10/07/2003 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

when residents were sitting outside at night on a back patio. In August residents witnessed a midnight attempt by vandals to drive a car down the City path, "back it up" into the City trees/weeds bordering back yards, and then drive it across the path into the woods. Upon leaving, its passenger mirror was sheared off on the City bike path sign that says "No Motorized Vehicles." (The mirror was given to police.) Over the summer vandals have used the cut-through from the City path and residents' yards to flee onto Berkshire Drive. Recently a visually-impaired resident was nearly struck by a teen speeding on his bike to/from the City path through a yard. Despite warnings, vandals' use of residents' yards to enter/exit the City path (via the cut-through) is occurring with increasing frequency, putting residents in harm's way in their own yards. Four teens were questioned, and names/addresses obtained by police within the last 2 weeks. Each of the incidents described above were reported by residents to the police. The Safety Director was also contacted, as there have been more than a DOZEN City bike path incidents since June, 2003. Nearly three months ago the North Olmsted Safety Director, Service Director, Community Liaison Officer, and Police Chief inspected the site of the fires on the City path, the "watering hole", and the open ditch. Additional bike path lighting and a shrubbery/tree barrier (for the cut-through) were discussed. Promises for regular police patrolling were made; residents also have asked for police bike patrols. Four Council members have been informed of the vandalism; the Law Director was recently informed'by a resident. Now FOUR MONTHS have passed since the vandalism started. It continues to this day. Police patrols ceased several weeks ago, with police presence occurring only when summoned for specific incidents. One bike patrol was observed....July 4th. NEIGHBORS "patrol" the City's path day and night. Much of the vandalism occurs near the cut-through locale. Although additional lighting on the path was deemed a safety priority by the Safety and Service Directors, no light has been installed yet. The cut-through remains blocked only by a home-made pile of dead tree branches fashioned by residents. There have been requests from residents living along the path for a formal query of all nearby residents to be made by a police detective for any bits of information that can be offered to identify vandals. WE are formally requesting that the City give residents a DEFINITE date when the lighting and some type of barrier will go up and ongoing police patrolling will be instituted...BEFORE a North Olmsted resident is injured. G~~~ 1~ /~C~~~ ~, v "lxt.~ • e~ ~~ ~ v .~' ~',~' ~,,~ ~~ ,~ ... r-e..~,::.. - ~ -•. .,~ ... rKnyr....,,,,,~!a~anr+ys~•.a,a-:,~:,. ~`~V~, ' `~, vl~'1i 1Wti1~1~~~~ ~1 ~/~`yw' ~„~<- ~~ ,~ ~~ ~s~~. ~~ti