Litt didn't credit me for obtaining the first audit of CHS since 1974, even though the agency was required to be audited annually by the city. He also got my term of office wrong. It ran from 2006 through 2009, not 2005 through 2009. I think it's also unfair to lump my administration with the corrupt past. My administration was clean, open and competent. Criticism from Nate Martin, who served as council president and voted to approve an illegal and no-bid contract with CH2M Hill that landed Onunwor and Nate Gray in jail is a badge of honor for me.
Now if the PD wants me to stop using this site to exploit the shortcomings and omissions of its reporting staff, then recognize the fact that I'm a private citizen and leave me alone. If I want to talk to the PD or any media, I'll deliver a news release. And when I want to talk to the public, I'll publish my own newspaper ... again.
Eric J. Brewer
From: STEVEN LITT
To: ejon49 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
Sent: Thu, February 11, 2010 10:53:14 AM
Subject: Questions for story in The Plain Dealer
Dear mayor,
Steve Litt here. I received this email address from Ron Brooks.
I'm the art and architecture critic of the PD. I'm writing a story about the potential for a turnaround in East Cleveland with Gary Norton now in the office of mayor.
I'd like to speak to you about the demise of the Circle East project and criticisms you made of Andy Nikiforovs, plus your thoughts on recent developments in the city.
I can be reached at this email address and at 216 999 4136. My deadline is noon tomorrow.
Thanks,
Steve
Fri, February 12, 2010 9:06:09 AM
From: EJB View Contact
To: STEVEN LITT
Steve,
To reiterate our conversation of yesterday.
I conducted bus and personal tours no fewer than 20 times during my four years in office. They included tours with state and regional officials from HUD, prior to my meeting in 2008 with former US HUD Secretary Alfonso Jackson, in addition to numerous banking officials and developers of all sizes. I never invited the media. I held an economic develoment summit that included speakers like Joe Ditchman, the managing partner for Collier's and an East Cleveland native, as well as Paul Oyaski and many others. Wells Fargo Bank reps were regular speakers at my town hall meeting to talk to residents about reverse mortgages, and I held numerous meetings that included reps from US Bank, National City Bank, Charter One Bank, Sky Bank and others. If I had invited you to attend my meetings you would have been equally as encouraged by the enthusiasm of the individuals involved who said the same good things about me they're now saying about Gary. That's just politics.
I spoke to Mark Chupp's class and invited him to assist us in developing the Neighborhood Stabilization Program application last year and enjoyed his support as a stakeholder in the implementation of the $2.2 million we received from the Ohio Department of Development (HUD) to demolish up to 150 homes and renovate up to 15. Gus Kious committed to working with us to create a Huron neighborhood of hospital employees. There are tape recorded meetings in which Gary attacked the NSP application he's now using to help make himself look good. The irony is that Paul Herdeg, Gary's boss in the county department of development, reviewed the application and made recommendations that we actually implemented. Even after Chupp and Herdeg's assistance, Gary attacked the plan and called it "crap."
I met with George Phillips of CMHA last year to discuss East Cleveland's participation in an application to receive a portion of a $74 million NSP II grant. Those dollars will be used to purchase and renovate several apartment buildings along Euclid Avenue for senior housing, as well as to develop new single family homes in the "Circle East" area. I was informed prior to my departure that CMHA and the county development department received the grant.
Jorgelle Lawson of HUD in Columbus informed me prior to my departure that East Cleveland would receive an additional $2 million block grant from D.C. in 2010 as a result of President Obama's stimulus package. We also received an additional $300,000 in stimulus funds in 2009 that was directed towards demoltion.
I was further informed by Kathy Crago, a HUD inspector general out of Columbus who audited my administration's management of the stimulus funds, that we did not have a single audit finding. Gary was allowed by me to participate in the exit conference, even though, as council president, the legislative body is not allowed by HUD to join those discussions. The IG giving the report indicated that my decision to include the mayor-elect was "laudable" and "unprecedented."
