SOMC: Mayor Murray's Latest Target

Well, our wonderful, intelligent, tactful, and progress-minded Mayor has done it once agin. She has made a true ass of herself. Jane Murray has more chips on her shoulder than a Snyder's delivery truck driver. It is well-known that she has had a vendetta against Southern Ohio Medical Center. She doesn't like all of the ambulances that come by at all hours of the night, waking her dog and whomever happens to be sleeping at her place. (This is a little like someone who buys a house next to an airport and complains about all the airplanes.) She doesn't like all of the delivery trucks to the medical center complex. Like her C.A.V.E. People supporters, she blames they hospital for basement flooding on Grandview Street.

One of her first actions as Mayor was to raise water and sewer rates for large customers, specifically targeted at customers the size of SOMC, doubling their water and sewer fees (as many other local businesses, such as OSCO, Pepsi, KSA) without advanced notice.

Her latest effort began last month, shortly after the drawn-out exit of Crazy-Town's fake Civil Engineer, Jeff Peck, who Murray claimed had found evidence of the hospital illegally dumping waste in City sewers. (Are we sure Peck is really gone? The City's website still lists Peck as Director of Engineering and Public Services. Click here or here. We're just sayin'.)

Mayor Murray wrote a letter to the hospital ordering them to provide a written plan as to how SOMC will "manage this problem" of city sewers being clogged with "latex gloves, paper towels, syringes, hospital gowns, EKG patches, etc." SOMC responded that they did not belieive that they were the cause of the problem. After all there are doctor's offices in the area wich are not affilated with SOMC as well as Hillview Retirement, who also use such materials. The hospital ended its letter by agreeing to meet with the mayor to discuss the matter and even to install equipment "to allow any debris to be collected and disposed of." The Mayor released her accusation to the Portsmouth Times, which resulted in an article entitled "Hospital-Related Waste Clogging City Sewers, Mayor Says." (PDT, 7/3/2010)

SOMC met with the Mayor on Tuesday, July 13. (PDT, July 17, 2010) How did the meeting go?  

"Not well," Murray said. "I'm very disappointed in the meeting that we had. I specifically requested that SOMC come with a plan to get the materials out of the system, It's unlawful for any of these wastes to enter our sewer system. Instead of coming with a system, they caid they were there to listen to our concerns."

Have you noticed a pattern with our mayor? It seems like no meeting with the mayor ever goes well...with councilmen, with City labor unions, with A-plant officials, with EPA officials, with New Boston officials, with OVRDC...the list goes on and on. No wonder the CAVE people love her.

The meeting truly was a travesty. This was not in the newspaper, but Murray actually pounded on Mr. Arnett's desk (reminiscent of her past meetings with the Police Union, when she demanded to be called Madame Mayor, and her meeting with Councilman Basham) and threatened to shut the hospital down. Murray told them if Arnett didn't do what she wanted, she would call the EPA on them. Arnett responded that they would work with the city but he believed the hospital was in compliance. He merely wanted evidence that the alleged materials going into the sewers were actually from SOMC rather than a non-SOMC doctor's office, Hillview Retirement Center, or another source.

Hurrican Jane was true to her threat to call EPA. ("Mayor Seeks Help From Ohio EPA," PDT, July 15).

Portsmouth Mayor Jane Murray has thrown down the gauntlet in her dispute with Southern Ohio Medical Center over reports that debris from the hospital has been ending up in the city’s sewer system and in homes on Shawnee Road.

Murray requested that personnel from at least THREE (!) different Divisions of the Ohio EPA (Surface Water Hazardous Wastem, and Infectious Wastes) instpect SOMC "as soon as possible." Murray has had City Sewer personnel working overtime seven days per week random inspecting city sewers to try to catch the SOMC in the act, and has even order hazardous materials suits from sewer personnel. (This vendetta of hers is getting a bit expensive.)

Well the EPA inspection took place on Tuesday. What was the result? ("EPA says SOMC In Compliance," PDT, July 23).

Erin Strouse of the Ohio EPA said the Ohio EPA staff met Tuesday with Murray and city wastewater system officials before conducting an inspection at SOMC. Strouse said the Division of Solid and Infectious Waste Management staff from Ohio EPA conducted an infectious waste inspection at the facility during the site visit and found SOMC in compliance with all applicable rules.

According to Randy Arnett, president and CEO at SOMC, on June 20, three inspectors from the EPA conducted an assessment of SOMC’s disposal practices and storm water drainage.
“Portsmouth Mayor Jane Murray has alleged that SOMC is improperly disposing of waste, causing flooding to occur on Shawnee Road,” Arnett said. “We were appreciative of the visit by the inspectors. They were very complimentary of our practices and our staff.”

Arnett said two of the three inspectors were infectious and hazardous waste specialists. One specialized in surface water drainage. “They spoke with several of our staff members in various departments and were impressed by the knowledge and methods used consistently throughout the organization,” Arnett said. “They even said they would like to use SOMC as an example for other organizations.”

So once again Murray has made an ass out of herself (and the City of Portsmouth.)

Is this REALLY what we want from the leadser of our City? Is this REALLY what we voted for?

Do we really want her attacking the City's largest employer with 2200 paid workers? Maybe, since she thinks all things from Kentucky are better than Ohio, she would like to see SOMC's Kentucky competitor take over. Perhaps, just like her C.A.V.E. People followers who constantly criticize SOMC and call for boycotts, she would love to see the hospital close its doors for good.

Even if SOMC is ultimately found to be relasing unauthorized debris (after all, they have 2200 paid staff and 800 volunteer workers...it's not possible to monitor every janitor and every nurses every minute of the day), is this really how we want the Mayor to handle this situation?

Is this really how we attract new business to our area? But calling the EPA on our largest employer?

We say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! CRAZY JANE MUST GO!"

LET THE RECALL BEGIN!!!