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MINUTES OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE January 9, 2023 Auditorium Present: Councilmembers Baker, Bullock, Kepple, Litten, Marx, Rader, & Shachner Also Present: Mayor George, Law Director Vargo, Assistant Law Director Swallow, Director Gordon, Engineer Papke, Clerk Bach, & Council staff Time: 7:05 p.m. Approval of the minutes of the November 28, 2022 Committee of the Whole. Motion by President Litten, seconded by Vice President Kepple to approve the minutes. All in favor. Motion passed. RESOLUTION 2023-01 -A RESOLUTION to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force after the earliest period allowed by law, approving the appointment of Chris Gordon to the position of Director of Public Works upon taking the oath of office. (referred to COW 01/03/23) President Litten asked Mr. Chris Gordon, Interim Public Works Director, to give an overview of his resume and share points about himself. Mr. Gordon thanked Council for the opportunity and told his story of rising through the ranks of Shaker Heights, Ohio city government over a 15-year period. He held a variety of roles in Shaker's public works and finance departments, overseeing purchasing for the city, serving as superintendent of Public Works, and supervising 70 unionized staff. He has supervised city operations that include refuse collection, recycling, ice and snow removal, and fleet management. Councilmember Baker highlighted that the main difference between his work at Shaker and Lakewood would be that Lakewood manages its own wastewater treatment, while Shaker's is handled by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. He asked how Mr. Gordon would approach that work. Mr. Gordon indicated that he's been going on learning tours at the high-rate treatment plant and asking questions of Engineer Papke. He added that he is still working on getting a strong understanding of the basics of the system but emphasized the importance of having good staff in place that can be trusted to do the work. Mr. Baker then asked what Mr. Gordon's experience in Shaker was when it came to public contracting and design-bid-build projects. Mr. Gordon stated that they had an assistant director of infrastructure in Shaker that he worked with hand in hand on RFPs. Those involved bidding,pre-construction specifications, crafting contracts with the Law Department, and knowing next steps after contract reward. Councilmember Bullock stated that the Public Works Department budget is approximately $56.5 million, and that Mr. Gordon's role involves a great deal of public interaction. He noted 1