CHS operated as Lutheran Housing since 1974 without ever being audited by the city even though it is an annual requirement that audits be conducted. Residents, including members of council like Mildred Brewer and Barbara Thomas, complained bitterly about the substandard rehab work the agency performed on resident homes. The suspension was long overdue. We had to re-do no fewer than one dozen homes that CHS had rehabilitated because the work was so substandard. Federal money was misspent on ineligible activities, there is no evidence that CHS followed public bidding procedures with contractors and vendors, and work was performed on homes that was not tied to the specs. East Cleveland has been forced to repay HUD on several occasions for work CHS performed that violated federal laws and policies. East Cleveland doesn't owe CHS a dime.
Gary is simply building upon relationships that I started. Everyone you mentioned was already at the table, including Peter Lawson Jones. Jones didn't seem to have a problem with my personality when he asked me to stand on the steps of Cleveland city hall with other mayors, and to speak on his behalf, when he sought to be re-elected in 2008. That's why I have no problem with the quote that Cuyahoga County will be a much better place to live in when he's no longer an elected official.
I'll note that during my first year in office, I invited leaders of organizations with ties to EC to join me in a series of joint cabinet meetings. I initiated the requests. I took my cabinet to meet with Gus Kious' cabinet, George Phillips cabinet at CMHA, Rob Hilton's cabinet at McGregor, Joe Calabrese's cabinet at RTA, the commissioners' cabinet, Myrna Loy Corley's cabinet at the EC school district. The meetings were unprecedented relationship building exercises.
I know the PD wants to support Norton to justify its very left-handed endorsement of him. The bus tour is a publicity stunt. From what I've heard about his management of the city, East Cleveland is on its way back to fiscal emergency. The mayor's office budget is already out of whack. I had two employees on my administrative payroll. He had six in unbudgeted positions during his first month in office. That doesn't also include his doubling his salary in violation of Ohio ethics laws. Think about it. When has a Director of Law ever referred a matter involving a mayor to the county prosecutor? Gary's law-busting actions were referred by Almeta Johnson to the county prosecuting attorney. He should have already sent lay-off notices to at least 20 police employees and extended furlough days to try and balance the budget. But he can't touch the cops and firefighters because their unions endorsed him. I didn't seek any employee union endorsements for just those reasons.
I reference the budgetary issues as I did because residents are already complaining about the drug boys returning to street corners that I had the police and sheriff's deputies drive away. When the spring hits and crime becomes more visible, all the good ink will turn to bad ink and investors may once again steer clear of EC if Gary doesn't aggressively focus on managing the city's resources and keeping services strong. Developers want to know they're coming into a strong community. And if you really want to know what the residents think about the new mayor, attend council meetings or watch the recordings of the last three meetings or so. They're not as enthusiastic.
Thank you for having the professional courtesy to contact me regarding the comments made by Jones and others. I don't particularly like reporters telling me what others have told them without hearing the full context of the statements the reporters attribute to those they're quoting, but I have every confidence that Dr. Kious' comments were not meant to reflect any ill will or displeasure with me. He called me after I left office and invited me to have dinner with him on January 15 to express his pleasure with our working relationship. We worked well together on the hospital's plans to construct a new 60,000 square foot facility on Euclid Avenue and Belmore. Gary will get to participate in the photo op and ground breaking, but my administration laid the groundwork for the project with Dr. Kious and his staff. Everything Huron wanted it got from me.
Eric
From: STEVEN LITT
To: EJB
Sent: Thu, February 11, 2010 5:40:45 PM
Subject: Re: Letter to Andy Nikiforovs
Eric, thanks for your note and the letter. It's good to have your
response.
Thanks,
Steve
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: STEVEN LITT
To: EJB
Sent: Thu, February 11, 2010 5:40:45 PM
Subject: Re: Letter to Andy Nikiforovs
Eric, thanks for your note and the letter. It's good to have your
response.
Thanks,
Steve
>>> EJB 2/11/2010 2:14 PM >>>
Steve,
Below is the letter I sent to Andy Nikiforovs and to HUD in September
2008. Copies were given to Council, including Norton, in 2008. The
allegations are all based on public records on file with both the city
and with CHS.
