Maple council OKs exterior paint rebate for residents

MAPLE HTS.Good news for homeowners: The city will pay half the price of paint they use on the outside of their house.

Bad news for Councilman Anthony Cefaratti: The paint program is not the same he tried to start two months ago.

The paint program passed April 15 -- along with a program that helps residents pay half the cost to replace concrete sidewalks.

Both programs come as the city prepares to launch the second summer of home inspections -- a program delayed in part because of concerns from council members.

Residents might need sidewalks should inspectors find violations. Blocks could cost $100.

The city anticipates setting aside between $30,000 to $50,000 to match half the cost of sidewalks. Senior citizens would get a 75 percent subsidy, Mayor Jeff Lansky said.

All of council OK'd it, except Cefaratti, who didn't stay around long enough to vote. He left the meeting after saying Council President Jackie Albers "blindsided" him with her own version of a paint program.

Cefaratti and Councilwoman Toni Jones in early February introduced a paint program plus a program to help people maintain property. Albers put it in committee at Cefaratti's request for time to work on details. It had no hearing.

Cefarrati got word that Albers had her own version, involving Sherwin-Williams Co.

Albers said that company called her two days before Cefaratti and Jones offered their version. She even offered to make her version an amendment to his.

Cefaratti chided Albers for not communicating with him.

"We try to work on things, but there is no cooperation on anything," he said.

He said Albers "slapped" her version together, using application forms that irrelevantly used guidelines used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Jones, who works as a neighborhood housing director, complained Albers' version wouldn't allow all homeowners to take part or would improperly ask applicants to reveal whether they were disabled....