The report from Zayac's organization, the Project Alliance, stimulated
me to write the letter below and to suspend CHS. The agency had not
been audited in 34 years even though all mayors were required to ensure
that each of its sub-recipients of federal funds were audited annually.
I, obviously, became the first mayor to make it happen.
I had a mess to clean-up, which included stepping on CHS's toes, and my
diligence towards complying with the rules and law is the sole reason I
angered many people. I don't apologize for doing the right thing. The
real question here is if the county, under Peter Lawson Jones, is
holding CHS accountable like I did. I don't believe the city owes CHS a
dime and if Norton pays them he's doing so for politics and no other
reason.
CHS doesn't have a board that contains one-third EC residents as
required by HUD regulations as a "sub-recipient." Andy came up with
some BS to try and skirt the issue but I checked with HUD and his tactic
was nothing more than a way to control who served on his board.
Federal law requires that one-third of his board consist of people from
the actual community that delivers him the federal funds and one-third
low income. He said poor people "elected" folk who lived in Pepper Pike
to represent them. He couldn't show me who voted to let Pepper Pike and
Shaker Heights residents "elect" them to serve poor people.
CHS also violates open meetins laws. Andy told me that he had to check
with his board to see if it was okay for me to attend a meeting of its
board. Federal and state laws require agencies receiving governments
funds to comply with public meetings laws, just like any other public
agency. Andy didn't know this and I was shocked at his response. He
also told me he didn't have to give me records showing how he'd spent
Cleveland Foundation funds that I sent a letter asking them to award him
on East Cleveland's behalf. These were among the reasons I chose to
suspend him from doing business with EC.
The letter below and attached was delivered to the PD in September
2008. The newspaper chose to ignore it. CHS does business with
Cleveland and with the county. I informed Peter Jones, Kevin Conwell
and Mamie Mitchell of my decision and advised each to evaluate how CHS
was spending Cleveland and county funds.
EJB
September 9, 2008
Andris Nikiforovs, Director
Community Housing Solutions
12114 Larchmere Blvd.
Cleveland, OH 44120
Mr. Nikiforovs:
As you are aware, I took over the duties of the Director of Community
Development in May 2008. Over the past four months I have directed
staff to provide me with an evaluation of the activities being performed
on behalf of the city by its HUD funded sub-recipients. That
information, coupled with information we have obtained from the HUD
Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has raised questions that demand
answers about how Community Housing Solutions (CHS) has spent CDBG and
HOME funds it has received from the City over the past several years.
We are currently concluding our review of the relationship between CHS
and the City, and a letter outlining our findings will be forthcoming to
your organization upon completion.
I, however, have just obtained and reviewed a copy of a “Circle East
Project Current State Assessment” researched and written by the
Project Alliance. The document contains information which reveals that
after more than four years of spending nearly $280,000 in the City’s
CDBG funds, and receiving and spending $270,000 in grant funds from the
Cleveland Foundation between 2006 and 2008, CHS has made no progress in
moving the project forward.
The Project Alliance assessment explains why a prominent developer
acted as if he had no knowledge of the project when I met him during a
shopping center convention in 2007; and why you have not scheduled a
meeting between us as I have asked of you.
As your organization has been allocated and spent the City’s federal
block grant funds, and as East Cleveland has supported CHS’s requests
for funding from the Cleveland Foundation, it is important that you
deliver the following information to the City no later than 4 p.m. on
September 12, 2008.
1) Copies of reports CHS has delivered to the Cleveland Foundation
detailing how it has spent nearly $270,000 in grant funds on the Circle
East project since 2006. A summary is not acceptable. The City is
seeking a full and detailed accounting of how CHS has spent Cleveland
Foundation funds on behalf of Circle East. The information is to
include but not be limited to all contracts or invoices generated for
each vendor employed by CHS.
2) Copies of the time allocation sheets for you and each CHS
employee detailing the activities that have been undertaken on the
Circle East project since January 1, 2004. The Project Alliance report
indicates that you, personally, allocated 33 percent of your time and
that a CHS employee devoted 100 percent of their time on Circle East.
The City wants evidence to support the claim.
3) An inventory of the $63,000 in building materials CHS purchased
from Tesco Builders with federal funds for six homes. The City has
learned that CHS purchased the building materials at a highly inflated
rate from Tesco Builders while the company was in bankruptcy and going
out of business. Documents show that CHS purchased hot water tanks for
$600 each when the agency previously listed the cost of those items at
approximately $300 each. The City wants any and all documents
associated with the $63,000 in purchases. The documents shall include
but not be limited to any and all contracts, invoices or cancelled
checks. It shall further include all public bidding information to
determine how Tesco Builders was selected and if any other companies bid
to supply CHS with building materials.
4) The City has learned that CHS purchased six homes in the Circle
East area in 2006 with the approval of a former Director. The building
materials identified in Item #3 were to be allocated to the
rehabilitation of the homes. To date, none of the homes have been
rehabilitated. More specifically, CHS purchased building materials from
Tesco Builders for a home that was identified for demolition. A review
of records from the Cuyahoga County Auditor further identifies that CHS
charged the City significantly more than the value of the homes. It
further appears that CHS charged the city for a home that had a value of
“zero dollars.” The City is demanding copies of any and all
documents connected to every home CHS has purchased in East Cleveland
for the past 120 months (10 years).
5) In each of the six homes CHS purchased in the “Circle East”
area in 2006, the agency paid Progressive Urban Real Estate a $3000
“commission” from the “buyer” instead of the seller. CHS
also agreed to the $3000 commission in violation of a purchase agreement
limiting the commission to approximately $1000. Purchase agreements
were not signed by all parties, which indicate they were not fully
executed. The City is demanding any and all records associated with the
purchase of each home.
6) CHS obtained the approval of a former Director in 2006 to spend
approximately $200,000 in HOME funds to rehabilitate one home on Bender
and another on Speedway-Overlook. Approximately $97,000 was spent on
one home in which CHS paid a contractor to “lift” the property to
repair the foundation. Staff has informed me that the property should
have been demolished and the homeowners relocated to another home. To
date, and with such a large allocation of funds, that property will
require an additional and significant investment in funds to be usable.
Staff has informed me that investing more isn’t worth it and that in
today’s housing market, it’s better to demolish the property. The
City wants any and all records associated with the two identified
properties. This includes but is not limited to any and all contractor
information, public bidding information, cancelled checks, and all
communications between CHS and city
officials about the properties.
7) The City has learned that a member or members of CHS’s board
have been contracted and paid to perform services for the agency. This
is a conflict of interest as board members are required to provide
oversight services to protect the federal funds received by CHS.
Furthermore, as a sub-recipient, CHS is required to follow all
applicable federal, state and municipal laws and ordinances that include
but are not limited to the Charter of East Cleveland. In essence, as a
sub-recipient of federal block grant funds, CHS acts as if it is an
agent of the City and HUD and is bound by the same laws that govern each
entity. As such, East Cleveland’s Charter, the Ohio Revised Code and
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) prevent officials from having an
“interest in a public contract.” Under CFR 24, Section
92.356(b)(c) the following applies: “Conflicts prohibited: No persons
described in paragraph (c) of this section who exercise
or have exercised any functions or responsibilities with respect to
activities assisted with HOME funds or who are in a position to
participate in a decision-making process or gain inside information with
regard to these activities, may obtain a financial interest or benefit
from a HOME-assisted activity, or have an interest in any contract,
subcontract or agreement with respect thereto, or the proceeds
thereunder, either for themselves or those with whom they have family or
business ties, during their tenure or for one year thereafter.”
Paragraph (c) reads as follows: “Persons covered. The conflict of
interest provisions of paragraph (b) of this section apply to any person
who is an employee, agent, consultant, officer or elected official or
appointed official of the participating jurisdiction, state recipient or
sub-recipient which are receiving HOME funds.” The City is demanding
any and all resolutions, contracts, invoices and / or
cancelled checks that identify any and all federal funds spent with
each and every business owned by a CHS board member, employee, official
or their family members for the past 120 months (10 years) on any and
all East Cleveland projects.
8) The City wants a list and / or copies of agreements with any
and all vendors associated with CHS that have participated in any manner
on any and all East Cleveland projects for 120 months (10 years). The
information sought includes but is not limited to vendors performing
construction and rehab services, and those providing professional
services as well. The information shall further include but not be
limited to data involving how the vendors were selected through a public
bidding process if any. This will include but not be limited to board
resolutions approving CHS officials to advertise for bid, the actual
advertisements for bid in any publication, copies of bids, documents
identifying the officials opening the bids, and any and all purchasing
records for each successful bidder. The information will further
include change orders and documents identifying who authorized them,
whether the person was a CHS official, City official
or otherwise. If no public bidding was engaged, then the City wants
any and all documents identifying the city official or HUD official who
gave CHS written authorization not to bid; including copies of the
written authorization.
9) The City wants any and all “communications records” between
CHS and city officials since January 1, 2004. The “communications
records” shall include but not be limited to letters, memorandums,
reports, email and or notes. The records will include communications
generated by CHS to the City, and communications generated by the City
to CHS.
The City is confident that CHS understands the implication of the
information contained within the Circle East assessment. You and I
first talked about this project three years ago prior to my being
sworn-in as Mayor. To say the least, I am disappointed.
The City looks forward to obtaining the documents identified above.
Please ensure that your staff promptly delivers the public records to
the Mayor’s office no later than 4 p.m. on September 12.
Finally, the City is demanding that CHS immediately suspend all
activities on the Circle East project and its HOME activities. CHS will
continue, until further notice, to engage Security Hut as a
sub-recipient to provide four police officers in the Neighborhood
Revitalization Strategy Area.
You may contact my office at 216-681-2208 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Eric J. Brewer, Mayor
Acting Director of Community Development
I can confirm Brewer's comments
I can confirm Brewer's comments - I went on the bus trips - I went to the meetings at MacGregor and most recently at EC library, attended by the people now stabbing Brewer in the back - who knocked him down - I thought Brewer was way too nice to these people stabbing him in the back... especially as they stabbed me in the back as well.
Welcome to private life, Mayor Brewer - I still think you are awesome.
Disrupt IT
Third party liens, Rokakis and EC
PD won't touch Brewer's story, Norm---because so many people have made out on the real estate scheme put in place by Jim Rokakis--special friend to the Plain Dealer. Let's ask Gus Kious to talk about the Huron Hospital expansion....
Steven Litt knows all about the games played in Brooklyn Centre. He wouldn't touch the story as it related to Sheryl Hoffman and Abe Bruckman. I will say Steven Litt helped me with some pointers on using Section 106, but other than that--this land bank real estate scheme has to be seen for what it is--PARASITISM.
Steven Litt and PD
If Steve Litt wants to write a real story, investigate Rokakis' third party tax lien sales and the impact they've had on school district budgets. He claimed it helps the schools but empty houses don't generate property taxes. Rokakis' policies have done much to decimate the East Cleveland school district's budget and that of every other community in Cuyahoga County where he's been selling tax liens to third party investors.
The above quote is taken from Eric Brewer's comments--see above.
Speaking of creepy white people... read the PD comments
Speaking of creepy white people... read the PD comments to Litts bad article...
I'd say cleveland.com had trolls from the competition, making them look like white supremacists, but they don't have competition... these are just unreal NEOans being themselves in their own environment... the hater dealer... starting with a man who sped through my city - got a ticket - and "would call in airstrikes immediately.R.I.P EC." ... real NEO hatred for all, compliments of the Cleveland Plain Dealer...
Disrupt IT
One of the greatest conflicts of interest in this Plain Dealer
One of the greatest conflicts of interest in this Plain Dealer article is that it is designed to discredit and harm a newsman, now retired from government, who is certainly going to return to news publishing - everyone knows that is his calling.
Just like they attacked and certainly caused economic harm to the black-owned Call and Post, the Plain Dealer has mounted an attack against black journalist Eric Brewer... also the Plain Dealer's black competition.
I believe one objective of this article is to put the same death grip on Brewer that killed Citizen Hauser - cause economic harm to Mayor Brewer - to kick the man when he is down, to take him out for good - and that is disgraceful, heartless, and criminal.
That is parasitism.
Disrupt IT